Chapter 30: Ending Sense

"Let everything happen to you, Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final."

― Rainer Maria Rilke

All Might

'The world is watching.'

Japan, America, Europe...this is an international affair now no matter how much they wanted to try and keep it covered to only the local news stations.

Helicopters buzz around overhead and amid the noise he hears the distant yells of civilians cheering him on to his fellow heroes he's been fighting beside for years watching carefully from a safe distance. They've managed to quickly create a makeshift barrier, attempting to keep Nomus at bay and ensure that no civilians are going to get in harm's way of All for One's attacks or his own.

Through tooth and nail, blood, sweat, and tears he certainly has traded blows with the worst of worst villains since he started his career as a Hero…

A career that in his early days he thought he would never have.

And through the years, no villain has been as bad as All for One.

Beneath that mask is that same crooked grin or maybe a scowl now, unnerved that he hasn't broken him with the knowledge of Nana's familiar connection to Shigaraki.

"Our apprentices are fated to fight each other too you know, maybe months or even years from now. Eventually their paths will cross due to their opposing ideologies, these supposed 'good' mentalities and natures everyone should live by when you and I both know doesn't match for all of society." He starts with a chuckle.

"It doesn't matter how many times their lives will intersect, I believe in Young Midoriya and the rest of his peers that they will put an end to any villain's goals in spite of the obstacles!" Toshinori bellows back.

All for One chuckles, shaking out all the cricks in his neck and body.

"I suppose we'll see about that. It's just your one quirk to my dozens after all. You don't even have the ability of your successor to aid you in this fight. Perhaps if I or Shigaraki had gotten to him first, he would be using that Infliction quirk on our side instead of the Heroes." He muses, lifting up his arm driving up a large burst of air that shatters at glass and blows up nearby debris in all directions into a mini twister.

'Damn it!' Toshinori scowls as a large piece of glass hurdles towards a group of civilian who don't have enough time to get out of the way. He speeds over to them just as a mangled piece of a car hurdles towards them, balling his right hand into a fist.

"Delaware Smash!" The pain slices up his arm as shards of glass and metal nick and tear into his skin, but at least none of the civilian are harmed as they scatter further back into the safe zone.

"Stop involving civilians in this fight! Your fight is with me alone." Toshinori snaps.

All for One shrugs, it can't be helped that so many people want to get a view of the downfall of Japan's number one hero. It will be all anybody will be able to talk about for months, maybe even years that they were an eyewitness to the night of All Might's last fight.

He leaps forward again, fists at ready trading blows with him.

"That body of yours is so much weaker than before it seems; a simple injury like that never fazed you in our last fight to make you so out breathe and unsteady." All for One notes dryly.

But not only that, it seems his body is on a timer, that's he's trying to end this as fast as possible for a reason he has yet to fully figure out. The wounds from their previous skirmish aren't visible as far as he can tell, but small time crooks and underlings have told him he needed emergency surgery afterwards, that he was in intensive care for weeks after with an injury that was life-changing; irreversible.

'I should've had one of my spies look into it more.' He considers.

Though he should get the answers he needs if he prolongs this fight, pushes his body to it's limits so that every scar, bruise, and injury is open for the world to see.

Toshinori grits his teeth, dodging a flamethrower quirk he launches at him, flames nicking at his cheek scorching a path of black before slamming a fist straight into his face.

The crunch of his mask breaking rings through his ears, cobalt orbs darkening at the edge of the grin beneath it.

"Good, get angry. Get serious." All for One chuckles, impact recoil pushing him off.

He points a finger towards the cameras then.

"Make sure you give me a good fight Toshinori. Don't forget, your successor is watching your every move."

Izuku & Ochako

"Are you alright?" Izuku begins, not sure he's going to get the truth out of Ochako.

He's glad Kacchan isn't here to watch him fumble over his words, gone to get them drinks and whatever snacks he can find in between cursing their predicament.

'Don't go fucking up this room next Deku! There's only so many private rooms here that have a Tv that can clearly see the fight!'

They sit in his new room after the chaos that occurred just hours before, both too restless to sleep or relax watching as All Might faces off against the highest ranking criminal from Tartarus.

