Legacy

It's a wonderful feeling when your father becomes not a god but a man to you — when he comes down from the mountain and you see he's this man with weaknesses. And you love him as this whole being, not as a figurehead.

-Robin Williams

"Kazumi? It's time!"

"Yes mom," Kazumi shouted, quickly grabbing his backpack with his toys, coloring books, and the portable game console from Uncle Shinso. He raced out of his room to find his mom by the door, dressed in blue jeans and a blouse waiting for him.

"You have everything?" she asked, bending down and ruffing his hair with a smile. Her hands were gentle with him, though they had plenty of scars of them from beating up bad guys. She was super tough and strong, and had a really awesome quirk.

Kazumi really wished he had a quirk, but Uncle Izuku was quirkless, and he was the world's greatest hero, so that was OK.

"Yep, I got everything," Kazumi promised. "Oh!" He ran back to his room, grabbing the flowers he'd picked for a bouquet and racing back. "Now I have everything! These are for dad, but this one's for you, mom!"

That made his mother tear up a bit, but she accepted the wild flower and tucked it behind her ear. She kept her hair short, because that was better for fighting. Kazumi kept his hair short too, but he didn't fight very much. No one wanted to mess with the Son of The Demon and the Belle. Which was too bad because Kazumi really would have enjoyed some good fights.

They piled into his mom's old car, and Kazumi took out his book while his mother tried to start it.

"Come on, come on," she muttered to herself as the car sputtered. Then it just started clicking. "Oh no."

"I think Aunty Hari was right, mom, we really do need a new car," Kazumi pointed out. "I've saved up some money, I could help you buy it."

"Mommy has plenty of money, Kazumi, you don't need to spend your own," she lectured. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number on it.

"Hey, it's Ochako. Yeah, you were right. She won't start. Can I get a ride? Great, we'll just be waiting out front."

A few minutes later, Uncle Izuku's car pulled up. He didn't usually get to drive himself, but today was a special day, so he was actually driving the car. Aunty Mei opened the door and smiled at Kazumi and his mom.

"I told you you should just let me build you a super cute baby!" she laughed, giving mom a hug and then Kazumi. Aunty Mei gave really strong hugs, which was pretty nice most of the time.

"Kazu!" a tiny voice cried, waving frantically from the car.

"Hey, Sumi!" Kazumi said, smiling as his mom put his booster seat in the back. He jumped in and pulled out his coloring book as his mom squeezed into the other side. "Want to color with me, Sumi?"

"Ok!" Sumi agreed, happily taking the coloring book and some crayons. "Thanks, Kazu."

For his part, Kazumi peered out the window as the car pulled away, his own crayons mostly forgotten. "How long until we can see dad?"

"It's a couple hours, Kazumi," Uncle Izuku said. "Just be patient, we'll be there before you know it."

Kazumi nodded, still looking to see where the mountains were. "Will all the other kids be there?"

"Everyone should be there, your Uncle Togata is back from the United States just for today."

"Ok," Kazumi said, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Lookit!" Sumi said, holding up her paper with scribbles on it. "Kazu and me!"

Sumiye was little, only two years old. Kazumi, on the other hand, was a big boy. He had already started Kindergarten, and was five and a half. He was the oldest kid out of all his mom's friends kids, except for Eri and her brothers, who were in middle school and highschool so they didn't count. He was even older than his best friend Katsuki Togata, who was named after Kazumi's dad, but Katsuki was only five and not five and a half, but they were in the same class together.

His mom talked with her friends, mostly about things that were happening now. What bad guys his mom had beat up, about Aunty Mei's trip to the moon, which was really cool, and about all the boring adult stuff they usually did. He played with Sumi, sharing some of his toys and playing games with her. He wished his mom would talk more about his dad, but he could tell that she was already a little sad today and didn't bring it up.

At last, they arrived up in the mountains, and Kazumi and Sumi burst out of the car to run around the memorial grounds. It was a large, grassy area, with statues and monuments that you were not supposed to climb on. But Kazumi knew exactly which one he wanted to go see.

He ran all the way up the hill, Sumi toddling after him, to where his dad was. He took the flowers out of his backpack, now slightly wilted and battered, and carefully placed them on the marker. He looked up, smiling at his dad's statue.

His dad was big, though mom said that he wasn't quite that big when he was still alive. He was smiling, a hand raised in triumph to the sky, another clenched in his fist, as if ready to deliver a blow.

"Do you know what it says, Sumi?" Kazumi asked, pointing to the statue's base, where a plaque lay.

"Um, yes," Sumi said. She walked over to it and pointed. "Uncle Katsuki. Like little Katsuki!"

