Chapter 1: New Neighbor

"Inside this room my dreams become realities - and some of my realities become dreams." -Willy Wonka

It was the start of another year. Spring had come rolling down out of the mountains, blanketing Tokyo with tiny green buds on the trees and fresh sprouts on the ground. The schools were preparing for new students and even the air felt like it'd been refreshed. It was, perhaps, entirely fitting for Yagi Toshinori to be moving into a new apartment at this time when everything else was being renewed too.

It would take some time to get used to his regular name again. He'd been going by All Might for so long that he hardly even thought of himself as Toshinori anymore.

As he stood by the door to his apartment, watching the movers carry his boxes and mildly worn furniture inside, he mused unhappily on his situation. Truthfully he should've done this move the previous year or the year before; he'd kept putting it off and even now was only reluctantly acknowledging that things couldn't remain the same. It was a bitter pill for the Symbol of Peace to swallow.

It'd been five years since his climactic battle with All for One. Five years since he'd gotten that terrible injury. Five years since life had changed completely.

He'd been in denial for a long time after that fight. Despite the waves of pain and creeping weakness, he'd been able to fool himself into thinking that he'd eventually recover. Or at least be able to continue his hero work with little impact. The denial had only deepened as his body began to atrophy and he found he needed to expend precious energy to cover it. Then it became tinted with desperation as his energy reserves continued to dwindle - and subsequently so did the amount of time he could spend performing heroics.

Finally it'd gotten to this point. Unable to keep his muscular hero form for more than the length of an afternoon, he had to essentially go into hiding. Forced to accept the truth and move away from everything that All Might was associated with. He couldn't risk the press or paparazzi getting shots of Yagi Toshinori coming or going from All Might's apartment. Someone would make the connection. Especially if he was caught in one of All Might's well-known costumes.

Frustration had become as constant as the pain in his side. Knowing that there were people who needed him and yet he was in this state. And the realization that he wasn't going to get better. He still couldn't accept that he'd get worse; what could be worse than this?

He compulsively coughed against one hand. It wasn't smart of him to get himself worked up like this. He didn't need another restless night with an aching lung.

As the last of his things was brought into the apartment, Toshinori settled up with the movers. They got into their truck and drove off, and he retreated into his new home to brood.

The apartment was nice enough. He'd chosen a place that wasn't too upscale but also not bare basics. The complex had apartments of mixed sizes: the first floor, where his place was, held compact layouts designed for single occupants. The second and third floors had larger residences, still single bedrooms but potentially for use by couples or small families. Each came with hardwood floors, light curtains, a four-burner oven, a medium-sized fridge, and a washing machine. Not luxurious but comfortable.

He actually didn't have much to unpack; a rice cooker, a few small pots and pans, a handful of dishware items for the kitchen. Basic sheets, a small lamp, a simple dresser, and his wardrobe of oversized clothes for the bedroom. Most of his boxes, in fact, were filled with things for the living room. A large screen TV, a DVD player, scores of movies, a plush couch, and a bookshelf for his few books.

There was only one box he didn't unpack. He tucked it away in the bottom of his closet, both unwilling and unable to even look at the things inside. Clippings of his famous early rescues, awards from his time at U.A., and a few of his favorite fan letters. Of course All Might's most famous awards and accolades were at his agency's office on display for everyone to see - these were his personal favorites, not the most glamorous but the ones closest to his heart. But ever since he'd had to accept this new form and status he hadn't been able to look at them without feeling deep pain in his soul.

The day passed quickly. Time might fly when you're having fun but it can also race past when you're lost in thought. Before he knew it the sun was dropping below the treetops and the feeling in his gut had changed. The loss of his stomach meant that he always felt hollow in his middle and it was difficult to tell when he was hungry. That was part of the reason he'd wasted away so quickly - the necessity for a hero to skip meals and the lack of a hunger indicator from his stomach meant that he simply didn't eat as much as he should.

Even now he didn't exactly feel hungry, but he knew from experience that he had to eat something. Starving himself wouldn't bring back the past.

