Heya, reader! As you can see, this chapter dropped way faster than the previous one. I finally got a rush of inspiration, so ya'll can expect to see a ton of new content over this weekend and into next week. Happy reading! :)

-Quantum Knight

The sun hung low in the sky, bathing Tokyo in a soft orange hue. The hustle and bustle of the busy city began to slow as both heroes and civilians, exhausted from their respective duties, made their way back to their quiet homes and expecting families. Carried along a warm breeze, the comfortable smell of aging summer blew past two young heroes strolling down a forgotten street. The distant sound of engines roaring and sirens screaming was muffled by the sound of footsteps on asphalt. Eyes downcast, the young future inheritor of One for All was lost in a sea of thoughts and emotions unfamiliar in all aspects. It was difficult to accept the reality of his near death; it was harder to give credence to the fact that his personal actions had almost led to his own sister's demise, as well. If it wasn't for All-Might's direct intervention, he realized, neither of them would be returning to the home and family they loved.

A thoughtful frown was plastered across the nearby fish monster's face as she silently maintained her brother's slow pace. On multiple occasions over their walk, she had wanted to chew the green haired idiot out herself for his reckless heroism. Every time she opened her mouth, however, the hypocrisy of such criticism lodged itself in her throat. The admonishment he had received from the pro heroes was quite enough, too.

Besides, she thought, the fact of the matter was that her brother was both uninjured and alive, and that would be good enough for her. How they would explain their actions to Inko, however, was a mystery she didn't want to ponder. She was less afraid of her anger as she was of her concern. A mother's tears could pierce a hole straight into a child's soul.

The heavy sound of hurried footsteps directly behind the pair pulled them from their musings.

"Deku!"

Turning to face the noise, they found a familiar spiky-haired blonde charging after them. His breathing was ragged and droplets of nitroglycerin sweat beaded across his forehead. Undyne cocked an eyebrow as Izuku's eyes widened,

"Kachaan?"

Bakugo ground his feet into the pavement as he came to a halt, taking a few moments to catch his breath. Undyne's frown deepened at Katsuki's insult. Useless. Couldn't the brat at least respect her brother a little for attempting to save his life when no one else would?

"Listen. I would never ask for a weakling like you to help me. Don't think you can look down me!" Bakugo continued, his eyes burning with indignant rage

There it was, the hubris that Undyne despised most about the hot-headed boy. He had a good Quirk. He was strong and possessed the ambition to become stronger. And yet, Undyne realized, those were also traits that made up the worst of villains.

"Huh, got that? I was fine by myself. You're just a Qurikless failure who won't even cut it as a regular cop." Izuku kept his eyes trained on the ground as the megalomaniac continued his tirade.

Undyne's patience snapped. Enough was enough. If her little brother wouldn't stand up for himself, she would just have to step in. Her arms crossed across her chest, she glared daggers at Bakugo as she spat,

"Oh-ho-ho. That's big talk, coming from the idiot who got himself captured in the first place.

Katsuki's eyes darkened as he locked onto Undyne like a ferocious predator. A small spiteful chuckle left his lips as he responded,

"What, you think that you're some kinda hero now? Don't make me laugh, fish lips. You would've gotten flattened if All-Might hadn't showed up. You're just as much of a loser as that brat."

Undyne growled as her soul burned with anger. Her claws clenched into fists, ready for action. Every ounce of her being screamed one single command: punch the idiot.

She felt a soft hand on her shoulder, followed by an equally calm voice,

"Let him go, Undyne. I think we've all been through a lot today."

A couple of moments passed as her little brother's word's swirled in her mind and soul. It was true, she thought. She'd been far too tense since the incident to realize just how tired she was. Today may have been the most emotional day of her life. There was no possible way that she could be thinking straight.

She flashed a somber smile at Izuku as she responded in kind,

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, little bro. Guess I'll have to show that idiot what's-what some other time."

With an audible harrumph, the blonde-haired explosion user turned and walked away, his strides a big as his ego. The duo could hear his grumbling as he trotted down the street.

Izuku grinned at his big sister, glad to be free of Kachaan, for the time being. The palpable stress in the atmosphere melted away as Izuku said,

"Kachaan is right, though. It's not like I did anything to help today. But, at least I tried."

Izuku recoiled in surprise as a scaly fist pounded his shoulder. Rubbing the impact area, he sheepishly looked into his glaring sister's eyes, finding a mixture of pride and joy. With a chuckle, Undyne shouted,

"Fuhuhuh! You're making me laugh, Izuku. What did I say about belittling your own accomplishments?"

Perplexed, the boy raised his hands and replied,

"That I'm not supposed to. But Undyne, I really wasn't able to save him. I couldn't even get through to him, and then you had to rush in to bail me out. You could've gotten hurt, or worse."

Utterly confused and quite insulted, Undyne's face contorted as she said,

"I could've gotten-"

"I AM HERE!"

A giant of a man materialized from around a street corner before the two would-be heroes in a powerful gust of wind. They jumped back like scared rabbits under the overwhelming presence of the ultimate hero standing right in front of them. Screeching like the pre-pubescent fanboy Undyne knew him well to be, Izuku's mouth began moving before his mind could catch up,

"All-Might? Where did you come from? How did you get rid of all those reporters?"

