The spark in your eyes

by UnderratedHero

He did it. He defeated All for One. The world saw it, and now he's to become the youngest #1 hero in history. He should be happy, by all means, but he feels lost. He doesn't know how to react or what to do with this giant spotlight aimed at him. As the world expects him to be the next All Might, Ochako will remind him that he's still Izuku Midoriya. And how that's more than enough.

4. Home

Thank you guys for the kind reviews! You're all amazing, and I'm happy to read that you're enjoying the story so far. This chapter proved to be a bit more difficult to write than I expected, but it marks the halfway point of the prologue-arc, which I like to call "The rise of Deku" lol I want to say that the following chapters should be shorter, but honestly, every time I say that I end up writing the longest chapter yet.

Also, this shouldn't surprise anyone, but just for posteriority, I'll remind the readers that as of today, the manga is released up to chapter 318, and it has ALREADY made some elements of this fic inaccurate lol But that's ok! I'm not trying to "predict" how the story will go. This fic only wants to explore the idea of Izuku becoming the new Symbol of Peace, and dealing with being a student but also a celebrity. I might tho steal new things from newer chapters if I end up liking them. If I do, just use your imagination as to how they could have fit this timeline lol

With that out of the way, hope you enjoy this!

---

Home.

People had been quick to complain about or at the very least take notice of Izuku's verbosity throughout his life. He'd gotten into trouble many times for not going straight to the point and overextending the answers or explanations to straightforward questions. While a useful skill to allow him to share his vast knowledge in written tests —he only needed to be mindful of how much time he had left to write—, it had proven time and time again to be detrimental to his social life. People around him never failed to point out every instance of him muttering out loud or getting into long-winded rants, and he'd lost track of how many conversations he'd ruined by not shutting up.

Adding to the equation the fact that, growing up, he'd never had any real friends, it wouldn't surprise anyone to learn that he'd never been encouraged to tell stories or talk about himself for long periods. His talks with his mother came to his mind as the closest example he could think of, but even those small summaries of his days at school paled in comparison to the experience of catching his friends up with everything related to One for All.

It had been intimidating, at first. He didn't know how much detail was enough, or how vague he could keep things to not make it boring for his friends. The engagement had been far superior to what he'd imagined. They allowed him to talk just shy of two hours about himself without making him feel weird about it, and they kept asking questions for him to elaborate on. It made him feel confident, especially with how eager they all looked to learn more about his quirk and his journey to master it.

They looked like kids at a campfire, listening to their counselor narrating the most amazing tale ever. They leaned in and took sharp breaths when he got to the dramatic turning points in his life, they let out impressed 'oohs' and 'aahs' when he revealed some of the most amazing parts of his journey, they shook and bit their nails when he went into detail about some of the life-or-death situations he'd faced. He couldn't have possibly asked for a better audience, one that made him feel more contained and safe. They cheered him up and offered words of encouragement whenever he doubted or criticized himself, or whenever he talked about his many failures and missteps.

By the time he concluded talking about himself, Izuku felt liberated. An impossibly heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Keeping the secret from the people he cared the most about had become a great boulder on the uphill trek of life. He hadn't been aware of how much it affected him until then, and the idea that he could show them how much he trusted them certainly helped clear his conscience. He escaped no question and answered everything they inquired about to the best of his ability.

His calmness and relief contrasted with the shocked and perplexed demeanors that most of his friends showed. Even the most stoic ones like Fumikage, Shoto, and Shinso stood visibly disturbed by these revelations. Shoto apologized to Izuku for having seemingly contributed to his distress during the Sports Festival by drawing connections between him and All Might, and even after the Joint Training, where he briefly accused him of hiding his true powers and potential from him. Izuku wasted no time to dismiss those worries and apologized in turn for the constant lies.

All in all, Izuku's heart rested at ease knowing that his classmates didn't blame him or held any grudges for his actions. He knew he had the best friends in the world, he had been well aware of it during his time away from them, but the reunion only further fueled his belief.

He made a silent promise right then that he wouldn't let them down ever again. He'd make them proud. They had made it possible for him to grow as much as a hero as he had, not to mention his growth as a person and how they'd made him feel special and loved. He wouldn't run away from them again. He'd protect them, he'd train twice as hard to live up to the ideal they helped him reach, and he'd make sure to support and offer a helping hand every step of the way during their school years.

He'd repay them, somehow, someday.

"Man, Midoriya, this is a lot to take in, not gonna lie," Eijiro said, brushing his spiky hair up with a hand. "Honestly, it makes me feel kinda guilty that I never realized you were going through so much."

"Yeah. Sometimes I saw you looking distracted during dinner, or I thought that maybe you were overdoing your training," Denki pointed out, "but now it all kinda makes sense. Well, I mean, it makes total sense. Just, you know, I wouldn't have expected something like this."

"I mean, I don't blame you. I would have had a hard time believing it if it wasn't happening to me," Izuku conceded.

"So how many quirks did you learn to control simultaneously?" Shoto asked, a hand stroking his chin.

"Well, there's One for All's base stockpile power quirk, and then six more. Though the more I use at the same time, the more my body hurts. And it gets harder to control."

Mina mouthed an impressed 'woah', Mezo shook his head in disbelief, and Hanta snorted.

"And we thought Todoroki was the prodigy of the class, mastering two quirks," the latter said, giving Shoto a playful punch to the shoulder. He didn't say anything, barely nodding his head.

"S-Sero! Please don't say that," Izuku complained, feeling his cheeks blush slightly. "Seriously, guys, I don't… I don't want you to treat me any differently after this. I'm not… you know, special or anything like that."

"Damn right you ain't, you damn nerd."

"Don't worry Midoriya, we know," Tsuyu told him, ignoring Katsuki's outburst. "We don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Midoriya, I believe I speak for the entire class when I say that we have no intention of making you feel any different than before. Regardless of your undeniably impressive feats and growth as a hero, you are still the same Midoriya Izuku that we've known for over a year now. While it's true that we are… quite flabbergasted by everything we've learned, and I believe that there's a certain amount of reasonable worry and newfound appreciation to be had for you and the trials you've faced, the dynamic of our friendship should remain, for the most part, unaffected. At least from my part, I wish to remain as your friend the same way I was before your departure."

Tenya then smirked and used his index finger to fix his glasses, before looking at Izuku with a spark of determination that he'd seldom seen on his friend.

"And forgive me if this may be presumptuous of me, but I believe this might make you feel better: learning about your escapades and the hero work you've done along with the pros raises the bar I've set for my own expectations. I am determined to work harder to catch up to you, Midoriya, and become a worthy bearer of the Ingenium mantle."

"I think this is kind of a wake-up call for a lot of us," Mashirao said, cracking his knuckles and smiling at Izuku. "At first, there was kind of a power gap between Todoroki, Bakugo, and the rest of us. Then you joined them, but we were all able to follow you guys and stay on track. Now it looks like you took a few extra leaps away from us. And I'm really happy for you, Midoriya, but I'm not gonna be left behind. I'll do my best to catch up with you."

"We all will," Ochako added, raising a closed fist. "We've all gotten stronger, Deku. So next time you have to go do something crazy, we'll be right there with you to have your back."

Izuku's chest swelled with pride and his smile beamed at the display of determination and motivation that his friends showed him.

"Thank you," he told them, closing his eyes and lowering his head for a second, taking a deep breath and feeling better than he could remember being in recent times. "You guys… You have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

Koji gave him a pat on the back, and when he looked up at his friends, he found them smiling at him. All except for Katsuki, who aside from a snide remark here and there, had stayed notably silent during Izuku's retelling of his journey. And, perhaps undetected by everyone else, his face displayed a scowl deeper than usual. He had crossed his arms over his chest and set his eyes on the floor, not moving a single inch. He hadn't even looked right at Izuku whenever he addressed him. Izuku knew his friend, and he could tell something bothered him.

"So, Midoriya," Minoru began, "now that the bad guys are all taken care of—"

"Not all of them," Tenya interjected, clenching his fists. Everyone stared at him in silence for a few seconds.

The Hero Killer had notoriously kept a low profile ever since escaping Tartarus.

"...right. Uh, so now that most of the bad guys are taken care of, are you coming back to U.A.?"

Izuku's face lit up and nodded vigorously. "I talked to Principal Nezu. He said they'll let me back!"

He made a small pause to let everyone cheer.

"I'm gonna have to take a proficiency exam to make sure I'm not too far behind, and I need to catch up with all the classes you've already taken, but I'm sure I can do it."

"I can help you with that!" Momo rushed to offer, clapping her hands in front of her chest. "I've been writing down all the essentials of our lessons into flashcards to get ready for the exams. I can help you catch up with your homework and any lesson you may have trouble understanding."

"That would be great, Yaoyorozu. If it's not too much to ask…"

"Nonsense! You've always been a top-notch student, your academic performance shouldn't suffer because you had to deal with more pressing matters outside of school. I'll make sure you have all the resources you need to study."

"You should trust her, Midoriya," Kyoka said with a mischievous smile. "If she can make Kaminari pass his written exams, she'll get you acing your tests in no time."

"Jiro!" Denki complained with faux shock, putting a hand on his chest like he'd been stabbed. "Why do you always go for the lowest hanging fruit?"

The entire class shared a laugh, and Izuku took a moment to appreciate it. Several months had passed since the last time he had ever laughed along with others. He had truly missed it.

Death Arms knocked on the door —scaring the living crap out of everyone—, and seconds later he opened it, revealing a figure all dressed in black, with long, messy, greasy hair covering his right eye and falling past his shoulders. The students stood up with their backs straight, looking at the newcomer.

"Aizawa-sensei!" Tenya said. "What brings you here?"

Izuku looked at his former homeroom teacher. The pro hero looked as tired as ever, with his hands in his pockets as he walked into the room. The last time the two had seen each other, Aizawa had cut off one foot and suffered a major injury in his eye when facing Shigaraki. Izuku felt relieved to see him walking without any clutch or visible inconvenience.

"Midoriya," the pro hero said, ignoring the question and stopping a few steps away from him. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm— I'm better, professor. Thank you."

Aizawa nodded and looked at the rest of his students. "Nezu and the Hero Public Safety Commission have finished negotiations. Classes will be suspended for a week for the Hero Department. You may choose to go back to your families, but a hotel has been reserved for those that can't do it or that would rather stay in the city. Regardless of what you choose, a bus is waiting outside to leave the hospital and take all of you there for the time being. None of you require further medical treatment, so we won't be taking more resources from the hospital. Go to your rooms and pick up your costumes, we'll leave in thirty minutes."

"Only a week?" Mina asked. "But the entire school was blown up."

"As we speak, Power Loader is coordinating with the new architect and engineers to work on the design of the new campus," he explained. "The original plans can be used, though Nezu asked for a few small changes. Once that's done, the robots should be able to rebuild it within a month. However, you'll be sent somewhere else starting next Monday, so you have one week to rest and reflect on everything that's happened."

Izuku's heart beat faster. Did that mean that he would also be restarting school in a week? That was… so much sooner than he'd imagined. His excitement rocketed through the roof. He could hardly wait!

As if reading his mind, Eraserhead looked at Izuku with his good eye.

"Midoriya."

"Yes, sir?"

His eye flickered under the light as if holding a small flame within. "You've matured and grown as a hero. You did well. Good job."

Izuku had been congratulated many times in the past twenty-four hours, but it hit differently coming from the pro hero that had been mostly in charge of his education, second to All Might.

