Toshinori's rise to the Number One spot was all a massive blur of constant crime fighting and far too many 'charity events'.

Over the years of hard work, Toshinori could only recall actively trying to interact with other humans a few times. He'd called Gran Torino all of once. He'd gone to Dave's wedding when the time came and stayed for their early baby shower, but that was basically it. Over the time he'd lost himself in hero work, he'd forgotten that he only had one real friend.

Toshinori decided to end his own isolation by accepting the position for a sidekick, as dangerous as it was. He had a full stack of applications for heroes of all ages. Some were likely to be nearly three years old by this point, but he didn't know many that would refuse an offer to partner with the Number One hero, even if it was a few years later.

The first few held some hope, but they didn't feel right. After the first hundred, it was obvious that most were just in it for the fame. Some had a real reason to be there, but as soon as he read how big of a fan they were, he declined. He loved his fans more than anything, but it would make working with them difficult. If they weren't able to focus on anything but him, then how could they save other people's lives?

After the next three hundred, hope began to run dry. There wasn't a single application that him nor his secretary -a sweet woman that readily helped him with the long process of finding a sidekick- liked. There was a small pile of people who could possibly be good candidates, but a bit of research supplied that most of them had already either started their own agencies or were already someone else's sidekick. Perhaps waiting for so long wasn't a good idea.

"Are you sure you don't want to sort out all of the applications from the past year? It might make this process a bit faster." asked, not looking up from her handful of names.

"But what if we find someone really good?" He knew it was a lost cause, but he didn't want to skip over anyone who could be 'the one', as he'd said earlier.

"I know how badly you want your sidekick to be perfect, and you have every right to feel that way, but perhaps the training process could bring out all the potential you want?"

Toshinori let out a long sigh. She was right. They'd have to train whoever they picked away. Might as well go for whoever he thought could keep up with him and went from there. As he began throwing out a few papers, his eye hit something. He could've sworn it was glowing with importance. He plucked the paper from the waste bin and looked it over. It was nearly a full year old by this point. The application had been sent out when this person was almost graduating UA, which was a smart move. Applying to such a big agency -let alone the Number One hero's- would take time, as it was at the moment.

Turning away from the paper, he typed the young hero's name into 's small computer, struggling to hit the right keys with his too large fingers. He didn't find much on him, but there was a hero school attached. It wasn't UA, like most others were. This school was further south and lower in the heroics field.

The man's grades were nearly perfect, but Toshinori knew better than anyone that school grades weren't everything. He himself had gotten only average grades all through his time at UA. That also wasn't saying how intelligent he was either. Toshinori knew that he could be absent minded at times, especially during galas that he had no desire to be at.

"Mirai Sasaki." Toshinori read aloud. "Also known as Sir Nighteye in the hero community." He looked to his secretary for advice. Or maybe just encouragement.

"I'm not the boss here, Sir. If you want to interview him, then you can." She gave him a smile that told just how little she cared about whether he went for this or not.

"I think I will. He seems different to me. He's also making a peace sigh with his hand, which is kind of strange." The employees in charge of taking hero license pictures were very strict when it came to smiling or hand gestures. He'd only gotten away with it because he smiles on the field more often than he doesn't.

"If that's really what you want." She patted his large back as she left the room.

Toshinori decided to do it.

…

Nighteye stared at him for at least a minute before talking. He was obviously a fan, but he did show restraint. That was promising.

"So, Sir Nighteye! What do you think you'd add to my agency?" Toshinori pretended to look at a list of questions. He hadn't written a single one down. He wanted this to be genuine.

"Well, as popular as you are, I imagine that It could be difficult to keep up with all the paperwork required for such a position. I am quite an organized person and wouldn't mind taking that paperwork off of your hands." Sir Nighteye gave him a neutral look but his hands gripped at his loose suit sleeves.

Toshinori had to remind himself that he wanted a sidekick and not someone else to take his paperwork -though the offer was more than tempting. He wasn't getting the answers he wanted. He'd have to try another approach. "Well, if I wanted someone to take care of my paperwork then I wouldn't be interviewing you to be my sidekick." Toshinori nearly laughs at Nighteye's anxious expression, but he recovers quickly. That could be useful.

