Chapter 25: Aftermath.

May, 1945

After the fall of HYDRA, the Nazis were next. Without their science and weapon department their lose was only a matter of time. In addition, HYDRA's rebellion was destroying their own forces from the start. After losing everything the Germany doesn't have a choice except to give up.

And this is how World War II ended. Allies won.

Right now, the world celebrates the victory. It's over. Family reunites. Loved ones are alive and together with each other's. Everybody is happy

But at what cost?


Right now, all soldiers celebrate their victory, drinking in many bars. All of them are happy that this bloodthirsty war is over.

Expect for one team.

The Howling Commandos. They came to the bar not to celebrate but to mourn for their fallen friend. For Izuku Midoriya. They wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him. They own him. All world owns him.

"To the Captain", said Falsworth. Then they drink.

"If it wasn't for him", commented Dugan solemnly. "None of us would be here. We owe him."

All of his friends nodded in agreement. All of them missing that young captain. Despite being naive kid, he shows more courage than anybody else.

He would always be being remembered.


London, Allied HQ

After the war ended The Allied Forces was disbanded. Right now, many people taking their things and returns home for the time being.

Among these people Peggy and Philips are ready to go home. Both of them have new proposition to work in important places. Despite the end of the war both of them didn't feel at ease and didn't want to leave their base. There are too many memories. Some painful some happy.

Peggy still couldn't leave the sacrifice of Izuku. She is still thinking about him. About what could happen if he stayed? She tries to move on but it's difficult when your head is filled with him.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a frowning Phillips, who gives her a single folder. She looks at it and noticed that this folder contains Izuku Midoriya's file. It also listed as 'inactive'. Both of them agreed to hide any records about super-soldier serum away in hopes that nobody will recreate it. Even if someone will recreate serum. They would never find the right man for it.

She then opens the folder and sees something she thought would never see again. Photo of Izuku. It wasn't just that normal photo when he becomes first super-soldier or when he becomes Captain America, which everybody has. No. It was photo before he became a soldier. When he was just a sickly but determinative kid with a crazy dream. A photo of true and real Izuku Midoriya.

When she first met him, she knew that he will become the first candidate. However right now, she wishes that she was wrong. If he never was chosen then he would be alive and with her.

"I miss you Izuku", she thought sadly before tears starts appear on her eyes.


Meanwhile in the Arctic

While people had their well-earned rest, Mitsuki hadn't. She has her own mission. She is tasked to go to the Atlantic Ocean with an objective to find the Valkyrie and Tesseract. And if it was possible to find Izuku Midoriya. She accepted the mission without a question. She wanted to find him. He gave the world its freedom back and he earned the right to live in that world.

Right now, she is on a ship with Masaru and waits results from the team. Seeing her discomfort Masaru tries to talk with her.

"Mitsuki, how are you?" asked Masaru in concern.

"I don't know", she answered sadly. "I must find Tesseract to make a new type of weapon. But I want to find Izuku to bring him back. But nobody cares about him or my ideas."

"Yeah", he agreed in frown. He still is displeased that people still don't take Mitsuki seriously. "It's really bad that nobody cares about our savior."

"You told me", she commented sarcastically. It looks like Masaru still the only one who truly understands her.

Suddenly they are interrupted by one of the engineers, who come to them and saying: "Ma'am? Sir?"

They step to him and watches on a screen to understand about their find. Early that day they sent a submarine to find the remains of the plane of the Tesseract. What they saw shocked them. They saw on a monitor how a submarine grabs the blue glowing cube. They found the Tesseract.

"Take us to the next grid point", she commanded to captain with enthusiasm. If they found Tesseract then it wouldn't be a problem to trace Valkyrie. It should be near.

"But there's no trace of wreckage. And the energy signature stops here", answered the engineer with a frown.

That answer deeply saddens her. When they finally get a hope and it crashed down by reality.

"Just keep looking", she simply said before exiting a room.

Masaru seeing her disappointment follows her. She was standing on their peer looking at the iceberg. Many thought are circling around her mind and she doesn't know on whom to be mad at: should she be mad at the government for sending her to find a dangerous artifact, at the Tesseract for ruining the lives of two important people, at the Nazis for starting that stupid war in the first place, or at herself for not finding a hero of the war. Finally, out of patience she screams.

"ARGH!" she bellowed in rage. Tears of frustration start to appear on her eyes. "Damn that stupid government! They want me to find that killing and unpredictable artifact. Have you seen what it can do?! It can kill us all! Are you so retards to not see that?! Why am I the only one who can see it!? And why nobody else wants to hear me?! Damn it! Damn them for that stupid order! Damn the Nazis for the war! Damn them all!"

After five minutes of screaming she stops to swear. Seeing that she is starting to calm down Masaru carefully comes to her.

"Mitsuki", he called her. His appearance startles her. "Easy it's just me. Now make deep breaths. Breathe In and out. Breathe In and out."