He pressed his hands together and bowed. "Thank you, professor!"

Aizawa nodded once again before addressing the rest of the class. "Alright, let's get going. I'm sure you'll see Midoriya soon enough."

"You heard our homeroom teacher, class! Let's leave on a single file, and remember not to be loud as we walk down the halls! We do not want to disturb the personnel or the resting patients as we go back to our rooms!"

Following Tenya, all his friends waved goodbye at Izuku, telling him they'd be in touch. Ochako waited until most had left before looking at him with a soft, bright smile, brushing a lock of brown hair behind her ear.

"Don't do anything crazy while I'm gone," she teased him, though her playful tone couldn't completely conceal a hint of genuine worry.

He chuckled. "I'll try not to."

"See ya later, Deku."

"See ya later, Uraraka!"

She left the room, turning one last time once she passed the threshold to glance back and wave her hand. He waved back at her, with a dumb, happy expression on his face, but the moment she walked out of sight, a part of him felt numb. Like he'd forgotten to tell her something, or like she'd taken something from him that he wanted back. Weird, he thought, as he frowned at the unexpected pang of indistinct emotion. He wanted to shrug it off as having missed his best friend's presence for so long, but he didn't feel that way regarding Iida, and as far as he knew, he appreciated them both equally. Perhaps he forgot to properly thank her for all she'd done for him? He seemed to remember showing his appreciation, but maybe it hadn't been genuine enough? Why did he feel this way?

He had to put a pin on his feelings because both he and Eraserhead realized that one student was making no effort to move or leave the room.

"Bakugo. Is there a problem?" The teacher asked.

Katsuki didn't reply, still frowning at the floor, his lips pursed on a thin line, his explosive personality subdued, making him look more like a time bomb. He clicked his tongue and dropped his arms to the side, walking closer to Izuku. He stopped a few feet in front of him, not meeting his eyes.

"Kacchan? Is everything—?"

"You didn't tell them the full story."

Izuku blinked twice, taken aback by the blunt statement. He tried to make sense of it, but he drew a blank on what he could have possibly missed from the retelling of his life.

"What do you…? What's the full story?"

The question seemed to irritate Katsuki, who buffed and turned his head to the side, shaking it slightly. And only then did Izuku see the concealed regret in his friend's eyes, and only then did he understand what he meant.

"You told them about growing up quirkless, but you didn't tell them the full story," Katsuki clarified, and Izuku sensed that the anger that poisoned his voice wasn't aimed at him.

He forgot about Eraserhead, and instead took a step towards Katsuki, forcing his friend to stare at him and meet his emerald eyes.

"I told them what they needed to know," he explained, showing his confidence and determination through his tone. "The parts that matter."

Katsuki kept staring at him, almost daring him to speak up, to add something else, to call him out, but whatever grudge Izuku may have held in any deep corner of his heart had been long gone. So he made sure to reassure Katsuki by not looking away, by meeting his strong gaze with one of his own, channeling his inner Eraserhead to fight the urge to blink.

With a sigh, Katsuki looked away, nodding his head to acknowledge Izuku's position, and then promptly turned around. Izuku stared at his friend as he walked away from the room. It felt like they had just shared a moment, but whether Katsuki understood that he had forgiven him long ago or not, he didn't know.

"Midoriya, the Hero Public Safety Commission will get here shortly," Aizawa said, making Izuku turn to look at his teacher. "They have some things to discuss with you. But I have a favor to ask before they get here."

"Oh. Right, sure. What is it, professor?"

Aizawa pointed a finger at the hall outside of the room. "Eri's outside."

"Eri? Huh? Why didn't she come?"

"She's feeling too guilty to see you."

Izuku's jaw dropped, and he had to do a double-take to make sure that he hadn't misheard him. "Guilty? Of what?"

"She blames herself for the attack at the school. She thinks it's her and her quirk's fault that All for One attacked us. She's been asking about you since yesterday; she's worried, but she's also hesitant to come to see you. So she asked me to stay outside, instead. Could you go talk to her? I believe talking to you would help her a lot."

To say that Izuku's heart ached at the surreal scenario of Eri blaming herself for a situation that had her as a clear victim would have been the understatement of the century. In the almost sixteen years he'd walked the Earth, he'd never encountered another individual as pure and innocent as Eri. Recent times had shown him that the world wasn't black or white, that everyone lived in different shades of gray. And yet he would argue that she was pure brightness, physically incapable of hating or holding grudges. She was the kindest person he knew, and just like everyone else at U.A., he would fight to protect the smile they'd worked so hard to give her.

The idea that she somehow blamed herself for the actions of supervillains hurt him on an emotional level. She deserved nothing but the best. And if she was out there in the hallway suffering for blame she put upon herself, then he'd go out there to rescue her just like he'd gone all-out to rescue her from Chisaki and All for One.

He nodded at Aizawa and, with his permission, stepped out of his room. Death Arms glanced at him but said nothing, allowing him to look around the hall until he spotted her. She was sitting alone on a bench, wearing her white dress shirt with a red pinafore, her legs swinging aimlessly in the air like two pendulums. Her head hung low, her eyes fixed on the floor, while she fidgeted with her fingers, rubbing her thumbs together.

She looked hurt, and that, in turn, hurt him, but Izuku knew better than to let it show. He channeled all the positive emotions he could muster and prepared the happiest smile his face would produce.

"Eri!" He called her, raising an arm to wave at her.

His voice startled her, making her jump in her seat and turn to give him a shocked look. He sensed her hesitation, so he decided to walk closer to her, crouching down to be at eye level, and taking in on the details of her face. He'd missed her just as much as he'd missed everyone else, and looking at her safe and sound filled his heart with joy.

He hadn't been able to save everyone, but Eri reminded him why he'd taken this path. What he fought for.

"D-Deku…" She said, her eyes darting back and forth between her boots and his face.

"I'm so glad to see you're okay!" He told her. "I've missed you so much! You even look taller."

A tiny smile spread on her face, but her expression morphed into concern just as fast.

"You look thinner," she pointed out. Izuku's smile faltered, but he soldiered through the unexpected observation.

"So I've been told," he admitted, leaving it at that; getting into his eating habits for the past two months served no purpose. "And my hair's a little fluffier. Should I get a haircut? What do you think?"

She studied his hair, and then raised her little hand, stopping it in midair as if asking for permission. He chuckled and leaned closer, letting her pet his green hair. Her fingers brushed it and examined a few locks, trying in vain to fix his eternally-disheveled style.

"I like it," she concluded.

"Then I guess I'll keep it like this."

She nodded, but soon she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her whole body shaking for a second.

"Deku… T-Thank you," she said at last. "For… for coming back for me. For fighting the bad people."

"Of course, Eri. I would never let anything happen to you," he said, and ever so carefully, placed a hand on one of her shoulders. She tensed for a second, and he almost removed it to avoid making her uncomfortable, but before he could do so she put a hand over his.

"I cause nothing but trouble," she said, and her lower lip began to tremble as her eyes filled with tears. "The bad people were looking for me. Everyone had to fight because of me. If it wasn't for my quirk… Then all those people wouldn't have… d-died."

Her free hand moved up to touch her horn, and looking at her sobbing like that, Izuku felt an icy claw clutching his heart. He tightened his grip on her shoulder and pulled the sleeve of his varsity jacket over his free hand, using it to wipe her tears away.

"Eri, it's not your fault. It never was. Your quirk is a great thing. It saved us, remember? It saved me, and you saved Lemillion. What the bad people did was their fault, not yours. That's why they're bad people, right?"

She nodded, but her expression and attitude didn't improve. He sighed, realizing that he knew exactly what she was going through. He knew those feelings all too well.

"I get how you feel. I feel the same way," he admitted, looking away for a second. "I made a lot of people worry about me. People got hurt because of me, and some even…"

He trailed off, but the sudden, understanding look she gave him told him that she got what he meant.

"And it makes me feel bad. It makes me feel guilty. Sometimes I feel like I can't look them in the eye. That… That I don't deserve their love after what I caused."

"W-What do you do? When you feel like that?"

He reflected on the question and pondered his answer for a bit until he had an epiphany and figured out a solution to a problem he'd been struggling with as well.

"Well, it doesn't do anyone any good if I just stay sad and mad at myself, does it? So I think of why they did what they did. And I know they did it because they wanted me to be a hero. So I think about that, and I tell myself I'm going to be the best hero I possibly can. That way I'm doing what they wanted me to do, and it's my way of repaying them."

Her fingers curled on the back of his hand, and she sniffled as she did her best to control her emotions. He kept smiling, reassuring her that she could take her time, that he would be there for her.

"Why did you come back, then?" She finally asked. "Why did you do what you did? What do you want me to do? I… I can't be a hero..."

Her sweet tone and the way she genuinely asked those questions broke his heart.

"I came back because I heard my friends were in danger. I fought to protect you all. And maybe you can't be a hero just yet, but that's not what I want you to be."

"T-Then what do you want me to be?"

His thumb brushed away a new tear that slid down her cheek. "Happy, Eri."

She stood aghast, and he could see in her flickering eyes how the gears turned in her head as his words began to sink in. Her crying became louder, stronger, uglier, and her grip on his hand tightened.

"I don't want you to be sad or to feel guilty. I want you to smile and be happy. Do you think you can do that? For me?"

She didn't reply right away. Instead, she launched forward, wrapped her arms around him, and buried her face on the crook of his neck. He let her cry her stress away, patting her back and holding her tight, trying to let her know that he wouldn't let go. Just like when he caught her as she jumped out of Chisaki's reach so long ago.

It took her a while, but by the time she ended her hug, and before they walked into his room to talk until the adults came for Izuku, she gave him a genuine, heartfelt smile.

---

"DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL EDUCATION! FOLLOW ME! I REPEAT! DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL EDUCATION! FOLLOW ME!"

Ochako, along with many of her classmates, covered her ears and gave one strange look at Present Mic as he waved his arms in the air, trying to catch the attention of his students.

The U.A.'s student body had been summoned to the main hall of the hospital to get ready to head for the hotel where most of them would be staying until the school could rebuild the campus. The hospital, being a crucial, strategic piece of infrastructure that provided healthcare for the entire region, was ample enough to fit all the students. Unfortunately, fitting wasn't the same as "being comfortable in", and Ochako now knew what it felt like to be inside a train during work hours in Tokyo. Toru and Kyoka sandwiched her, their shoulders pressed against each other's, and she could barely move her head to look around for a teacher calling for them.

They were separating them all by their departments. Thirteen was in charge of the Department of Management, Ectoplasm had gathered the students from the Department of Support, and Present Mic had made it all too clear regarding who had to follow him.

"How are we even supposed to hear who's calling for us?" Ochako asked, speaking loudly to be heard over all the students talking to each other.

"I'm on it… or at least I'm trying," Kyoka said, tilting her earphone jacks in the air like small antennas. "There's a lot of talking… And some of the things I'm hearing are awful."

"What do you mean?" Toru asked. "What kind of things?"

"You know… everyone that died."

Ochako couldn't see Toru's face, but she figured it would be mirroring her own. She closed her eyes and sighed, shivering when a chill ran down her spine. Principal Nezu had visited them the day before, and among many things, he had shared the terrible news. Seventeen students had been killed during, or as a consequence of, the siege of U.A. Most of the victims belonged to first-year classes outside of the Hero course. Not many had died as a result of a confrontation with villains. The few that did were seniors from the Hero course, trying to protect their junior classmates. As for the rest, most had been victims of collateral damage, crossfire, and the buildings collapsing on top of them.