Standing up, Toshinori gives Nighteye a bright smile. They stay that way, in silence, until Toshinori grabs at his chest, gasping 'in pain' and falls to the ground. Nighteye is immediately on his feet and fretting over the older hero's now prone body. Toshinori coughs exactly three times before pretending to pass out. On his knees, Nighteye turns the big hero onto his side.

"All Might, are you alright?" He waits a beat before he leans down to listen to his heart beat. It's slower than normal, Toshinori knows, but not stopped. Control of breath had helped him several times with underwater missions. He could hold his breath for a couple of minutes, but it was on Nighteye when he would breath next.

Nighteye starts compressions first, but they're far too weak for someone of Toshinori's size. His hero suit is flexible and made for CPR to be possible without having to cut it away, lucky for Nighteye. After thirty or so barely felt compressions, the thin man goes for a breath and Toshinori lets him. If he was too scared to use mouth-to-mouth then what would they do if this situation was a reality?

Halfway through the second round of compressions, Nighteye seems to remember to ask for help and pulls out his phone. He tried to dial and do compressions at the same time but seems to fail at both. Before the man can finish dialing the number, Toshinori takes hold of the phone and sits up. He makes sure the phone is on the ground before turning back to Nighteye.

Toshinori can't help but laugh. Nighteye's expression is comical compared to his stoic picture. His eyes are wide and his mouth is wide open. After Toshinori's laughter dies down, he gets up and offers a hand. Nighteye doesn't take it.

"I'm sorry to scare you like that, but consider it training. There's no real way of knowing how you'd react." The older hero scratches at his cheek absently. Faking a heart attack probably wasn't the best option, but it did work.

"You're fine…" Nighteye sat down slowly and let out a long breath. A string of courses went out with it and Toshinori couldn't help but laugh at that.

"I have a bit of constructive criticism for your CPR skills, but I liked something very particular about the way you reacted." He crouches down to make eye contact with the man. "You weren't scared to help me, even if I'm All Might. That is something I value in a partner."

Nighteye stood up again, though his legs were shaky. "Thank you, Sir. I'd like to know what I can do to improve."

Toshinori's eyebrows rose and he paused. He hadn't expected that. That was another train he liked about this one. It was starting to feel like Christmas. "Well, for someone of my size, your compressions will have to be a lot deeper. Most of them barely did anything, let alone pumped my heart. I also noticed that you forgot to ask for help before and when you did, you tried to multi-task. In the future, I'd advise against doing that. It'd better to dial, then do compressions. You'll waste time if you don't."

Nighteye gave a short nod and bowed. "Thank you for your advice, All Might." He stood up again and trained a hard look on Toshinori. "I also have a bit of advice myself, if you're willing to hear it."

"I, ah, of course!" Toshinori made wide gestures for the man to continue.

"I wouldn't pretend to have a heart attack if I were you. If it's a reaction you want, then you could've attacked me. Not only would you have seen if I would react the way you wanted, but you'd also see what my fighting style is like against someone who fights with your level of strength. If we'll be working together, I'll need to be able to account for your strength as much as I will any villain."

Toshinori threw his head back and laughed once again. He couldn't get enough of this guy. "Thank you, Sire Nighteye! You seem to have a lot of good ideas. I'll look forward to working with you by my side."

The thin man froze, seeming to wonder if he'd heard right. "Did you…"

Toshinori took Nighteye's hand and shook it with a strong grip. "Welcome to Might Tower, Sir Nighteye. I look forward to working with you." He gave a bright smile and a big wink. Hopefully that cleared up any confusion.

"Yes, Sir!" Nighteye shook back, a small smile playing on his lips.

"We're partners! Just call me by my hero name. We don't need to be so formal."

Nighteye's smile fell away, but his firm grip didn't. "I prefer to address you as my boss, even if we will be working together. It's respectful and I'd hate to disrespect you or your agency."

Once again, Toshinori found himself surprised. "Oh. Well, then Sir it is! Um, could we also discuss that paperwork arrangement as well?" He could feel that this was going to be a good decision already.