Moonlight sharpens each of their features, shines against shattered glass and black-gray smoke that billows out into the night air.

Ochako blinks, twisting her body to try and get situated to no avail. Hospital linen wasn't made for comfort or long periods of sleep it seems and she doesn't expect any doctor or nurses to be making rounds again on them anytime soon considering all the damage they've already caused.

'It's not our faults Toga and that Lizard guy followed us in here! They need better security or cameras for every hallway and outside!' She huffs, not that the head hospital director Kanehara wanted to listen.

"I'm okay; why?" She questions back and Izuku arches a brow, gesturing to the surrounding furniture and then herself.

"Well...to start you're floating and making everything around us float as well." He mentions and Ochako squeaks realizing from the pillows to his bedside table are slowly floating up towards the ceiling.

She clasps her fingers back together, managing to carefully get everything back down without creating any further breakage.

"Sorry about that! I'm just really...on edge." Ochako murmurs, all the shadows in the room seem like they could be another villain, Toga or one of the League's associates waiting for the right moment to strike.

Izuku pats the space beside him, gesturing to the TV and slowly Ochako tucks herself into his side.

"Let's focus on the news for now or you should try and get some sleep. I feel like this may be the last big fight All Might has." He mutters.

Ochako follows his gaze, weariness seeping into her chest seeing his bloody face flash across the screen. From all accounts it seems like All Might has been on the defensive more than outright attacking.

This man, this villain whoever he is has equal footing on him for now it sees.

'All Might must have a trump card he's saving for the right moment.' She decides, swallowing down her knot of worries.

But there's too much blood on him, too much sweat and scratches for her not to feel this creeping edge of concern no matter how much she tries to keep it at bay.

"I need to get out there. There has to be someway I can help using Infliction." Izuku considers.

'Heal.' He concentrates on the screen despite knowing it's a futile effort.

If he was within closer range he could heal at All Might's injuries, even if only temporarily. It would last long enough for him to get in a winning blow against All for One without him having to retire, to become permanently stuck in his weakened form.

Nothing changes to All Might's injuries, too far away and his mind too exhausted right now even if he was closer to the fight.

'The other option could be to do a sneak attack. If I caught All for One by surprise I could use Infliction to mess with the veins and arteries that lead to his brain. Then again, he's probably already thoroughly researched my quirk and could expect that. All for One has multiple quirks at his arsenal on top of the Nomus, the files Kacchan and the others found shows he's stolen the best of the best of the best quirks.' He further analyzes.

Ochako grips at his arm just as he tries to sit up off the bed, shaking her head. "I know that look Izuku."

Izuku squirms, scooting his body down against the pillows. "I wasn't going to actually leave. I-." He starts, Ochako huffing in disbelief.

"You've already overused Infliction enough for today that you'll injure yourself and distract All Might as well if you try to race out there! This is his fight to finish that he started with him years ago!" She voices.

When Izuku doesn't meet her gaze, her hold tightens enough to make him wince and for verdant orbs to meet auburn.

"If you go out there, you'll endanger your parent's lives too don't forget. You should be the one getting the most rest out of all of us!" Ochako presses, poking at his forehead before his gaze can drift away from hers and his chest clenches thinking of Mom and Dad equally glued to the breaking news, unable to sleep, the stress this must be putting on his Dad...

Katsuki stomps into the room, sodas and water bottles partially obscuring his face but he sees how close they are and snorts making Ochako scoot back with a blush.

'Are these two idiots arguing over who needs to get more sleep and take better care of themselves?' He considers, rolling his eyes at their poor attempts to hide whatever the hell they had been doing.

"Had to bang the damn soda machine all the way on 1st floor to finally get some drinks out!" He scowls, dropping the cans and bottles unceremoniously onto the foot of the bed.

Ochako arches a brow, taking in the multitude of flavors and sweets he's collected that wouldn't cover the cost of few coins he brought along. "Bang or destroy?"

They've caused more property damage in just these few hours than they've done on one of their patrols.

Crimson eyes narrow, rolling his eyes turning his attention back towards the screen as a news reporter makes an another announcement seeing a blur of yellow and white land into the area beside All Might.