Not all the victims were students, however. Out of the many worried parents that rushed to the school as soon as they heard the news, five had been slain. And three pro heroes had given up their lives. The Writing Hero: Underrated, the Siege Hero: Perilous, and the Loud Hero: Automata. While not the most successful or popular heroes in the country, their names carried enough weight for their demise to bring much pain to the community.

It was by far the greatest tragedy that U.A. or any other hero school had suffered in recent memory, and the mournful atmosphere weighed down on Ochako. She wondered if she could have done something more to save people. Logic and reason told her that she'd done everything she could. She'd protected many fellow students from C-tier villains. She'd gotten people out of the debris. She'd used that same debris to Comet Home Run said villains. And then, she had risked her life to fight Toga. She hadn't been slacking or missing out on helping others. By all metrics and objective measures, she should have felt proud of what she'd accomplished.

Then why did it feel that she'd come short? That it wasn't enough? Maybe, if she hadn't taken so long to beat Toga, she could have gone somewhere else to save more people. Had she not panicked at first until Iida took charge and led them into battle, had she acted quicker, had she been a better hero…

She knew that stepping into the wandering ocean of the what-ifs wouldn't take her anywhere. It was a sea of uncharted waters that she could potentially keep navigating forever. And that would undoubtedly end up drowning her if she wasn't careful. She couldn't change the past, but she could work on the present to build a brighter future. She promised herself that she would learn the name of everyone that had lost their lives the previous day, and she'd train harder than ever to make up for her perceived failure. To make sure that, in the next crisis that hopefully never came, she'd rescue those that needed her.

"Wait, I hear professor Aizawa!" Kyoka said, snapping Ochako out of her wandering thoughts. "He's calling for us."

Somewhere to their left, Mezo had also heard their homeroom teacher calling for them, and the two led their classmates to one of the exits, where Aizawa and Eri waited for them. Ochako's mood experienced a major boost of happiness when she noticed the expression the little girl had. Not half an hour ago, she'd seen her sitting all by herself in the hall outside of Izuku's room. She tried to talk to her, but Eri's body language told her just how uncomfortable she felt, so she didn't try to overstay her welcome and continued towards her room to pack up her hero costume. It hurt to see her looking so miserable.

Which made it all the more rewarding to see her shy smile as she looked at her feet, her scarlet eyes glowing with newfound hope and with no traces left of that lingering guilt that had plagued them. And Ochako, even without asking, could already tell how she'd gotten over that. Or, to be precise, who had most likely done his best to help her. It was a no-brainer that Izuku had talked with her. The signs were there: her smile, the sweet calmness in her features, the kindness in her eyes. Those were the traces of Izuku's influence.

At the very least, that's how she felt and looked whenever she talked with him. Perhaps it wasn't the same with others, but then again, the tight bond that Eri had with Mirio and Izuku was akin to what Ochako herself felt for him. Though more fraternal and platonic in Eri's case, naturally.

She made sure to smile and wave her hand at Eri when the girl looked up to the people approaching her. Eri gently nodded her head before hiding half her body behind Eraserhead.

"Alright, now that everyone's here," the teacher said after waiting for the last students to approach, "let's organize how we're leaving. There are three buses for the Hero Course, so we'll make it simple enough. Classes 1-A and 1-B will leave on the bus marked with the number 26 on its side. Classes 2-A and 2-B will take bus number 17. And Classes 3-A and 3-B will go on bus number 22. They're all waiting for you outside the hospital, and there's a lot of traffic out there, so make a line and step in as swiftly as possible. I don't want to waste more time than necessary. Class Representatives and Vice-Representatives, make sure your classmates don't step out of line."

"Yes, sir!" The six representatives said at the same time.

"Very well. Classes 1-A, 1-B, 2-B, 3-A, and 3-B, no one will stop by the press or make any comment. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Um, Eraserhead, professor?" A red-haired girl from one of the first-year classes asked, raising her hand. "I think you skipped class 2-A."

"I did. Some of them will be answering questions."

Ochako gulped, while many students around them began to murmur. The sound of their talking began to increase, but soon enough Aizawa's hair raised and a red eye stared at them for a second.

All conversations stopped.

"Part of a hero's job is to be accountable with the public and bring a sense of clarity through honesty," he explained, his hair falling over his face once again. "Transparency is a value that has been forgotten for a long time, and it's now our intention to bring it back as a substantial part of what we hope to teach you. That being said, dealing with the press can be a tough job and it's not always a pleasant experience. Class 2-A was heavily featured in the press coverage, and it's now public knowledge that Midoriya was their classmate, so it's only natural that they will be sought after. They've also had lessons last year on how to give interviews, so it makes sense for them to put those skills to the test."

Ochako could… kinda see Aizawa's point, but she didn't have the best opinion on the press. She had ever put much thought into it, but the previous night had been a wake-up call for her. She'd seen some news channels and, while most of the coverage had been very respectful and informative, she sensed an almost obsessive focus on trying to learn more about Izuku and who he was. She knew it made sense for people to wonder about him, especially with how the HPSC intended to treat him, but part of her felt uncomfortable with how they talked about him.

Wondering how powerful he was. What his connection with All Might and All for One was. The villains he'd defeated or captured. She understood the curiosity, but in her biased view, they were completely missing the point. Those aspects of him might be the reason why he was becoming a pro hero, but they were most certainly not the reasons why he was a hero in the first place.

She wished more people could learn that, but until Izuku gave the interview that the HPSC wanted him to give, there was nothing she could do about it.

"Iida, Todoroki, Uraraka, you'll be the ones answering questions to the press," Aizawa said, and Ochako's heart skipped a beat. Shoto tilted his head to the side, squinting his eyes and looking confused, while Tenya fixed his glasses and gave a firm nod.

"W-What?!" She asked, sounding more terrified than she intended.

Tenya raised a hand at a perfect 90º angle and took a step forward. "Professor, sir! May I ask the reasoning behind picking the three of us for this task?"

Aizawa pointed a finger at Shoto. "Todoroki was recorded fighting All for One along with Midoriya, and given the reputation he built for himself at the Sports Festival and the weight of his name, his word will be important enough for the press to stop pestering the rest of you."

Shoto nodded, but then a hand moved up to rub his chin.

"What word could that possibly be?" She heard him mumble, and she would have worried about his lack of direction if Eraserhead hadn't then moved his finger to point at her.

"Uraraka was filmed with Midoriya at the end of the battle as well, so the media also knows her face. It's a good opportunity for her to give them her hero name. Besides, you both are close to Midoriya, so I know you won't say anything compromising. This brings me to the second reason why you are also going to be there, Iida: I trust you to be responsible enough to make sure none of you step out of line. I want you three to go there, introduce yourselves, and answer just a few questions. Don't overextend it. And, without excuse, you will not answer anything that would violate Midoriya's privacy. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir! Worry not! I shall make sure that we answer the journalists with honesty but without giving away information that is not ours to divulge!"

"Great. Now let's get going. Class representatives, lead the way."

Not without some complications regarding the crowded space, the hero department began to exit the building. Ochako walked along with her classmates, although it felt more like she was being dragged by them. Her mind had too much to process for her to make sense of her surroundings.

She could deal with some people asking questions. It didn't sound too bad. She had done well enough in her lessons with Midnight and Mt. Lady. How would those hold up to the real thing, however? Fighting real villains felt leagues beyond what her Hero Training classes were like. Having her life being put on the line couldn't be properly replicated in a controlled environment where failing only meant she had to work harder next time. Failing on the field meant she was dead. Gone for good. No more tries.

She shook her head. She worried too much, sometimes. They weren't going to face villains, they were going to talk to the press. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. Pro heroes would be watching; agencies would be paying attention. She had the opportunity to put her name out there, to seize the moment and build the groundwork for her future. She needed to remember her goal: become a great hero to give her parents an easier life. She needed to focus. She took a big breath and put on a determined face, clenching her fists.

With renewed motivation, she exited the hospital. Once outside, they were welcomed with the view of the radiant blue sky. The open space allowed them to walk without bumping into each other or feeling constricted. The feeling of freedom turned into but a fleeting relief, as they were soon made aware of the temporary fences to their left that kept the reporters at bay. Cameras, flashes, microphones, and a thousand arms seemed to come out of the homogeneous mass that waited for them. Kyoka winced at all the yelling, and the different classes aligned behind their respective class representatives. Class 2-A was no exception, and Ochako took her place right between Tenya and Shoto.

"Yaoyorozu, I entrust you to take our class to our designated bus while Todoroki, Uraraka, and myself speak with the press."

"Of course, Iida! I wish you three the best of luck."

"Much obliged! Very well then, class 2-A, let's get moving!"

The twenty students walked towards the sidewalk. Like Yuga and Mina, some seemed to enjoy the attention, walking with puffed chests and raised chins, while others like Fumikage and Mezo looked quite uncomfortable by the flashes and all the eyes set on them. The reporters soon realized what class they were from, and chaos ensued. They hadn't made it even halfway to the bus before the reporters began to lose their collective minds, thinking they would leave without talking to them. The questions mashed up together into a cacophony.

Tenya looked back at Ochako and Shoto, and when they nodded, the three drifted away from the path their classmates were taking, moving towards the reporters.

"Excuse me! Please, may I have your attention for a moment?!" Tenya said, waving his arms around like an uncoordinated Macarena dance. Microphones flew in his direction and the camera flashes dazzled him, but he remained stoic as he spoke. "We are here to represent Class 2-A of the Department of Heroes of U.A. High School. We understand you have many questions, and it is our predisposition to answer them to the best of our ability! However, our time is limited, as we have previous compromises and places to attend. So let's try to figure this out in a formerly, organized ma—"

The moment the reporters realized they wouldn't be able to ask many questions, they decided to fire them all at the same time. Ochako flinched, and could only make out but a few of the things they were asked in a second.

"What's your name?!"

"Could you explain your quirks?!"

"What is your hero name, Shoto?!"

"Was Deku close to you?!"

"What can you tell us about Deku?!"

"Do you know the link between Deku and All for One?!"

"Did All Might prepare you all to fight All for One or was Deku the Chosen One?!"

"What did you feel when Deku arrived at U.A. to defeat All for One?!"

"How many quirks does Deku have?!"

"Is his hair natural green or does he dye it?!"

Ochako felt overwhelmed, but a sense of protectiveness and caring took over her, mixed in with a pinch of anger and annoyance. She suppressed a scowl and cleared her throat, amazed at the speed that all the mics and cameras turned to look at her.

"I, uh, I get that you want to know more about Deku," she began, her initial conviction and courage fading under so many scrutinizing glances. "But… but he's going to give an interview soon, and we don't want to say anything he's not comfortable sharing. Please… I know he's trending everywhere and everyone's talking about him, but he's still a person, right? And he needs space. Could you, uh, you know, maybe ask us about ourselves and leave the personal questions about Deku to… well, Deku?"

They paid attention to her every word, staying respectfully silent until the very end of her statement, nodding their heads vigorously to what she said.

The instant she finished, however, a reporter moved her mic to ask a question.

"That's very noble of you, an exemplary behavior expected from heroes in training from such a noteworthy institution," she complimented them, making Ochako smile, Shoto nod, and Tenya puff his chest out. "I imagine you must be close to Deku to want to protect his privacy with such uprightness."

She left it at that, pointing the mic back at Ochako.