Undyne watched with her mouth agape as the hero both she and her brother admired above all others placed his hands on his hips and laughed,

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! I stand for justice, not sound bytes! Because I, I am All-Mi-"

In a puff of white steam, the hero disappeared.

What?

Undyne found another man standing in his place. His body was slim, almost to the point of emaciation.

Who is...

His hunched figure was buried under All-Might's clothing-far too large for this foreigner's lanky frame.

Where did...

He coughed as he wiped the blood from his mouth and chin.

There can be only one explanation for this.

"Oh crap, Undyne, let me explain-" Izuku began, his voice trembling with panic.

"NGAAAAAAH! What did you do with All-Might, villain?"

Undyne bolted forwards with a spear already in her claws. What sort of evil could possible eradicate the invincible All-Might with a cloud of steam?

The golden-haired man raised his hands in self defense, calling out to the rampaging monster,

"Hold on, young lady, it's me! All-Might!"

The voice sounds the same.

Undyne slowed her advance, coming to a halt a meter before the hero. Her eyes wide with confusion, she examined the being more closely.

"I apologize for the sudden change in appearance. I understand that this is a lot to take in all at once, but please, allow me to explain."

Undyne's mind raced at a million miles an hour. That weakling was supposed to be All-Might? The hero that she'd looked up to for as long as she could remember? The one man with the weight of the entire world on his shoulders? She didn't want to believe it. Something within her soul was rejecting this new All-Might.

And yet, there he was, an ordinary man, perhaps even somewhat below average. He spoke so calmly that Undyne could barely recognize the voice, and yet, it was definitely still that of the pro hero she admired. There was something else in his calm blue eyes, also, something Undyne couldn't quite put her claws on. Begrudgingly, the fish monster released her spear and crossed her arms, looking the man straight in the eyes and proclaiming,

"You'd better convince me. Otherwise, you can expect to find my fist in your face."

All-Might laughed, the sound quite unlike his usual over the top guttural facade. It was natural, and strikingly human.

"I wouldn't expect anything less, young lady."

All-Might raised his hand to his mouth and coughed again, removing the excess blood from his lungs before continuing,

"In short, I got in a pretty bad fight a couple of years back. I was able to take the villain down, but not without paying the price."

All-Might raised his shirt to expose a large knotted wound taking up a sizable portion of his abdomen. Undyne winced at the sight, and Izuku turned away, not particularly interested in seeing it again.

"I lost a lung, and my ability to perform hero work has been limited ever since. Right now, I can only go at it for a few hours a day. Even that time may be a bit shorter now, after today's events."

Izuku trained his eyes on his shoes, guilt welling up in his gut like water filling a cup. His mind looped self-blame on repeat as the man he admired continued,

"But the blame for that rests solely on my shoulders."

Izuku looked back up, finding All-Might's piercing blue eyes gazing directly into his. He understood what they were saying, but the green-haired boy still couldn't help but feel partially responsible for the hero's injuries. All-Might turned to face Undyne, who had remained silent as she absorbed the new information.

"Anyway, that's pretty much it. Are you satisfied with that explanation, young lady?"

Undyne paused for a few moments, allowing All-Might's words to stew in her mind. She observed the hero. His body definitely appeared weak, but something about the way he stood spoke far more volumes than his words. He wasn't just a hero for justice, Undyne realized. He was more than that. He'd been beaten down, almost to the point of death. Yet, here he was. The man chose to continue being the pillar hero society needed him to be, despite his pain.

There stood a true hero.

"It's good enough for me, All-Might." Undyne nodded as a smile exploded across her features. The number one hero smiled back, relief rolling off his shoulders as he continued,

"Excellent. Now, the reason I came here was to thank the both of you."

Izuku and Undyne stared at the pro hero, unblinking.

"To start, young lady, while I can't say that your actions were particularly wise, I can say with absolute certainty that you demonstrated your potential to everyone who saw you today.

Undyne's eyes widened further as All-Might's words swirled in her ears and filled her soul. She felt something familiar burn deep in her gut, something wonderfully powerful.

"You've got an outstanding Quirk, and an even stronger heart. I understand that young Midoriya is your brother, correct?"

Her mind almost blank, Undyne nodded lethargically. The weakened All-Might smile grew ever brighter as he said,

"To say that I was surprised as he rushed into the fray would've been a vast understatement. However, I don't think words can do justice for what I felt as I watched a second child run in after him."

OST- YOU CAN BECOME A HERO

The golden rays of the sun sparkled across the pro hero's smiling face. Undyne clenched her fist as tears began to well up in her crimson eyes. She fought against the torrent of emotion, wanting to remain strong before the hero, but found her struggle futile as crystal droplets rolled down her cerulean cheeks. For all her life, she'd sought power sufficient to become a hero worthy of following in All-Might's footsteps. A hero her little brother could look up to. A hero that could fight beside him.

"I saw the heart of someone who cares deeply for those she loves and the will to fight despite the fear of death. I haven't been privileged to see such raw determination in a long time."

Here was her brother's idol and her ultimate ideal, standing before the tangerine glow of the setting sun, his cerulean eyes trained on hers. His golden hair swayed in the evening breeze as the cherry blossoms danced by. The heroine gazed into the hero's eyes as he spoke twelve more words. The words she wanted to hear. The words she needed Izuku to hear more than anything.

"Young lady... if it is your wish, you can become a hero."