Toshinori stretched his long limbs and did a quick scan of his new home. With his personal effects set up it felt less like a featureless box now. Further homey touches would come eventually, provided he actually spent enough time there for them to. A good first step was to go out and pick up some food.

He bundled up in a brown trenchcoat over his oversized sweater - the depths of winter were over but this spring still had a bite to it with razor sharp teeth. He couldn't risk a chest infection with only one lung, not only for his own sake but for the public's too.

With a thoughtful hum he moved towards his front door. White rice, soy sauce, miso soup, and some tofu for protein. What else?

Lost in thought, Toshinori didn't realize he wasn't alone. Not until he turned around and saw the lion.

"Oni! I'm taking out the trash - wanna come with?"

Nozomi Ayumu hefted two full plastic bags of garbage and slung them over towards her front door while she waited for the reply. A youthful woman of twenty six, her elegant features were framed by waves of long chestnut-colored hair, most of which fell in a braid down her back. She was on the tall side for a woman, nearly six feet, with a lean muscular form and pale gray eyes.

Those eyes flicked over to her couch where her roommate Onimaru had been napping and she grinned as he came trotting over, just as she knew he would. His big blue eyes, framed by silver and white fur, glowed with unusual intelligence and affection as his ringed tail waved happily. He was a Maine Coon cat and an oddball, even given the naturally quirky nature of cats in general. But she wouldn't trade him for anything else in the world.

"Hey, sleepyhead," she cooed. "That was some powernap. You practically liquified you were so comfortable."

"Mrrp," he answered. He padded over and sat by the door, watching her expectantly.

"One sec." Ayumu pushed the levered knob and cracked the door about a foot so that Oni could slip out, following after him shortly. "Whatcha feel like having for dinner? Salmon?"

"Mrow." He plodded alongside her towards the stairs, occasionally pausing to sniff when something caught his interest.

"All right, I'll cook some while you patrol. Just be back by full dark."

There was no reply. Onimaru might be smart but he was still a cat. Any order she gave was just a suggestion to him.

At the bottom of the stairs she caught sight of his tail vanishing around the corner. Ayumu left him to his feline business, and tossed the two bags into the building dumpster, dusting off her hands as they landed with a crunch.

It was a nice evening. The sky was clear and the air, though crisp, was losing the viciousness of winter. She was looking forward to that day in the not too distant future when spring really arrived. You could never tell exactly when it would be but it was obvious once it came. The air would have a warmth and dampness that it'd lacked before. Smells would be stronger, sometimes to the point of overpowering a person, and the wind would push instead of punch. It was one of her favorite days of the year, albeit unpredictable.

Then as she turned back towards the staircase she heard a strange sound. Actually it was a very familiar sound to her but here and now it was completely out of context. It was the low rumble of a cat's purr.

"Onimaru? What's going on?" Intrigued, she went in search of him.

After the initial start of surprise, Toshinori realized that he wasn't facing down a lion. It was a massive cat - an All Might-sized cat even. A wreath of white fur around its face gave the impression of a huge African feline as did the colossal paws. Darker silver was splashed across its face and body, with nearly black tabby markings crisscrossing its brow, back, and legs. A furry mountain, it was parked on the cement walkway, calmly staring him down.

He took a cautious step but the cat didn't move. It just kept watching him with an inscrutable expression.

Toshinori reflexively coughed. "Good evening."

The cat's ears perked up and it blinked. "Mrrow."

He was amused; it was as if the cat had answered him. "Are you a stray? Or do you live around here?"

Hefting itself up onto its paws, the feline plodded in his direction with the sort of self-assurance that only a housecat can muster around strangers. When the purring started he became positive that it was someone's pet.

The persistent rumbling brought a smile to his gaunt face and he reached out an inviting hand. The cat hesitated, though the purring never faltered, and it sniffed at him with whiskers outstretched. It must've been satisfied with what it found because it ducked its head into his palm and gave him an affectionate rub.

"Oni? Oh!" Both of them looked up when they heard a young woman exclaim.

Toshinori was struck by her appearance. Though dressed casually in a T-shirt and sweatpants, she was lovely with long hair and bright eyes. She was tall too, with a slender figure, but he noticed she wasn't lacking in curves.