…

Nighteye was not a physical fighter and hardly ever went onto the battlefield, but that wasn't to say that the man didn't help during fights.

When it was needed, Toshinori would hear a shout of directions. Typically, it was just to stay away from certain people or to avoid certain areas. Most villains had no idea that Nighteye was working behind the scenes of nearly each battle and were typically awed when he managed to avoid an attack by the skin of his teeth. Then again, hardly anyone could get a hit on him that actually hurt. That seemed to be another aspect of his power.

There was one time, during a battle, that Toshinori had decided to ignore Nighteye's clear instructions and he'd ended up losing half of his cape. Of course he'd gotten in trouble for it, but for this situation, it couldn't be helped.

"I told you to leave the group and you didn't." Nighteye had his arms crossed.

"I was signing autographs! How was I supposed to know that someone was going to climb me like a ladder and rip my cape off?!" Now he could add that to the long list of crazy fan interactions, not that he had anyone to really share them with other than Nighteye. He already knew his sidekick wouldn't appreciate a single one of them, no matter how funny they would've been at the time.

"And if that person had been a villain waiting to hurt you?"

Toshinori let out a long sigh. They'd already gone over this. "Nighteye, please leave my office." He was suddenly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to call it a night and go home, but he couldn't leave yet. He still had to get his cape fixed before tomorrow.

Nighteye left but not without leaving his frustration behind. Toshinori looked through a few files but gave up when his eyes blurred. He couldn't understand why the man was so determined to keep everyone away from him. It hadn't been the first time that someone had touched his suit like that and it wouldn't be the last. Honestly, he'd had worse interactions. He'd been groped before, many times.

With a long sigh, Toshinori decided to actually do something about his ruined cape. Whoever had that ripped half was likely selling it online for thousands of yen, or had hung it up on their wall like a deer head. It would just be filed away like the person that had stolen a shoe from him. It was all a part of being the Symbol of Peace.

Taking his cape in hand, Toshinori made his way to the door. Most of the lights were still on but he didn't care to check who was still working. Mr. Gesuido -the kind man that replaced his broken or stolen costume- would give him a hard time for this as well. At least the kind man wasn't going to lecture him like Nighteye had.

"Are you heading home, All Might?" Mrs. Kaime asked, knowing full well he wasn't.

"Sadly, no. I have to get my cape fixed before then. I can't save Japan with half a costume." He gave her a forced laugh and a smile he definitely didn't feel. She likely knew it too, but didn't comment.

"Well, your cape doesn't do the saving. I don't know why you'd need one to be the Symbol of Peace." She commented offhandedly.

"Ah, well...maybe so." He wasn't in the mood to debate about the work he did. If he wanted to talk about what exactly was saving people, he'd have let Nighteye stay for longer. Just the thought of it made him yawn.

"Well, If you aren't going to rest, I'd at least do something that isn't physically or mentally taxing. I've heard a few movies have come out recently." She gave him a small smile. She'd seen the posters he had for American movies.

"Perhaps I'll consider it. Have a good night, ." He gave her another smile before heading out. He could get there in a few jumps, but there was risk of not quite sticking the landing. He decided to walk this time.

It was like letting out a breath. He let One For All ease away from his heart and his entire figure slumped with a hot puff of steam. His hair fell down and frizzed into the same mess it used to be when he was younger. His suit felt less tight and for once, he didn't look like a muscle balloon. He was still freakishly tall though.

Grabbing a T-shirt and jeans, -he'd started keeping a change of clothes in his office for situations like this- Toshinori walked to the train station. He enjoyed not being the center of attention for once. Of course, there was always the fear of his lazy disguise giving him away but he didn't worry too much over it. If someone recognized him, then good for them. He was still holding the shredded cape, so the connection wouldn't be too difficult to make.

It took nearly thirty minutes to get across town. On the train, Toshinori had allowed himself a small nap, but it did nothing for his exhaustion. He'd lost a lot of sleep over the last few weeks and he wouldn't get that sleep back through a small nap. Discarding the train of thought, Toshinori makes his way into the small tailor's shop.

"Ah, welcome back, Sir." Mr. Gesuido waved, dropping the shirt he was already stitching together onto his desk. He gave a wide smile and was already extending his hand to take the cape. "What happened this time? Fans, villains? Get it snagged on another lightning rod?"