"Well, yeah, he's our best friend!" She explained, her eyes looking up to the sky for a second as she pictured Izuku's smiling face. "Or, well, my best friend, I guess, I don't want to speak for them. But we're all really close, and we all appreciate Dek— ...wait a minute…"

As the hamster wheel kept turning inside her head and she realized she'd been bamboozled into talking about Izuku, another reporter quickly diverted the attention towards Iida.

"Could you please introduce yourself to the audience at home?"

"Why yes, of course! My name is Tenya Iida. I am the elected representative of class 2-A, and the hero-in-training Ingenium," he explained with serenity.

"Ingenium? Are you related to the former pro hero?" Some other reporter asked.

"Yes. I am his younger brother, and he's asked me to carry on the mantle of the Turbo Hero: Ingenium once I graduate from U.A."

"Coming from a family with a respected lineage of pro heroes, and having most likely grown up hearing their stories about fighting crime, what does it feel to find yourself at the epicenter of such a historical event?"

Iida took a moment to consider the question, his hands almost comically imitating the pose of The Thinker, furrowed brow included, until he hummed to himself, nodded, and put his robot arms back online to gesture as he spoke.

"To be perfectly frank, I believe we are all still recovering from the shock and trying to make sense of what happened. I don't think any of us are truly aware of yesterday's events' scale and importance. We will probably understand it in time, but for now, we are just glad the League of Villains has been defeated, we are mourning the lives that were tragically lost, and we are looking forward to helping build a brighter future."

Ochako stared at the serene face of her friend, surprised and impressed by his serious tone and the eloquence of his words.

She experienced something similar to what usually happened to her every couple of weeks. One day she'd look at herself in the mirror and she'd realize how long her hair got, falling past her shoulders and with her bangs starting to obstruct her vision. She would stop for a second and think to herself "Oh, wow, I should probably cut my hair". She would then go to Tsu or Toru, who would give her a free haircut as they talked about life, and as they did that, she'd wonder why hadn't she noticed earlier how long her hair got. The answer lies in the gradualness of the changes. Small changes that made it hard to notice the progression until one day the difference was evident and unmistakable.

It applied to her hair, and it applied to how she suddenly noticed that her friend Iida looked and talked like a real hero. His posture, his attitude, his language, his message to society. He didn't sound like a high school student; hearing him, she felt in the presence of a hero. A hero that had been built gradually, one step at a time.

Getting into U.A. The attack at USJ. What happened with his brother and Stain. All the internships and hero work they'd done. Their work at Nabu Island. The war. The last couple of months. The siege of U.A. Stepping stones that had forced Tenya to mature at an impossibly fast rate, getting him there.

And, for a moment, Ochako wondered if the same could be said about herself.

She couldn't dwell upon those thoughts for long, as the reporters decided that Tenya's statements were good enough for now, and they turned their attention towards Shoto.

"Shoto Todoroki, first off, I'm truly sorry about what happened to your father," a reporter said, and while Shoto's expression remained unaltered, Ochako noticed an almost imperceptible change in his eyes, hinting at a pain he'd been trying to hide from others. "Does the defeat of All for One bring any sense of closure or justice to you?"

Shoto looked away for a second, thinking in silence.

"My father was aware of the danger and risks of being a pro hero," he finally said. "He dedicated his life to making the world a better place for us to live in. He died to give others the chance to stop All for One. Defeating him didn't bring my father back…"

He took a breath and sighed.

"But it felt good."

A thousand lights flashed at him, but he didn't flinch or blink. Ochako smiled sympathetically at her friend, reaching over with a hand to rub his left arm.

"Will you be taking over the Endeavor Agency?"

"I can't."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I can't take the leadership of my father's hero agency."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm still in high school."

"And what about after you graduate?"

"What about it?"

The reporter squinted his eyes, trying to figure out if he was being played, but Shoto's confused face and innocent tone were genuine.

"...will you be taking over the Endeavor Agency?"

"I'm not sure," he answered, nonchalantly scratching his right cheek with a finger. "My father took his agency very seriously, and he wrote down instructions on how it should continue if he ever died on duty."

"Did he envision you as his successor as the tentpole hero and CEO of the agency?"

"I don't know."

"You… You haven't run through your father's notes on how to continue his legacy?"

Shoto tilted his head and looked at the reporter like that was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard.

"Why would I run through them? My shoes have ice grips, they would destroy all the documents."

The flashes stopped and the reporters slowly turned their heads to look at each other. Silence took over for eight solid seconds, and then all the cameras unanimously decided to turn towards an unexpecting Ochako.

"Could you also introduce yourself to the public? People have been meaning to know more about the hero that stood with Deku during the aftermath of the battle." Another reporter asked her, snapping her out of her confusion.

"Uh, me?" She muttered, once again feeling small and insignificant while facing the press and knowing that there were real people out there listening to her on live TV. She looked to the side at Shoto, who stared at her with curious eyes and then at Tenya, who tried to give her a discrete thumbs up by slowly raising them to his chin, misunderstanding the concept of subtlety. "Uh, yeah, um… I'm Ochako Uraraka, and my hero's name is Uravity. I… study at U.A., obviously. Oh! And I also work at Ryukyu's agency."

"Were you part of the Shie Hassaikai raid last year, then?"

Ochako took a second to answer. Were they trying to get her to talk about Deku again?

"I was, yes," she cautiously replied, looking at how a few reporters took notes or said something through their ear communicators, presumably to their production team.

"Could you elaborate on your quirk?"

She sighed in relief and smiled at the reporter.

"Yeah, no problem! My quirk is called Zero Gravity. I can make anything weightless after I touch them with my fingers," she explained, raising her hands and waving her fingers to show the small pads at their tips. "I have a weight limit, but I've been pushing that limit further and further. It's a great quirk to disable villains, I can have them float aimlessly in the air. I can also use it to turn heavy objects into weapons, and it's great for rescue missions. Helping with collapsing buildings, natural disasters, and stuff. Oh! And it's also great for construction work, too, which is my family's business back in Mie Prefecture."

She hoped her parents were watching her right then. She still didn't have her phone with her, so she couldn't text them to turn on the TV, but she wanted to believe that some other family members or friends would record it and send it to her parents.

"What's it like for a young hero-in-training to see their school being attacked by villains?"

The mics and cameras kept pointing at her, so she stopped to consider her answer. Listening to Tenya made her want to speak like a hero as well. To give society and the people at home a message of hope and optimism. She wanted to smile and tell everyone that it was okay, that she had been trained to respond to emergencies and act under pressure. That after a tough battle they'd stood victorious, and that it was time to look at the future and focus on the reconstruction ahead. She so wanted to say those things.

But she knew better than to lie. She'd seen what lying did to people, to society even. No good thing could sprout from a foundation based on dishonesty, and thus, she bit her lip and closed her eyes before responding with her truth.

"It's terrifying," she admitted, closing her hands over her chest. "The teachers told us to evacuate, to help the students from other departments escape. And it all sounds good until there's an explosion and the entire campus is on fire. And you start hearing the screams, and seeing the blood, and the smoke gets to you, and you realize that you couldn't save everyone. I… I was really scared."

She shivered, but then opened her eyes and shared a look with her two friends, smiling at them through the scary memories.

"It's scary, but then you see someone that needs help, and it's… like your legs move on their own. And at that point, you realize that it doesn't matter if you're scared or not. You know you have to act, and do your best. And I could do my best 'cause I had my friends to inspire me. Todoroki said he could do more good fighting than running away, and he ran to the fight right away. And Iida reminded us that heroes don't hesitate, that it was the time to prove ourselves. All my friends inspired me to give my best."

"Uraraka was an inspiration for us as well," Tenya added, looking at his friend with a proud smile, raising a closed fist in the air. "She might have felt scared like the rest of us did, but she kept her guard up and acted quickly on her feet to save others. Her determination and fighting spirit spread to me, and that's how I got the courage to fight myself."

"How did you feel when you saw Deku showing up to join the fight?" The same female reporter that had tricked Ochako earlier asked.

She looked at Shoto and Tenya. They silently pondered whether it was okay for them to respond to that. Aizawa had asked them to avoid talking about Deku, but the question aimed at their feelings. The intentionality behind it probably looked for indirect information about Deku, but there didn't seem to be anything particularly wrong with the question.

"I can only speak for myself, but the timely arrival of Mido—, ehem, of Deku, I should say, gave me a second wind," Tenya answered. "He appeared right when everything seemed lost from my perspective, but looking at my old friend take down Gigantomachia and tell us to not give up inspired me to look past the pain and to go beyond."

"When I saw him, I felt pain," Shoto responded, touching his stomach. "All for One had just stabbed me. I had to cauterize my wound. It was very painful."

Ochako hit his ribs with her elbow, and although he seemed confused as to why his friend would try to hurt him in public, the way she raised her eyebrows at him seemed to light a bulb inside his head.

"I was also happy to see him after so long. I was ready to die fighting, but when he showed up, I thought that maybe we could win after all."

The focus then shifted to Ochako, who remained with her policy of speaking with nothing but the truth.

"I felt a lot of things at the same time," she admitted, trying to make sure that her cheeks wouldn't blush. "Part of me was super afraid, 'cause I knew that for better or worse, it would be his last fight against All for One. I was super happy too. I hadn't seen him for such a long time. I was fighting a dangerous villain and for a second I thought I would die."

She didn't notice how her right hand rubbed the white scar she'd hidden from Izuku, right where Toga's knife had pierced her hand.

"But then I saw him and… And I don't know. I just thought back to everything we'd been through. Everything he'd been through, too. And I felt that I needed to be there for him, and that made me fight harder. He's… selfless to a fault, right? He's always looking after others, and I wanted to be the one looking after him."

Ochako only realized what she'd said when the flashes went off, blinding her and forcing her to think back to her words. She had probably said more than necessary, and she'd fallen back into talking about Deku. She blushed and looked away from the flashes.

The reporters began to shoot more questions her way, all of them wondering about Deku, but thankfully for her, Tenya intervened.

"We are truly sorry, but I believe we should be going back with our class," he said, waving his arms to catch the attention of the reporters.

The media began to act like a mindless mob once again, all of them almost violently asking questions at the same time, trying to have one final question. Tenya apologized but insisted they had to leave and was about to direct his friends back to the bus when one question ringed in their heads above the rest.

"What keeps you motivated to be heroes given the current state of the hero society and the negative image that most pros have right now?"

The three of them stopped, having heard the question, and turned to look at the reporter that asked it. They stayed in silence for a couple of seconds before returning next to the security fences and the microphones.

"The League of Villains made people feel unsafe," Shoto said. "I want to reverse that. I want everyone to feel safe again."

"While it is true that the trust in heroes has faltered as the result of bad decisions and communication mistakes, my brother taught me that there's no true meaningful purpose in life that comes without a burden. And that the heavier the burden, the nobler and more meaningful our contribution to society becomes. And I am willing to carry the weight of past mistakes, and fight against it to remind people why heroes are important."

Once again, Ochako found herself in possession of the final answer, and she took a second to reflect on it.

Why did she want to be a hero? Well, she wanted to give her parents an easier life. She wanted them to be happy and not worry about all their bills and eviction notices and empty fridges that took away from their happiness during her childhood. That's what she wanted the most in the world.