"Kinda," Kazumi said, walking over and taking Sumi's hand. "It says, 'Here lies the Demon of Battle, Katsuki Bakugo, who stood, One For All, against All For One, and triumphed, giving his life so that others could live.' And then it says, 'John 15:13.' That's from the Bible, you know, like at Aunty Shiozaki's church?"

"Yes," Sumi agreed. "Church! Sing songs!"

"Yeah," Kazuki said, sighing. He looked up at his dad wistfully, reaching out a hand. "I wish I could see him."

His hand touched the metal, and something changed.

"Hey. You uh, you look good, kid."

Kazumi looked about, confused. He was still standing on a grassy hill, but it was different somehow. Sumi was gone, and so was the statue. He turned around and saw an older boy with spiky blonde hair, dressed in a weird school uniform. He looked like he was the same age as Komaru, so in highschool at least.

"Who are you?" Kazumi asked, frowning. He felt like he knew this boy, that he'd heard that voice before.

The boy knelt, giving Kazumi an odd half smile. "I'm your old man, kid. Sorry it took so long, but, well, kinda had to wait a few years. Still gotta be careful."

Tears welled up in Kazumi's eyes, and he felt his throat swell up. "Dad?"

"Yeah," his dad said, reaching out to pull Kazumi into a hug. "It's me, kid. You look...damn. You look good."

Kazumi wept, holding on to his father tightly. "Why aren't you here like everyone else's dads? I know you had to fight the bad guys, but I miss you. I never got to know you."

"Sorry. It was the only way," his dad said, smiling and wiping at Kazumi's tears. He was crying too. That was strange. Everyone said the Demon of Battle was tough, but he just seemed...normal. And he wasn't as old as Kazumi had thought. He looked younger than mom too.

"Damn. You don't know what I'd do to be able to be there with you, kid, and your mom. Ochako...I wish I'd married her, or something. I don't know. How's she doing? I can't really see much, what with us keeping your quirks quiet and all."

"She misses you. Everyone does," Kazumi hiccuped. "That's why we're here today. It's the day before the Victory Day celebration. All of mom's friends from 1A, they all get together and we have a picnic and remember you, and Uncle Iida, and Uncle Koda, and Uncle Aoyama, and Aunty Tsu, and everyone else that died."

"Huh. Well, tell them not to be boring. And no crying! They shouldn't miss me too much, dammit! I mean, I got into heaven. Somehow. Guess it really didn't matter what I did, just that I accepted that He did it for me. But whatever."

"This is heaven?" Kazumi asked, looking around at the endless rolling hills of grass and the bright blue sky.

"Huh? Oh, no. See, I'm sorta not there. I mean, heaven's pretty damn awesome. Did you know they let you fight demons? Real ones, not me. It's pretty kicka-butt. But anyway, no, I'm not in heaven. I'm here with you. There's some other people you'll have to meet, like All Might. You know about him?"

"Um, he was a hero a long time ago?" Kazumi guessed. "Didn't he teach you how to fight and stuff?"

"A hero?! What are the teaching you in school, kid? All Might is the GREATEST hero of all time!" his dad told him.

"No, that's you, everyone says so. Or Uncle Izuku," Kazumi said, folding his arms over his chest.

That made his dad laugh and ruffle his hair. He liked that. "Well damn, guess I'll have to tell him I got him licked now! But it's not the time for that. No, I'm here to talk to you about your quirks."

"I don't have one," Kazumi said, looking down. "They say I don't got no toe digit, but I never developed a quirk. Doctors don't know why." He looked up, raising his fists and gritting his teeth. "But I'll still be a hero, like you, dad! I'll just be one like Uncle Izuku, with no quirk!"

"Shit-aki mushrooms, kid, you got quirks, they're just too strong! You ain't ready for them all yet!" his dad explained. "No, we've been sorta keeping them back for now. Didn't want you to get hurt."

Kazumi gasped. "You mean it? I have a quirk? Can I use it? Can you show me?"

"Hold on now, just be patient," his dad said. "Look. I know you think I'm the greatest and all, but...I was sort of a bully when I was your age. And older. And, it was because, well, a lot of things but a big part was because I got a swollen head because everyone said my quirk was so awesome."

"What? No way! You're the best, dad! Everyone always says so! They say you were brave, and strong, and saved everyone all the time!" Kazumi protested.

His dad shook his head. "Yeah, no, not really. But I guess you're still young. And...you're a good kid. Ochako, your mom, she's doing a good job raising you. You tell her I said that, OK? And...and say thanks to all the others, for helping out. I wish I could be there, I really do, but I'll only be able to talk to you some of the time."