"Looks like Gran Torino has entered the fray!"

Katsuki

'It shouldn't be taking All Might this long.' He knows.

And he's sure most of the people watching down below and seeing this news too are thinking the very same, wondering what is taking the Heroes so long to finish off just one man.

He considers what he's already seen of him before he entered this fight, the blood he tried to mask in the library beneath a cheery grin that he was fine, the somber look he gets from time to time looking skyward reminded of a life he loves doing is on borrowed time now.

A look passes between him and Deku and spell of nausea encircles his gut.

The flames of One for All are about to flicker out; tonight.

"Damn it." He grunts under his breath.

"Don't listen to his taunts, about your past, your future, or Nana." He reads from Gran Torino's lips, the pair indicating for the helicopters to get out of the way of the blast zone's range when All for One directs a sharp gust of wind and flames in their direction.

Gran Torino leaps up, getting the helicopter out of the way though not fast enough for a spiral of wind to bend at the tail end, warping and bending the metal every which angle.

All for One's attention turns then to whatever plan Gran Torino seems to be forming in mind as he lands back down, the pair watching him back as he begins to fire up another air cannon.

"I'm sure you two knew that Nana failed to protect her own son and grandson, right? She picked the life of being a hero over caring for either of them which lead her grandson at least into the villain he is now. I should thank her I suppose if she were still alive now, her choosing to be a Hero is what brought about the villain that will take out the hero society completely." He reflects.

All for One focuses his gaze to Sorahiko in particular, chuckling. "You knew Nana back in her heyday, saw her rise through the ranks to become a Pro-Hero. It feels wrong in a sense to not let her grandson do the honors of finishing you and Toshinori off, a goal I've been training him towards for months now."

"As I've told you before, no matter if it's you or another villain, heroes will always rise up again and again to stop any force of evil." Toshinori snaps, gritting his teeth when he directs the torrent of air back towards the helicopters, pulling the civilians out and throwing them to safety just as the rest of the helicopter erupts in an explosion of scarlet-orange fires.

And with doing that as the dust settles, his gaunt form appears and Katsuki feels his eyes widen, can hear the gasps and screams echoing from within the hospital and outside.

He swallows, it doesn't matter if his secret is exposed, even if it had to be like this.

"You better not give up All Might! No matter what that shithead says!" Katsuki yells out, startling Izuku and Ochako.

It doesn't take a minute for Izuku and Ochako to join him though, cheering All Might on even with the muted shock streaming throughout the public seeing the number 1 hero this way.

"I'm going to the rooftops to get a better look!" Katsuki states, not waiting for either to respond back.

The stairs are cracked and rickety as he half-climbs, half-blasts his way up trying to avoid exposed pieces of cracked brick and pointed nails. The metal of the rooftop is warm despite being far enough away from the onslaught of the fight, though close enough he can see both All for One and All Might as specks of black and red and blue respectively.

'There's so much I wanted to say, so much I wanted to apologize for.' Katsuki frowns, for his darker thoughts of wanting to expose his illness once he fully learned more, to wanting to apologize for any additional stress he put on him constantly getting into fights with his peers or ignoring his messages to make peace with Deku and Todoroki.

All for One takes in his skeletal frame, how he somehow still stands gathering the final remnants of energy into his right side...

He cracks his knuckles, deciding to do the same.

"My previous attacks were only meant to wear you down, to bring you to this weakened, emaciated state. Now I'll crush you into the earth; quirkless and pathetic as you were before you had One for All." He promises.

All Might

'Master, give me strength in this final fight I have. To put a stop to All for One one last time as the Symbol of Peace for Japan.'

"You are a pillar of peace and justice for the community Toshinori, I've discussed it with Gran Torino as well. And in time, we will pass our knowledge and skills down to the next generation of heroes that will come after us." Nana describes.

He calms his breathing at the memory, tightening his fists as All for One does the same, combining a multitude of quirks into his right arm as well.

"All these Heroes coming in are flies getting in the way." All for One grunts, blowing Endeavor and Edgeshot away before they can dare get closer to them.