Or at least that's what she'd always wanted. During the past couple of months, however —specifically since April, right when her second year was about to start—, she'd found herself wondering what kept her going. What motivated her to be a hero. What it meant for her to be a hero. And she'd come to a thousand different answers. Some more heroic, some more cynical, some even borderline nihilistic. She'd spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out if she was doing the right thing. But every time she thought she'd hit a new low, every time she'd read the news and hear about a mysterious figure saving people, she'd find her answer. An almost self-evident answer, but that had somehow escaped her for the longest time. She wanted to help her parents, yes, but money wasn't the real motivation. Something else was, something much deeper and meaningful, greater than just her parents.

"I just want to make people smile," she replied, having a very special smile in her mind as she spoke, one that meant a lot to her and that she'd missed seeing. "I want to be there to save people, even people that don't want or don't know that they need to be saved, and make them smile again."

Many follow-up questions ensued, but Tenya didn't hesitate to lead his classmates away from the press and towards their bus.

On their way there, Ochako kept dwelling upon her final answer. She truly wanted to make people smile, and her loved ones played a major role in that. She knew it would take a while to fulfill her goal of properly helping her parents with their financial situation, but there were other people she could help in the meantime. Other loved ones. Other stubborn, heroic, green-haired fools that looked like they needed more smiles in their lives. She could start there, and see where it got her. See if being a hero felt as good as she hoped.

"Did I do better than last time?" Shoto asked as they approached the bus.

"I believe you did, Todoroki. Your performance was… better than last time, for sure," Tenya said, pitying his friend and saving him the embarrassment.

Shoto missed out on the white lie and sighed in relief. "I see. Do you think they appreciated my word?"

"I'm sure they appreciate it; you gave them a lot to talk about," Ochako mentioned, sharing a worried glance with Tenya.

"Very well. Teacher will be pleased." He nodded, before squinting his eyes. "Although I'm still not sure which word they were specifically waiting for. Hmm… it was probably cauterize."

---

Izuku sat on his bed, knees pressed against his chest, eyes closed, trying to suppress the numbness in his heart.

Eri and Eraserhead had left a few minutes earlier, with the young girl getting over most of her fears and insecurities. At the very least, she had seemingly cried out her frustrations, and after being reassured that Izuku still cared for her the same as always, she managed to calm down and have a nice talk with him. He'd mostly asked about what she'd been up to in the past few weeks, which led to banal conversations as she happily told him about her progress with writing, drawing, and reading. She promised him that she'd draw him something, and that warmed up his heart.

Sooner than he would have wished, however, Aizawa and Eri were told by Death Arms that they had to leave. The young girl made him promise that he would come back to school soon, and after giving her his word, they bid goodbye and left him with the room to himself. Death Arms told him that agent Mera would arrive shortly, and Izuku thanked the pro hero. With but a few minutes to spare, he sat on the bed and looked at his surroundings. Everything seemed clean, almost too clean for his taste, from the pristine blankets to the immaculate walls and the spotless tiles, all shining under the artificial LED lights.

Such an unblemished place disturbed him in a way he couldn't explain. After reluctantly getting used to the dirty, rough, unforgiving life on the streets, things as simple as a clean, comfortable bed sounded like a luxury to him. He'd been forced to live in almost inhuman conditions as he stayed under All for One's radar. He had always thought of himself as someone with modest expectations. He didn't need a mansion or a great car to feel like he had a good life. He had a much lower bar, focused more on the people around him and his passions rather than material possessions. Even then, life on the street had been tough for him. The cold nights. Not being able to shower. The rationed meals. Up to the previous night, he hadn't eaten a proper meal since…

He shivered, his blood seemingly dropping in temperature within a second. Endeavor, Jeanist, and Hawks offered him food and shelter time and time again, but he rejected it each time. He needed to be alone. He couldn't risk anyone else getting hurt because of him. The pro heroes eventually realized his stubbornness and stopped trying to convince him.

Except for All Might. He never gave up on Izuku. He kept communicating to him, staying in contact, keeping him sane. And he never stopped bringing him homemade bento boxes. Not even after Izuku asked him to stay away from him, to stay safe. And where had that gotten them? Where was All Might now?

He clenched his fists so hard he cracked one of his knuckles, and a feeling of despair and hopelessness took over his body. He tried to take in deep breaths, but the feeling of his chest going numb and the shaking of his arms didn't go away. His eyes began to itch and he felt a sudden urge to cry, one he was quick to control and bury. Not now. Not there. He was expecting visitors. He couldn't break down now.

The minutes stretched, each one feeling much longer than the previous one, and while he wouldn't say he got necessarily better, he managed to stop himself from getting worse. That, lately, counted as a win.

Eventually, however, someone knocked on his door, and after tricking his face into looking presentable, he walked there to open it. He expected to see agent Mera from the Hero Public Safety Commission, and indeed there he stood, but he wasn't alone.

"Principal Nezu?" Izuku asked, surprised to see the furry hero.

"The one and only!" He said, raising a paw with his never-changing smile.

Behind Mera, Izuku saw his mom carrying several folders filled to the brim with pages, and she looked exhausted. And next to her, he noticed detective Tsukauchi, All Might's former friend. Naomasa gave him a slight nod and a smile.

"Good afternoon, Midoriya," Mera said, the eye bags under his eyes looking worse by the day. "May we come in?"

"Uh… Sure."

He stepped aside and let Mera walk into the room, followed by the rest of the adults. When his mom walked past him, he helped her by grabbing the folders.

"What are these?"

"I had to sign a lot of papers," she said with a tired tone.

"I apologize, I know it's a lot," said Mera, "but we needed to sort these things out before continuing. Trust me, no one hates bureaucracy more than me."

"It's fine, sir. I'll admit, it was slightly exciting signing all these documents!" Inko looked at the folder her son was carrying with a dreamy look. "Besides, it's all for Izuku, so I'm happy for him!"

"Hmm. Well, I'm glad we could figure out everything regarding your son's legal situation and his new bank accounts."

"Wait, what?" Izuku asked, looking at the papers he was holding.

"But I'm sure you'll catch him up with everything soon. Oh, and Midoriya, we contacted mister Tokuda and he has agreed to host the interview. He'll get in touch with your mother to arrange the details, but we've settled on Sunday at 9 p.m., right after the public act where you'll get your pro hero license. You're free to ask specific questions or topics that you don't want to discuss."

"Sunday…" He trailed off, looking to the side and biting his lip, deep in thought. Inko put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.

"Today's Tuesday."

"O-Oh. Right. Thank you", he said, slightly embarrassed.

Every day had felt the same for so long, and it was hard to keep track of something as trivial as time or what day of the week he was on.

"Very well, Midoriya, Mrs. Midoriya, if you don't mind, please take a seat."

Izuku turned to see that Mera had arranged the chairs in the room so he and detective Tsukauchi were facing Nezu and two empty chairs. He placed the folders on his bed and took his place with the rest of the adults.

"Um, may I ask what's going on?"

"You just did," Nezu pointed out, his two feet dangling over the edge of his chair.

"We managed to figure out everything related to the immediate future and the legal ramification of you becoming a pro hero, your pardon, and other circumstances. Your mom has been put up to date on everything, and the Hero Public Safety Commission will provide legal advisors to help with every step of the way."

"Right… So what's left?"

"Well, this isn't an issue regarding the Hero Public Safety Commission directly, but Mr. Tsukauchi has asked me to be here as a representative of the institution for what he has to share. And I would rather be here than talking with the press, so yeah."

"But what is 'this', sir?" Izuku asked, getting slightly frustrated with how Mera seemed to be beating around the bush without saying why the detective and Nezu were there with him. Was it regarding his actions as a vigilante? Were the police going to ask U.A. to take measures with him? He knew better than to still think he was in trouble, but maybe there were some clauses to his pardon he needed to take into account.

Mera looked at Naomasa, who glanced at a couple of papers he held before clearing his throat.

"Well, Deku, we've been waiting for you to settle down so we could get you, Principal Nezu, and someone from the Hero Public Safety Commission in the same room. You see," he said, flicking a finger at the corner of the pages, "you're all beneficiaries of All Might's estate, and we require all parties involved to read his last will and testament."

If Izuku's heart kept skipping beats like it'd been doing in the past forty-eight hours, he would have to check in with a cardiologist to get his arrhythmia treated. The numb sensation on his chest doubled down, and a lead ball dropped inside his stomach.

"All Might's… will?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes. He updated it shortly before… you know. And he let me know in advance that he wanted me to be the executor of his last will. I've read the document already, but we waited for you to finish your business before sharing it with principal Nezu and the HPSC."

"Perfectly reasonable," the high spec animal said, nodding his head.

"And… I'm…"

"You're one of the beneficiaries, yes. I know this might be too sudden or too much, so if you don't feel ready, we can reschedule this for a different time."

He was most certainly not ready. Not ready at all. Even though a week or so had passed since All Might and Endeavor's deaths at the hands of All for One, Izuku hadn't truly processed them. The only thing he did was wrecking that one abandoned warehouse he hid in. Letting Blackwhip wreak havoc and obliterate everything around him. That hardly counted as proper management of his emotions, and he didn't think he could ever get over it or get ready to face the true consequences of his actions. He didn't feel ready to read All Might's will. That would just mean…

It would mean he was gone for good. His belongings wouldn't be his anymore. They would belong to someone else, just like how One for All now belonged to Izuku and only him. There was no other user alive. All Might would then become a memory for good. He didn't want to take that step. He didn't want to live in a world where he was the heir of his mentor. He didn't want to accept that. He didn't—

The warm shadow of a hand touched his shoulder, and he looked to his upper left.

"Don't be afraid, Young Midoriya," the smoke-like vestige of All Might told him, his bright smile bigger than ever. "I am here with you. Will always be with you, until the end of the road, but you can't keep running ahead if you're always looking back."

He didn't say anything, but he knew the part of All Might that lived inside him could read his feelings. Indeed, a second later, the former number one hero patted his back and moved his hand to ruffle his hair.

"Don't worry, I'll stay with you. We'll get through this together."

Somewhat reassured by the presence of his mentor, Izuku gulped and closed his eyes for a second. His fists clenched on his knees, wrinkling his pants, and he gave a small nod to himself.

"It's fine, sir. We can do this now."

Naomasa nodded, cleared his throat, and then proceeded to begin reading the documents.

"I, Toshinori Yagi, resident of the city of Musufatu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, being of sound mind, not acting under duress or undue influence, and fully understanding the nature and extent of all my property and this disposition thereof, do hereby make, publish, and declare this document to be my Last Will and Testament, and hereby revoke any and all other wills and codicils heretofore made by me."

The testament went on to talk about taxes and expenses and how detective Naomasa Tsukauchi had been appointed as the executor of the will. All the while, Izuku felt his throat going dry, cold sweat falling down his back and armpits, and his feet impatiently tapping the floor. Inko put a hand over his, and the vestige of All Might kept a firm grip on his shoulder, squeezing tightly every once in a while, even though he could only feel a soft, warm sensation.

"Section three: disposition of property," the detective read out loud, looking at all the parties involved, and the ghost hand on Izuku's shoulder felt like it was painlessly burning on his shoulder. "I devise and bequeath my property, both real and personal and wherever situated, as follows: to the Hero Public Safety Commission, with its main building located in Tokyo, Japan, as my legislators and employers for almost four decades, I leave the collection of my original costumes, the mementos of my past battles, and all my material belongings that are still kept in the building of my agency. They may do with them as they please, although it is my hope that they would exhibit them at a public museum or, should they decide to sell them, to donate that money to a charity of their choosing to help those in need of protection."

Mera nodded and let out a huge sigh, rubbing his long, skeletal fingers over his eyelids.