The latter had been a complete accident and was very embarrassing to report about. Toshinori let out a long sigh and sat down in a chair barely big enough to hold him. If he hadn't puffed down, he probably wouldn't have. "Just a fan this time. I'll tell you if I see it online later this week." It was meant to be a joke, but they both knew how high the possibility was.

"I'm starting to think that you should get a new design. These capes are becoming more troublesome than helpful. When was the last time you actually needed it?" The small man started looking through his different fabrics, testing a few for color.

"Well, today probably. If it wasn't my cape then it's either be my hair or the suit itself." It also helped when reporters tried to sneak a picture or two of his backside without his knowledge. His cape would cover what he didn't want on the front page of the news -not that his butt hadn't made it there yet- but did little else. From time to time, he'd get it twisted around his body and any villain could use that against him.

"You could discuss it with then. You've had a cape for long enough that not having one could get you some extra popularity. Imagine how the media would flair." He said it was if that was a good thing.

"I don't know if that's really needed. I can barely get a break from the media as it is. Nighteye's making me turn down a few interviews as it is. I don't really mind, though. They all ask the same questions." Toshinori let himself ramble for a little bit before staying silent. It wasn't 's job to take care of him.

He was going to be around 40 next month...or was it 30? He couldn't remember. He'd stopped celebrating birthdays for a long time and eventually lost track of the numbers. What was the point in keeping track anyway? It'd just prove how old he was. Whatever age he would be, it was high enough to not need a babysitter. He waited patiently for Mr. Gesuide to finish stitching the outline for another cape before starting up another conversation.

"How, ah, your granddaughter? Is she still planning to try out for that big dance university?" Tposhinori had seen the woman dance and he could tell immediately that she was going places. He had even offered to help her pay for her education, but she refused. She was a strong woman.

"Yeah! She just got her acceptance letter a few days ago, actually. She's so excited to make her dream come true."

Toshinori felt a genuine smile fall onto his lips easily. "Congratulations! You better tell her that All Might's rooting for her." He let out a soft chuckle with it.

"I'll be sure to. Her dance teacher's been helping her a lot too. Have you ever met her? I can't quite remember the woman's name but she'd got this cool colonization quirk."

Toshinori paused at that. Images of someone he used to know a lifetime ago suddenly flooded his mind. He hadn't thought about Hanten for years and he suddenly wished he had. What was she doing now? How had she turned out? She must've moved districts while he was off in America since he'd never seen her in all his years as the Number One hero.

Did she know who he was? Every day, when she saw the 'Great All Might' on tv, did she think of him? Shaking the thoughts away, Toshinori finally responded to the comment about Mr. Gesuide's granddaughter's teacher.

"What kind of colorization quirk?" Toshinori asked with a lot more than curiosity in his tone. He should've reprimanded himself for getting his hopes up.

"Oh, it's like a camouflage thing." Immediately, Toshinori's hope fell away. "She can change her skin to match her surroundings- hey! What's up with that frown?" The man set the cape down and turned his attention to Toshinori.

Toshinori felt a smile automatically fall onto his face, like a defense mechanism. "Sorry! I was just thinking too much. Tell me when the cape's done, alright?" He physically turned away from the older man and pulled his phone out. He checked a few news articles and did see half of his cape up for sale. He was tempted to buy it from them, but decided against it. Fans could be fans. Buying it would do him no good.

With a new cape and a little money given to Mr. Gesuide for his granddaughter's education, Toshinori was off again. This time, he jumped to his small apartment on the south side of Tokyo. He made a sticky note about looking up more on Hanten, but he let it for tomorrow. The sun had set hours ago and he was more than ready to call it a night.

As Toshinori fell into sleep, he couldn't help but rethink those old times, back at UA. It'd been so long...perhaps he could check a few other things from his past as well. But that was also left for tomorrow.

Author's Notes: Yoo! I'm so deeply sorry for not updating for like a week or two. It's been hard for me to find the motivation to write and this chapter was especially hard to figure out for me. Luckily, I managed to get it finished! Thanks so much for your patience!