'I can't die out here, I still need to reprimand Young Midoriya and his classmates for acting so rashly as of late.'

Young Midoriya especially, pushing his body over and over much as he's doing himself right now. He's sure he might've gone out here trying to use Infliction to heal him if not for Young Uraraka to stop him.

He chuckles at the thought, of their similarities before grinning and launching himself forward, fists clashing with All for One creating another tornado of dust and rocks swirling about them.

"Give up, your body is too weak to finish me off! Especially now that you've given away One for All to your successor!" All for One relates, crushing at his right arm until it finally grows limp.

A grin transverses his face, his body appearing to slump towards the ground in true defeat.

"...I won't." Toshinori responds after a pause, lifting his head back up proper startling All for One too late to escape his renewed tightening grip.

"Farewell." He mutters by his ear, channeling the final embers he's saved for this moment, his strongest technique.

United States of Smash instantly overpowers, instantly slams All for One into the ground bringing up a whirlwind of metals and dusts, All for One's body still and bloody when the gust eventually quiets into slow swirls.

'It's over.' Toshinori breathes taking in his body, he barely registers in the eruption of cheers for him as he pumps up his arm in victory, glancing in the direction of the hospital.

'Did you catch all that Young Midoriya? I'm officially patching the torch on to you.' He asks him mentally.

And though he's miles away he can picture his teary smile, a nod of understanding.

'I did.'

Elsewhere-Downtown Musutafu

'That's it? Is all his power truly gone?' Eri bites her lip, heart beating harder against her chest trying to blink tears away to no avail.

If the number 1 hero of Japan is truly gone, then who can she can ask for help now? Is there any Pro-Hero strong enough to take him on?

Images flash across the screen as the reporters practically talk over each other of All for One's defeat against All Might until abruptly the screen goes black, television collapsing to pieces before her and Eri stiffens, feeling Chisaki's presence beside her already once more. One hand tightens and curls at her shoulder while the other hand slowly moves off the television.

"Eri, what have I told you about watching the news? None of that is important for you to listen to." He advises, grip digging into her shoulder drawing blood when she doesn't immediately move to follow him.

"Right, sorry!" She squeaks out in a single breath, taking in the dusty remnants of the TV.

He jests with his head in the direction of the League of Villain's current hideout, the meeting they're already running late to as he adjusts his gloves.

"I doubt working with these guys is worth it or if it will bring any further power to the Yakuza. Most of their hideouts have been shown to be filthy and they don't currently have a good track record of wins against the Heroes from what I've seen." He grunts under his breath.

Still, it would be worth hearing out what their current leader's objectives were. He'd heard rumors the group was persistently going after a student at U.A high with a powerful enough quirk that could possibly be of benefit to him as well.

He tugs Eri along, golden orbs piercing down towards her at her somber look.

"I'm going to show them an example of your quirk, no crying or fussing or I'll make sure they draw out the experiments for later." He warns and Eri nods, knowing not to dare argue back or question him.

"If All Might is truly planning to retire that means a lot more villains or small time crooks are going to be coming out of the woodworks trying to make a name for themselves." Chisaki sighs, muttering to himself in thought.

Eri meanwhile plays back in her mind the little she saw of All Might on screen, his emaciated form standing proud with a fist pumped into the air, morning light bathing him in orange-yellow rays.

That signature pose normally stood for hope, but now what would it mean?

She winces as the bright light of the mid-afternoon sun falls upon them, Chisaki's grip increasing tenfold before any wandering eyes can gaze at her bandages for too long and question him.

'Hope.' She buries the thought down, keeping her head lowered to the pavement to not meet anyone's stare as usual.

It's foolish to think hope exists in her world.

"You're going to be good girl today, aren't you Eri?" Chisaki questions as they reach the intersection.

And Eri tacks on a smile, nodding.

"Yes...Father."

-x-

Imperfect fight scenes, I feel like I repeated much of what happened but I did try to add in my own thoughts/ideas. I also truly didn't want to write an exact rehash of All for One and All Might's fight. I managed to get one final chapter out before the year ends. I hope all my readers new and old have a safe and warm Christmas/Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Please let me know your thoughts.

Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!