"I guess I shall respect his wishes by getting into contact with the National Museum of Heroics. I hate talking to those guys. Scholars are so hard to deal with."

"To the U.A. High School, currently located on Musufatu, Shizuoka Prefecture, as the place where I learned how to be a hero and my last private employer, I leave my financial assets and the All Might's brand Right of Publicity, including but not limited to ownership and control of my commercial brand, my hero name and likeness, and the right to collect residuals from the sale of products that utilize my brand. I would like to extend to Principal Nezu, or whoever may be in charge of the school, my wish to have them use that money to create and sustain a scholarship to help to scout promising students that may otherwise not consider or would be unable to take the entrance exam. Young students that may not think their quirks or lack thereof would make them eligible given the reputation of U.A. After meeting my successor, I realized that our biggest hopes may lie in those that we as a society are often too blind to see."

"Ah, what a wonderful idea," Nezu mentioned. "U.A. will gladly carry on his last will, and I shall get in contact with the school board soon to figure out the logistics. I believe we could create this scholarship and make it effective within this semester to scout possible candidates for next year's entrance exams. It could also act the same way as the recommendation program. The All Might Scholarship. Hmm. Toshinori managed to find a way to still help those in need even after he's gone. Truly, the spirit of a real hero."

Izuku smiled. Yes, indeed, that sounded so much like All Might. To give all his money just to help kids get into U.A. and possibly become heroes. His chest swelled with pride and happiness, especially after he caught the way he'd phrased people not believing in their quirks "or lack thereof".

"Of course, Young Midoriya. You and I know that there's much more to a hero than what they're born with."

"We do," he thought to himself and the vestiges.

"Lastly, to Izuku Midoriya," Naomasa read, and time itself seemed to stop for a second as Izuku leaned forward on his chair, "from Musufatu, Shizuoka Prefecture, as my protegé, my successor…"

He looked up from the page to meet Izuku's eyes, and the teenager felt the hairs on his neck standing up with a chill. Naomasa waited a second before gulping and looking down once again, and when he resumed his reading, his soft tone delivered the words with just the slightest hesitation.

"...and the son I never had."

He had enough empathy to pause after delivering the coup de grâce to Izuku's brittle emotional state, and along with the other adults in the room, he stared with sympathy at the boy as he took in the words he'd just listened to.

Izuku, who had been leaning forward with his hands on his knees, leaned back and recoiled from the impact. At first, he felt nothing but outright shock, believing that he may have misheard or misunderstood what the detective said. But he knew he hadn't. He knew All Might had written those words, and most importantly, he knew that he meant it.

He let out a shaky breath and rushed to move a closed fist to his mouth, pressing it until he was biting the side of his finger, trying to stop his muscles from locking up and his eyes from bursting into tears. All his mental efforts were put into stopping himself from breaking down, but soon enough he had to deviate resources to process All Might's words, and the moment he did, he couldn't hide a howl and the first heavy tears to fall on the back of his hand.

Izuku didn't hate his dad. He didn't feel particularly attached to him either. He was grateful to the man for bringing him to life and to keep sending money to him and Inko, even though they were no longer legally married. He moved on with his life, made enough to provide for them, and didn't stay in touch. It had never bothered him. His mom was all he'd ever need to grow up healthy and happy.

And then he met All Might, the person he admired the most. His idol. A man that embodied everything Izuku loved. A man that believed in him, a man that saw beyond his quirklessness. A man that told him he could reach his dream, and that looked after him. They would train together, but they would also sit at the edge of the water and watch the sunset, with All Might wanting to know more about him. He would ask about his day, his favorite movies. He would recommend books to read once he found out Izuku used to spend many afternoons inside his house with nothing but books to entertain himself. Then he'd gotten into U.A. and even though their time spent together became less and less, he still called him to his office for lunch quite often, supervising his studies and his growth as a hero and a person.

He'd never told him, but like Shoto had pointed out earlier, All Might had become Izuku's surrogate father. What he felt for him had evolved from mere admiration to love, parental love. He could feel All Might's love for him as well, but they had never said it out loud. And to think that he had missed out on that opportunity… To think that he had never told him how he truly felt…

His mom gave him a side hug and rested her head on his shoulder, while the other hand, the one he could feel but that wasn't physically there, patted his back.

Naomasa gave him a minute of respectful silence, and although Izuku didn't stop crying, he managed to keep it controlled enough it felt acceptable for him to continue.

"To him, I leave my house, located in 1980 Mandaroa, Musufatu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and all my personal belongings therein stored, for him to use and dispose of as he pleases. And I wish to extend to him my hope that, as little as this gift may be, it gives him a small headstart into the brighter future I know he'll build for himself. Young Midoriya, live your life to the fullest, and never forget that a warm heart and a kind smile can be stronger than ten One for Alls."

The last words hurt him twice as bad, and his crying got uglier yet not louder. He covered his face with a forearm and felt his mom nodding at the detective to keep going. Naomasa proceeded to get into legal technicalities, including omissions, bonds, and the discretionary powers of the executor, but Izuku didn't bother paying attention. He assumed his mother would do it for him, and even if she didn't, he trusted everyone in the room to make sure he understood if anything relevant to him was said.

A house. All Might had left him a house. His house. Mandaroa neighborhood was an upper-class part of the suburbs that was famous for housing many pro heroes that wanted a tranquil, peaceful life when they weren't on duty. He'd never even visited that part of the city, and soon he would be owning a house there.

All Might's house. It was an incredible, unexpected gift, but it somehow felt wrong. How could he accept that? He… he didn't deserve it, did he? It was too much. He wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing he was sleeping in the same room All Might did, or that he was eating in his dining room. How could he? How could he accept such a generous gift when he hadn't been able to even save him?

Before he knew what was going on, he had left the hospital room and was now standing in the middle of an endless dark void, facing the vestige of his mentor.

"Don't fool yourself, Young Midoriya," All Might told him, his voice echoing in the undefined space around them. "Your guilt blinds you, but even you should be able to see that I meant everything I said in my last will. A house may not be much, but—"

"How can you say that?" He interrupted, wiping fresh tears away. "A house is… It's too much!"

"I know you'll become a great hero. With the money you'll earn, you will be able to buy bigger and better houses than the one I left for you. Material possessions aren't all that important, Young Midoriya."

"But it's… your house. How could I…?"

"It was my home, yes. And it held sentimental value for me, which is why I wouldn't want it to be anyone else's. You are my successor, and…" All Might's vestige looked away for a second, and although his smile didn't hesitate, Izuku could see his eyes shining brighter with incipient tears. "Well, you've read what I had to say about you."

"Did you really mean it?"

"Yes," he responded without missing a beat.

Izuku nodded, trying to get a grip on his emotions.

"But… Did you mean it?" he asked once again. "Do your memories only go up until the moment you passed One for All to me? Are you the All Might that wrote that will, or are you the All Might that completed my training?"

"More of the latter," the vestige admitted, looking back at Izuku, "but I'm also part of the former. When you held my hand in my last moments, our blood touched, and whatever residual energy of One for All had lingered in me went to you. In a way, I'm an amalgam of two Toshinoris, but one thing that stays consistent and that only seems to grow in time is the affection I felt for you. Follow the advice you gave to Young Eri today. I died with the hope that you would continue on the path you chose, and I left you my house as a small token of appreciation. Feel free to use it. Or not. Do with it as you please, Young Midoriya, but don't feel guilty or afraid to accept it."

Izuku couldn't think of anything else to say, so instead, he ran ahead, cut the distance between them short, and hugged the hulking figure of his master. The vestige of All Might returned the embrace and held him tight.

"Can I stay here?" Izuku asked, pressing his face against All Might's torso. "Just a little longer?"

"As long as you need."

---

"Are you ready?"

Hawks was standing next to the door, his still-recovering wings flapping behind him, getting ready to take off.

"Yeah. Are you sure we should leave like this? Shouldn't I… I don't know, take a car or something?" Izuku asked, stretching his arms as he looked at the glass door that led to the street.

"I mean… You could, but why would you? We can fly."

"I can Float."

"Right, you can fall with style, I get it, you're lame."

Izuku snorted and shook his head. Hawks could be a bit of a snarky guy sometimes. "Yeah, it's easier to move like this, but I can't really use my powers without the supervision of a hero."

"I'm a hero, I'll supervise you. But remember, the commission has already granted you your license. The act will just be for publicity and show business. Now come on, put on some sunglasses, walk next to me, wave your hand to the cameras, and don't say anything. Got it?"

"Alright, sure. Let's go," he said, though sunglasses weren't his thing, so he kept those in his pocket.

As the two opened the hospital doors and walked outside, Izuku couldn't avoid thinking to himself how crazy it was that he could casually walk right next to the current number one hero and have him joke around him like they were friends. He wouldn't call himself a friend of Hawks, Best Jeanist, or the Lurkers, but having fought side by side with them, the almost reverential, divine appreciation he felt for them had tamed down to a… still an admittedly high level of respect and appreciation. But at the very least, he didn't become a stuttering mess when he talked to a pro hero like he once would have.

Once he took a step outside the hospital, the flashes and screams from the press hit him like a tidal wave, and he understood why Hawks suggested wearing sunglasses. The Wing hero smirked at the obvious discomfort in Deku's face due to the flashes.

"Just smile and wave, Midoriya," he told him, raising a hand and doing as he instructed, "smile and wave."

Izuku channeled his inner All Might, thought of the happiness he felt when his friends accepted his apology, focused on those feelings, and put on the biggest smile he could produce. When he raised his arm and waved it at the cameras, everyone lost their minds, going wild as he had just scored a championship goal. Everyone seemed to be asking him something different at the same time, but the words mixed up into a convoluted clamor he couldn't make a sense of.

"Alright, that should be enough. Let's get going."

"You should go first," Izuku suggested. "My take-off is a lot more explosive."

Hawks stopped waving his hand, looking incredulously at the teenager next to him. "Did you just call me slow, Midoriya?"

"I-I'm not saying that! Just that, you know, your acceleration is incremental, whereas mine is a strong impulse at first that dies down as I go, so it makes sense for you to go first so I—"

"Chill, I'm just messing with you," Hawks told him, ruffling his green hair to the delight of the press. "Though you better go fast, 'cause I'm not slowing down after that."

And with that, he opened his wings and took off, flying up into the sky at an already impressive speed. Izuku shook his head with a smile on his face. Hawks took pride in his speed. He took a mental note of never bringing up their differences in speed again. With all eyes now on him, he crouched and let One for All run through his veins. An aura of green lightning surrounded him, and without wasting any more time, he kicked the ground below in combination with his Float quirk to rocket up towards Hawks. With a playful grin, he didn't slow down, and in a matter of seconds he had not only caught up with the current number one hero, but he even flew past him.

"Oh, it is on," he heard Hawks say, and with a chuckle, the two began an impromptu race to get to Izuku's apartment.

He enjoyed traveling through the air without the constant fear of an assassin attacking him out of nowhere, or the knowledge that he was heading to where his Danger Sense pointed, and every second it took him to get there meant more people would get hurt. He also enjoyed the silence, something he'd gotten used to in the past couple of months. It helped clear his head, and now that All for One was gone for good, he had nothing to spend every minute dreading for. It liberated him. It allowed him to close his eyes and simply focus on the wind against his face.

Soon enough, they reached his apartment building, and they both hovered above it.

"Remember, the press isn't allowed to film where you live. No one is. You're effectively a pro hero now. So if you see someone you don't trust trying to get an interview from you or something, call Mera and they'll get kicked out."