"Thanks", she said to him before answering sheepishly. "Sorry you had to see that."

"It's okay", he reassured her. "You are still a human. It's very bad for your organism to hold every negative in yourself. You need to let it out. It's good sometimes to explode like that. You are Bakugo. Get it?"

His words made something that considers impossible. He made her laugh. She bursts out laughing at his lame attempt to joke.

"That was the corniest joke I ever heard", she commented while wiping a tear from her eye. "But still you are the first person who doesn't judge me. No matter what I do."

"I can't change you. You are perfect the way you are", he said making her blush. After the war he decides to be bolder with her. And it works. But there is still one question left. "You said you have some plans for Tesseract."

"I had", she answered with a frown. "However, when I saw the carnage that thing can do, I decided against it. Because of that stupid cube two great men died. If it wasn't for it then they would be live."

"I see", he commented solemnly completely agreed with her. He couldn't believe that the government wants to use that nightmarish cube. "What are you gonna do?"

"I am gonna hide it,'' she said seriously. "Hide it in the place that nobody could use it for evil. And I don't care what they do with me. I tired to play their game.

"Whatever you are gonna do I would be with you". He said coming closer to her. He then surprises both of them by hugging her. "I will be by your side."

His actions melted her heart. Nobody ever was so caring with her. Nobody ever was so honest with her. Despite her personality he is always where she needs the help the most. Maybe she finally found her love. Deciding to trust her luck she hugs him back smiling.

"Thanks", she said with a blushing face. "Say your date offer still works?"

Despite that they are on the coldest continent in the world they never felt themselves so warm.


New York, Graveyard

The month after the war all people went to the graveyard to pay homage to the fallen soldiers. Soldiers who gave away their lives to protect their country. There are wives who lost their husbands, siblings who lost their brothers, kids who lost their fathers etc. For all of them is difficult to say goodbye to their dead loved ones. But it must be done for their own good.

After two hours people start to slowly leave the place until on that place stayed a little group of people who are near two specifically graves. This group consists of Todoroki Family, Peggy Shield, Chester Phillips, Mitsuki Bakugo, Masaru Tingles and the Howling Commandos. And they are standing near the graves of the two important people who changed their lives. Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki.

The Gravestone of Izuku is crafted to look like his shield and little statue of himself. And Shoto's looks like others only with a symbol of wings on the middle He would be against something so extreme but he deserves it. On both gravestones is written words which better characterizes them: Hero. Friend. Comrade.

"You know when I learned the death of my brother, I wished for Izuku to die", admitted Natsuo with a shame while crying. "I know that I was a monster in that moment. But if I knew what would happen next then I would never open my stupid mouth."

"Easy, Natsuo, easy", said Fuyumi trying to reassure him. "You were just angry and grieving. You didn't mean that."

"I think that lzuku wouldn't be angry with you,'' commented Peggy. "He was blaming himself. Almost becoming a shell of his former self."

That didn't change Natsuo's mood at all. He starts to feel himself guiltier. He can't believe that he blames Izuku for Shoto's death. It wasn't his fault.

"This world wasn't made for people like him", unexpectedly said Phillips making the group to look at him. "He was kind, young, naive. Those things can't help you to survive in that dark world."

"What I want to say is that the world needs people like him. For people to believe that hope still exist, that kindness can't die, that everything is possible if you try harder. He wasn't just a soldier. He was someone more than a normal soldier. For someone like him exists better word."

"And that word is...?" asked Dugan in confusion.

"He was a hero,'' Chester ended surprising everyone. But nobody could disagree with that statement. Everyone at least the ones met Izuku Midoriya knew that he is more than just a normal person. He wants just to help people without any benefits. He is a true hero. "And I don't think that there is someone who could compare to him. He was one of a kind."

"You are right, colonel. He was", said Peggy. "Izuku changes all of our lives. He showed us that there is always hope. You just need to believe in yourself. We would always remember him and what he did. I mean we are the only ones who knew the true him. I don't think that I would find someone like him. But I must to try. For his sake."

"I think we should just let it go,'' said Rei making all the group to watch her. "He wouldn't want us to grief about that. We must do it. For him. In addition, he is with his parents and Shoto. In the best world."

Despite that nobody wanted to move on they knew that Rei was right. That Izuku would want them to move on. He would want them to continue to live. They must do it for him.

Hearing some screaming, Peggy turns around and sees a group of children running around and playing some games. However, what she sees makes her smile. One of the children have a trashcan which is colored in color of Izuku's shield. Even if he is not with them, he is always with you in your heart.

"Even if he is not with us. His name will never die", she said while pointing to the group of children making them understand her thoughts. "Nobody would ever forget Izuku Midoriya. His legacy is eternal."

Nobody could ever disagree with her. He would always be remembered.

"Izuku watch over us, please", she thought while looking in the skies.

This is how people will always remember Izuku Midoriya.

His death wouldn't be in vain.

Or did he really die?