He quickly pushed that thought away. He was starting to turn into a dirty old man.

As she approached he didn't miss the way her eyes swept across him and her face clouded over. It was disappointing but not unexpected - no doubt he looked like the wrong sort of neighbor. Well, he couldn't help that. This form had to be the norm here, for better or worse.

"Good evening," he offered, trying to put her at ease.

"Hello," she replied. Her voice was musical, but as guarded as her expression.

There was an awkward pause as he scrambled to think of something to say next. She was watching him carefully - specifically the hand that the cat continued to brush against.

"I haven't seen you before. Are you new?" she asked.

"Ah, yes," he replied. "I just moved in today."

"… Welcome to the neighborhood." Hardly an enthusiastic greeting.

"Thank you." Suddenly he stumbled as the cat threw itself against his legs with a burst of renewed purring.

"Onimaru!" The woman sounded torn between amusement and chagrin at the feline's excitement. "Take it easy!"

Her next comment was directed at Toshinori and sounded purely embarrassed. "I'm sorry about him. He's usually not so friendly to strangers."

"It's not a problem," he replied, giving the cat's head a firm stroke. "Maybe he thinks he knows me from somewhere."

"That could be." The woman drew closer - perhaps her cat's acceptance was putting her at ease. "Sorry, I should've introduced myself first. I'm Nozomi Ayumu and that's Onimaru. We live in one of the second floor apartments."

"I'm Yagi Toshinori. Nice to meet you."

She gave him a small smile but one with genuine warmth and he was pleased to see that the cloud had lifted from her face. "I hope we get along, Yagi-san."

Before he could reply he felt a tug on his pants leg from a set of claws. Looking down, his blue eyes met those of the cat.

Onimaru opened his mouth wide, showing off long white teeth, and let out the strangest meow that Toshinori had ever heard before. "Eeeeeyowww!"

Ayumu returned to the second floor of the building, after Oni trotted off into the long shadows to patrol his territory. A part of her mind protested the retreat - it took all her self-control to keep from calling out to her new neighbor as he made his way to the front gate. She couldn't help but watch after him though. He moved with a tired stiff gait, the way someone far older than him would.

A pain in her palms suddenly got her attention: unconsciously she'd clenched her fists and her nails were digging into the soft flesh of her hands. Ayumu opened them and stared at the deep indents.

"No," she ordered herself sternly. She forced herself to turn away and return home.

Still, she was pursued by the memories of Yagi-san and their conversation: not so much what was said but what she'd seen. Granted, humanity had become much more diverse since Quirks had appeared and there were now all sorts of different-looking people walking the streets. She thought that she had become accustomed to the unusual. But in meeting him, she had to accept that there were limits to the "normal" unusual.

He was shockingly tall. Ayumu tended to tower over even men, but Yagi-san was at least a head taller than her. More startling than his height was his physique - he was thin to the point of emaciation with sunken cheeks and deeply shadowed eyes. The cold weather meant that his body was covered by a coat and long pants, but judging by his hands and the small bit of his collarbone visible above the coat's neckline, the rest of him was just as skinny.

It worried her. She understood physiology and knew that a person of that height shouldn't be so thin. Even professional athletes weren't that thin.

As she absently skinned and sliced the salmon to prepare it for cooking, her mind involuntarily ran through a list of things that would cause weight loss. It was long, and spanned the spectrum from simple to serious. Anorexia, cancer, any number of chronic diseases, oral issues, drug addiction…

The list was too long. She couldn't make a diagnosis with only one symptom. She would have to do a physical examination to narrow down the possibilities.

"No, you idiot!" Ayumu berated herself. "What kind of a habit is that for a normal person to have?!"

Not that she was a poster child for the image of "normal" either.

She sighed and pressed the heel of her palm into her forehead at the base of her nose. What a problem that had dropped into her life.

No, that wasn't fair to Yagi-san. Whatever might be causing his physical issues, his deep voice had been kind and he'd seemed genuinely friendly towards Oni. But that only made it more difficult to resist trying to help him.

What a dilemma. Caught between government regulations and her Hippocratic Oath; which was the lesser evil?