"Thank you, Hawks. For… for everything. I can't even… begin to tell you how much it means to me. I was thinking about this earlier, but it's still hard to believe that I'm here talking with a pro hero as big as you," he admitted, scratching his cheek with a finger and looking away from Hawks.

"I get it. I couldn't believe it the first time I stepped onto the stage along with Endeavor and All Might. But you know what, in the end, we're all heroes. Just because some are better than us, it doesn't mean we're that different."

"But… you're the current number one," Izuku said with a confused look. "No one's better than you."

"The billboard rankings are just a publicity stunt, kid. I'm proud of the job I do, but I don't think I could hold a candle to people like Jeanist, Mirko, Gang Orca, or Edgeshot. They've been at this for far longer than I have, and I think they've made a much bigger impact than me."

"Huh… I guess you're right. N-Not that you haven't made an impact, I mean that—"

"Don't worry, I get it. Plus, I won't be holding the number one position for much longer," he cryptically said, looking away with a smirk.

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother's probably waiting for you with a big meal," he said, ignoring Izuku's question. "You can call me if you need anything. I know the battle's over and you don't need me babysitting you; not that we ever did, in all honesty. But seriously, anything you need, just give me a call."

"I will. Thank you, Hawks."

"Thank you, Deku," he said, surprising Izuku by calling him by his hero name. They both smiled at each other, and with one final polite nod, Izuku regulated his Float quirk to descend to the balcony of his apartment.

True to what Hawks said, Izuku could already smell a delicious meal being cooked. He took a step towards the sliding glass door but hesitated before knocking to let his mom know he was there. He took a look at his department. He hadn't been there for so long. A weird sense of nostalgia took over him, and the smell of katsudon flooded his lungs with the long breath he took.

He gently knocked on the glass, and soon his mother came running to him, opening the glass door and welcoming him with a smile. "Welcome home, Izuku."

He was home. Truly back home.

He nodded at his mom and stepped inside, looking around him like he was visiting a museum for the first time.

"To be honest I just started cooking, so it'll be a while before it's ready. Why don't you go to your room to lay down for a bit?"

"Yeah, I'll… I'll do that. Call me when it's ready."

With that, he took off his shoes and went to his room, opening the door to it with the same care he would disarm a bomb. Once inside, he wasted no time standing in the middle of the room and looking around him. Everything had stayed in the same conditions he'd left them. All his posters, all the action figures, his computer, his books, his notebooks. It looked like a polaroid picture of the past, a projection he walked on. He almost felt like an intruder, standing in someone else's room. And yet every corner of it brought him back to old times, with a simpler life in a less complicated world.

He walked to his desk and touched the surface of his notebooks. He had learned so much in the past couple of months, he could probably fill at least four more of those. His eyes then went to his old phone, connected to a charger and resting next to his bed. He'd left it there when he went rogue, using a new one that Endeavor had gotten him to stay off the grid. With curiosity, he took the phone, disconnected it, and unlocked it as he sat on his chair.

His eyes went wide. He had never had so many unread texts in his life. Heck, he didn't think he'd received as many texts, period.

He opened the app, and his eyes scanned the list of unread conversations. He'd left the class' group chat, so he'd probably missed out on a few thousand messages, but a quick scroll showed that every single one of his classmates had tried to contact him. Judging by the numbers, at least several times. Not only them, but also Mirio, Nejire, and even people from Class B, and a few numbers he didn't recognize.

Feeling overwhelmed, he decided to start reading them. He almost clicked on the most recent conversation but decided to leave that for last. Instead, he started from the oldest and slowly made his way back to the most recent. The texts, for the most part, were very similar between conversations.

The oldest mostly showed how much he'd worried everyone with his sudden disappearance.

Midoriya, where are you? Why did you leave the group chat? Are you okay?

do u need help?

midoriya I know you're working with my father but he won't tell me where you are
call me if you need backup

I tried calling you but you just won't pick up, what's going on?

we're worried about you
please call us

Midoriya, we have received your letters, and while we understand the reasoning behind your decision, we would like to talk to you about this so we can offer you our input. Please reply to this message so we can arrange a meeting. We are your friends, please remember that.

Then, as a few days and weeks passed, his classmates seemed to change their strategy.

Midoriya, we heard about you on the news
they didn't say your name, but I'm sure it was you
please call me, you don't have to do this alone

I was thinking about u today
I hope ur doing okay. I'm here for u if you need to talk

We still miss you, Midoriya. Call us and we'll come running for you.

STOP FUCKIN AROUND N ERD
TELL ME WHERE THE NEXT TARGET IS
WE LL GET THIS S HIT DONE FASTER

He could tell by the date that a lot of his friends had seemingly given up on him, or at the very least, they kept him in their minds but realized that texting him wasn't a solution. A few still seemed to text him every once in a while, and judging by the timestamps, he assumed it happened whenever they couldn't fall asleep.

He read every single conversation, each message filling him with guilt until there was only one person he had purposely avoided reading up until then.

"Uraraka".

He couldn't tell exactly how many times she'd texted him since the app stopped counting at +99, but even if that was the real number, she'd already beaten the rest of his friends at least threefold. He looked at the date of the last text. Three days ago. He felt scared, but he knew he had to do it. Not without some hesitation, he tapped the conversation open and then scrolled up to the beginning of the unread messages.

deku pls dont do this
you dont have to go alone
where are u?
call me
deku its important pls call me
all might left the school
i know hes with u
dont u dare go after all for one on ur own
deku pls im cryin right now answer the phone
pls
deku
deku..

He pressed the screen against his chest and looked up at the ceiling. The mental picture of Ochako crying because of him cracked his heart and hurt in a way that he wouldn't have guessed. It hit him differently, for some reason. Probably because she was his best friend, and her positive and always cheerful attitude made the idea of her crying for him all that much worse.

Probably.

He sighed and looked back at the phone, reading the messages she'd send him during the first few days and weeks after his departure.

deku u know u can trust me right
i just want to talk to u
i PROMISE i wont rat u out
i dont want to stop u i just want to talk
tell me where and ill meet u there
or just call me
whatever u feel more comfortable with
i just miss u
like
really bad

i need to know that ur ok
deku pls tell me ur ok

hey deku
its been awhile
just checkin on u
u can call me whenever if u need me
i keep my phone with me at all times
pls call me

deku
where r u?

deku pls if u have ur phone
just
call me
ok?

message deleted
message deleted
message deleted
im sorry i shouldnt have said anything
i just hope ur ok

hey deku
we all figured out u dont have ur phone with u
but maybe u do
so ill keep writing to u
just in case
i miss u
pls call me if u read this

message deleted
message deleted

i thought i saw u today
i was on patrol and something flew by
it was gone before i knew it
did u pass by the river?

hey
i know its late
but if ur reading this
i hope ur doing ok

deku u there?

message deleted
message deleted
message deleted
message deleted
message deleted

i saw the news today
it was u wasnt it?
deku this is so dangerous
pls let us help

The texts kept going and he read every single one. He was touched by her commitment to keeping texting him even though she received nothing but silence from him. She always asked him how he was doing, offered him help, asked him to call her, and wondered if he was the one the news was talking about. And then there were those messages she'd deleted, and what she had told him, he would never know. He wouldn't blame her if she had insulted him. He realized he didn't deserve a friend like Ochako, someone that cared for him unconditionally like that.

He continued to read her texts and noticed how her attitude changed over time. The first few weeks she couldn't keep her worry out of her texts. It soaked them, and he could feel it just by reading them. Then, after a month or so, she seemed to have internalized that he wouldn't message her back, and her messages had instead turned into small check-ins on him. Telling him about things that had reminded her of him. Wishing him good luck. Catching him up with some developments with their classmates. Slipping in the occasional "call me if you need anything, even just someone to talk to for a bit".

And then, not too long ago, All Might's death had happened, and she went back into full worry. She'd messaged him every day up until three days ago. The deleted messages returned.

By the time he was done reading all her messages, he felt emotionally drained. Part of him had felt a strangely warm feeling in his stomach, looking at how worried she had been about him. It let him know just how much she cared for him, and it oddly reassured him. He couldn't quite put his finger on why, but it felt special.

For the most part, however, he felt nothing but shame and disappointment. He'd gone places where Ochako shouldn't have followed him. What if she got hurt? What if—? God, what if she got killed? Izuku wouldn't be able to keep going after that. Just thinking about it brought back the feeling of losing his breath and wanting to throw up. He had left to do his own thing precisely to protect his friends. And yes, he knew that they would be upset.

But knowing they would be worried couldn't be compared with actually reading their worry. Especially Ochako's. He wanted to have lunch with his mom and then just fly to the hotel she was staying at to apologize once again. Let her know how sorry he felt, how much he hated himself right then for not having received her texts. He wanted to look at her eyes and reaffirm his promise that he would be more open and honest with her in the future. He wanted to grab her hands and let her know how much he—

He opened his eyes and shook his head.

"Wow, Deku, get a hold of yourself," he thought.

That had taken a weird turn. Yes, they had gotten a bit more… physical the day before, but that only happened because they hadn't seen each other for months. They were running high on adrenaline and they had just finished a crazy dangerous battle. It made sense to share a hug or two, or that one time she touched his cheek. The circumstances made it perfectly acceptable at the time.

Now that they were trying to get back to normal, their emotions were supposed to have calmed down. He couldn't just, what? Fly over to see her uninvited and g-g-grab her hands?! What was he thinking?! She'd get weirded out, and rightfully so. He'd been on the streets for so long that he had forgotten how to act like a regular human being. He needed a reality check. He couldn't do weird stuff like that with his friends.

Still… there were other things he could do. Things that wouldn't freak her out.

Or at least he hoped they wouldn't.

---

"You've all been given your keys," Aizawa said, standing next to Vlad King. "Each room has everything you need. No one's allowed to sleep outside of their room. You may only use the common zones during the hours they're open to the public. Remember, we are guests here until the school administration finds a solution on how to move forward."

"If any of you would rather not stay here and go back with your families or somewhere else, let us know and we'll relocate you tomorrow," Vlad King said. "And there are still some guests that aren't part of the school, so don't make too much noise!"

"Power Loader and the remaining robots spent all of yesterday and today to recover as much as they could from the destruction of the dorms. We've put everything they found in your rooms already. Don't get too hopeful; almost everything was destroyed. Any questions?"

The students from Classes 2-A and 2-B exchanged glances, not saying much other than some mumbling among themselves. Ochako sighed and bit her lip. She didn't want to get too hopeful like her teacher said, but she dreaded that most of her things had burned down. For starters, she didn't have any clothes other than the ones Best Jeanist had given them. Not that there was anything wrong with the clothes themselves, they were much better than most of her repertoire in all honesty. But red didn't combine all that well with her cheeks and her hair, and as childish as it may sound, she wanted her own clothes, not clothes that someone else had given her.

She hated it when people did charity with her.

"Alright, then go to your rooms, check your belongings, and enjoy your break," Aizawa said when no one asked anything. "Don't burn down the hotel. I'm looking at you, Bakugo."

"Oh come on! It was ONE time!"

"Let's keep it as a one-time thing, then. You're dismissed."

The teachers walked away to talk to the managers, and the forty students picked up the cases with their shredded costumes and went to either the stairs or the elevators to get to their rooms.

"What's your room, Ochako?" Tsu asked, getting next to her.

She looked at the key. "306. What's yours?"

"309; so we're on the same floor, ribbit."

"Good to know!"

"Yeah. Mina was talking about us girls hanging in her room later today. I wouldn't mind that."

"Me neither. It sounds like fun."

"I feel like there's a lot to talk about."

Ochako snorted with derision. "Definitely. Besides, it's been a while since we last just hung around together, hasn't it?"

Tsu took a finger to her chin.

"I think the last time was when we heard the news talking about Midoriya saving the people at the mall."

"Oh," Ochako said, flinching at the memory. "Right."

That hadn't been a good day for her. They had all been hearing the rumors about a scary-looking man that had multiple quirks and went around different cities near Shizuoka prefecture, and they all knew it had to be Deku. They were even trying to figure out a pattern in his appearances, trying to find a way to get to him, to no success.

And then, one day, the news covered a story about this mysterious vigilante that had saved many people from a C-tier villain at a shopping mall. He had appeared right when the villain was about to execute a man, and he had taken care of him so fast that no one could tell what he'd done. He subdued the villain with what witnesses described as "a lasso of black energy", and had left after making sure no one was hurt. Ochako knew right away that it was Izuku and his blackwhip, and for a second she was happy to know that he was still okay.

Her happiness only lasted until the witnesses began to describe him.

"His clothes were all covered in cuts, dirt, and blood. I thought he was a villain at first!"

"It all happened so fast, but when he looked at me, he didn't look like a hero on duty. He looked like he was tired."

"His voice was all raspy like he had a cold. Didn't sound very heroic at first."

"His right arm had the sleeve all teared up and it was covered with nasty scars."

She had locked herself up in her room after seeing that and she forgot about her homework and the reports she needed to fill in for her hero work studies. She just hugged her pillow and cried. The image those descriptions created in her mind were heartbreaking. Picturing Izuku all battered up, bloodied, dirty, tired, hurt, and still taking time to save others made too much sense. So much sense it hurt.

She even grabbed her phone and messaged him once again. She'd been doing it ever since he left, and she knew it was pointless. She knew he didn't have his phone with her. That even if he did, he wouldn't read them to keep her safe, or whatever dumb excuse he could think of to stay away from them. She knew it accomplished nothing, but she still kept the tiniest ember of hope that maybe one of these days he'd pick up and read them. That maybe the next message she sent would be the one to make him come back. Or at the very least, the one to make him call her. And then she could talk to him, and then maybe she could convince him of… something. She didn't know what she wanted him to do. She just knew she wanted to be with him.

Whether because her crying had been too loud, her friends were worried about her, or they just needed it as much as she did, she didn't know, but a couple of hours later Mina knocked on her room and invited her to Momo's, where all the girls would have a sleepover. She rejected it at first, but Mina could be very persuasive, and so she eventually agreed to go with her, and it had helped her tremendously.

To think that had been the last time they'd all been together just chilling sounded crazy, but she couldn't say it surprised her all that much. As Tsu said, so many things had been going on that just talking with friends for a couple of hours sounded like a waste of time.

But now that All for One and the League of Villains had been defeated… now that Deku was back… the idea of wasting some time had its appeal.

"Let me know when you guys go," she told Tsuyu.

And soon enough, she got into her hotel room and took a look at it. It was a clear downgrade from the dorms, but not terribly so. It had a full bathroom, a closet, a TV, two nightstands, and a bed that looked so comfy she wasted no time in jumping over it.

"Aaaaah, this is life," she said, feeling herself sinking an inch or two into the mattress. She stared at the ceiling and then extended her left hand, looking at the white line on the back of it.

Having a scar wasn't that bad. It was just a line. Sure, the texture of her skin changed a bit on it, but it wasn't anything she would be losing any sleepover. She had been lucky enough to have that as her only lingering wound. She felt bad for Eijiro. Losing an eye had to be much more difficult to get used to than a line in her hand. She was used to weird things in her skin, it didn't affect her anymore. Her finger pads and pink cheeks had gotten her teased enough when she was a child.

She frowned.

Of all the things she thought she'd be learning that day, the one she expected the least was the fact that Izuku had been bullied as a child for being quirkless. During the months of Deku's absence, Bakugo had been very secretive about Izuku's past. He had simply confirmed that Izuku had All Might's quirk and that he was the main target of All for One. They weren't entirely sure what "receiving his quirk from All Might" meant, and after many days of arguing among themselves, they realized they wouldn't know the truth until Izuku explained it to them.

The retelling of his childhood had been heartbreaking. It pained her to hear the struggles and hardships he had to live through. His eyes seemed lost as he told his story, and even though he tried to act like he was over it, she knew better than that. She could hear it in his voice, see it in his dull eyes. A selfish part of herself wished the others weren't there, that it was only Izuku and her, and then she would have been brave enough to hug him. To hold him close, to tell him that it was okay to cry, and maybe she would have cried with him too.

She knew he didn't want to play the victim, but he was one! He had been. What he'd been through was horrible to hear, something Ochako had only read about but that she assumed only happened in the worst parts of the country, or wherever the worst kind of people lived. To think that someone as kind, gentle, and bright as Izuku had been ostracized as a child simply because he didn't have a quirk… She didn't think kids could be that cruel.

And yet he'd never given up. Even without friends, even being quirkless, he'd never lost hope in his dream. He'd soldiered through the slings and arrows of life, and he remained a kind, caring soul. It would have been so easy for him to become jaded with life, nihilistic, angry at the world that had wronged him for something that was beyond his control. But that wasn't Izuku. His kind heart was, in her eyes, incorruptible. And that was one of the things she loved the most about him.

She groaned and picked up a pillow to cover her face. What the heck was she supposed to do with her feelings? If she could just turn off her brain and follow her heart, she would leave the hotel right then, run all the way to his house, and kiss him the moment he opened the door. But that would be crazy! He had so much on his plate right now. He was still mourning All Might, he was going to become a pro hero, history had its eyes on him. He had so many other things to worry about… She should support him and do her best to lighten his load. She shouldn't come clean about her feelings now, not yet. He needed time to settle down, to fix everything that was going on in his life. He clearly had no time to spare for her, and she was okay with it, she knew he—

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

She sat up. She knew those generic, basic notification sounds. She peeked on the other side of the bed, and she realized there were a few boxes there. It had to be the things the robots had recovered from the dorms! She immediately grabbed the first box and flung it open, revealing many of her clothes and, resting on top of it, her pink flip phone.

"Yes!" She cheered, grabbing it, holding it tight, and rubbing it against her cheeks. "I knew you'd make it!"

Her phone was basically a brick, she should've known that something as insignificant as the total collapse and destruction of her room wouldn't scratch it. She felt much joy knowing that she wouldn't have to buy a new phone and that she could now text and call her parents. The notifications she'd just received were probably from them, wondering whether she'd gotten her phone back already.

She laid back on the bed and, with a big grin on her face, she opened her phone and checked her messaging app to see who'd texted her.

She gasped when she saw that, indeed, her parents had been texting her like crazy, but they weren't her most recent conversation. They were right under "Deku".

Ochako had to bite her lips and take a deep breath to control herself. For a second, her fingers hesitated. It had been so long since the last time he'd texted her. She'd been waiting for that moment for months, and even though it was just clicking his name to read the new messages, it took courage and determination for her to do so.

When she finally did, however, she took in every single character he'd typed.

hey uraraka.. i just wanted to say im sorry for everything , for worrying u and making u cry
i thought about calling u many times but i didnt know what to say
i missed u too
im happy that im back tho
we ll make up for lost time !

Cry? When did she—?

"Oooohh, riiight," she said, covering her face with a hand, keeping her pinky up. She quickly scrolled up in the conversation and, sure enough, she'd mentioned crying a couple of times. "Ugggh! How embarrassing!"

Thank God she'd deleted some of the messages she'd sent when she was at her lowest, when her emotions ran rampant and clouded her judgment, making her think that she just needed to tell him how much she needed him for him to come back. Those would be awkward to explain.

Embarrassment aside, however, the fact that Izuku had taken the time to scroll up and read her messages made her heart flutter. And reading that he'd thought about calling her and that he MISSED her only helped brighten up her day. She stared at the screen, re-reading his messages a couple of times until she decided she could allow herself one more embarrassment.

Before she could think it through and convince herself that she shouldn't do it, she pressed the Call button. She waited for a second, two, and then she heard him.

"H-Hello? Uraraka? Is everything alright?"

She sighed into her phone. "You picked up," she mentioned with a smile.

A short silence followed until Izuku cleared his throat.

"Yeah, I… Like I said, I'm truly, honestly, so, so, sorr—"

"Don't, Deku, it's fine," she interrupted him. "You don't have to apologize. You already did. And I forgave you, too. I'm just happy that you're back and we can talk to each other."

"Of course. You know, I, uh…"

He trailed off, and she raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"No, nothing, I just… Um, well, if it makes you feel any better— But maybe it doesn't, maybe it's not the right thing to say. I…"

She could hear him move the phone away from his face and give a defeated sigh.

"Sorry," he said, his voice next to the phone once again. "Ok, I'll say it: I didn't take my phone with me because I suspected you guys would text me. And just now, reading your messages… Had I read them when you sent them… I probably wouldn't have continued with my mission."

"Deku…"

"I missed you too, you know? It was… hard being alone."

The idea of running to his house was starting to sound less crazy by the second.

"But now I'm back!" He said, suddenly cheerful, but she suspected his face would be sporting a fake smile right then. "And you know what?"

"What?"

"I have another promise for you."

She slowly sat up. "What is it?" She wondered in an almost whisper.

"I feel like I owe you for all the unread messages you left me. No, no, hear me out," he said, catching her before she could interrupt him. "I feel bad. You… never gave up on me, and that means a lot. So… I mean, maybe it's a bit… presumptuous of me? But anyway, I… I promise you that I'll never leave you unread again. If you ever want to talk, no matter what it is, or how late it is, just text me or give me a call, and I'll pick up. I don't want to make you worry like that ever again."

She took off her shoes and crouched on the bed, hugging her knees against her chest.

"You can't promise that, Deku."

"Why not?"

"It's kind of a lot."

"And?"

She giggled, moving her free hand to play with a lock of her hair. "If you do, I'm going to call you in the middle of the night."

"Until I get back into a regular sleep schedule, I'm probably gonna be up." He laughed, but he must have sensed the fleeting worry that crossed her face since he stopped and cleared his throat again. "Sorry. It's nothing, really. Don't worry about it."

"You know I will…"

"...I guess you will."

"Anyway… What's up with you? Are you back home?" She asked him, unashamedly trying to change the subject, but also trying to get him to talk more. She wished her phone had a frontal camera to facecam him and see his face, but his voice would do for now.

"I am, yes! Just got here five minutes ago. Mom's cooking lunch right now. How about you? Are you still at the hospital, or did you go to that hotel they were talking about?"

"I'm at the hotel. It's not as good as the dorms, but it'll do for now. So what did you do after we left?"

"Oh, uh… A lot happened, actually."

"You talked to Eri, right?"

"How did you know?"

She smiled, realizing he had indeed been the one to make her smile again. "She looked really happy."

"Oh! Well, that's great! Yeah, I talked to her. And then… well, I mean, it's a long story."

"Deku?"

"Yes? What is it?"

She rolled until she was lying on her belly, her feet rocking back and forth, and her chin resting on her right hand.

"Tell me everything. I want to know."

It took him a few seconds, but she could hear some movement on the other end of the line, and judging by the sound of a mattress and his little, adorable "umph!", she assumed he had also laid down on his bed.

"Alright. I'll tell you everything."