"No, you have to come back with me!" Kazumi pleaded. "You can meet mom, and all your friends, and little Sumi and all the other kids!"

"I'm sorry, kid. That ain't how this works. But...your quirks. I think it's time you started using one. Only one, mind. But I'll let you pick," his dad said.

Kazumi frowned. "But, how can I have more than one quirk? Everybody only has one?"

"Cause you're the 11th Bearer, kid. You got 'em all. Plus your mom's. So what'll it be? We got All For One, the super strength, Float, the Black Whip, Anti-gravity, mine, and-"

"Yours!" Kazumi declared immediately. "I want your quirk, dad!"

His father hesitated. "You sure, kid? I mean, it's cool and all, but...but it's what made me think I was better than everyone."

"But that's because you were the best! Mom says you were really strong, because you loved everybody and always did your best and never gave up and you saved her life a whole bunch of times and you saved everyone in all of Japan!" Kazumi said, tears coming into his eyes. "Well I want to be just like you! And be a hero who keeps everyone safe."

"Shit kid, now you're gonna make me cry," his dad said, and really did start crying

Kazumi, on the other hand, gasped in shock, covering his mouth. "You said a bad word!"

That made his dad snort. "Guess they never told you that about me, huh? I'm a bit of a potty mouth. I'm not some saint, kid. I was human, just like everyone else."

"But you're my dad, you're the best," Kazumi said, and his lip trembled as he looked up. His dad hugged him, and that felt good.

"Sorry, but I'm running out of time," his dad said, pulling back and smiling at Kazumi. "You got my quirk now, you can use it. Just be careful. It's awesome, but if you're not careful you can hurt people. Start off small. Just a few sparks, see?"

"Woah," Kazumi whispered as his dad snapped and sparks flew from his hand, along with a little smoke.

"You'll get it. Wish I could teach you more, but you're still young, ain't got a good connection to One For All just yet. It'll come. Take care, kid. I love you, Kazumi. And tell your mom I love her too. And I miss all of you, a lot."

Kazumi wailed and tried to grab his dad in another hug, but he found himself tripping and grabbing on to a bronze statue.

Gasping, he looked around. "Dad? Dad? Dad, where are you! Come back! Dad!"

"Kazumi? Kazumi! Are you OK?" his mom cried. She raced to the top of the hill as Kazumi sat down on the plinth and started to cry.

"It OK, Kazu," Sumi said, giving him a hug. He embraced her, weeping as his mother hurried up along with his aunt and uncle. The adults knelt around him, looking worried.

"He's gone!" Kazumi wailed, clutching at his mother. "Dad's gone!"

That made tears come into his mother's eyes, and she hugged him tightly. "I know, Kazu. I know. I miss him, too."

"He said he loves you," Kazumi sniffed. "And everyone."

That made his mother smile, though she was still sniffing and crying, along with Uncle Izuku. "I know. I loved him too."

"And he said a bad word," Kazumi said seriously. "Did he get in trouble for saying bad words a lot?"

"What?" his mother pulled away from Kazumi, looking baffled. "Who told you that? Was it Denki or Enjiro?"

"No, dad did. He said, um, the S word, the one that means doodoo," Kazumi explained.

"Well that certainly sounds like your father," his mother sighed. "Yes, he was a bit coarse, but I loved him for that."

"And he said I got his quirk, look!" Kazumi wriggled out of his mother's arms, then clapped his hands, which knocked him flat on his rear when there was a sharp explosion. His mother gasped in shock, his Uncle Izuku let out a cry of alarm, and Aunty Mei laughed.

"Again!" Sumi demanded, looking delighted. "More!"

"Um, ok," Kazumi said, and raised his hands, rubbing his fingers together. Sparks flew off of them, which made Sumi squeal in delight.

"More 'splosions more 'splosions!" she demanded.

"She is her mother's daughter," Uncle Izuku chuckled. "Wow, that's quite a way for a quirk to manifest, all at once like this."

"Yeah, we thought he was quirkless for sure," his mom said, sounding baffled.

"Dad says I have to wait for the rest of my quirks," Kazumi explained. "He said I am the 11th Bear, or something. Everyone says he was the 10th bear, and Uncle Togata was the 9th bear. Was All Might a bear too? Dad says he was the best hero ever but I think he's wrong."

"The 11th-wait, you talked to Katsuki? You talked to your dad?" his mother demanded, talking Kazumi by the shoulders.

Kazumi nodded seriously. "Yeah, that's what I said! Remember? He said he loves you, and me, and then he gave me his quirk. He said I can have more later. He's busy in heaven fighting demons."

"Oh my God," his mom whispered. She hugged Kazumi again, crying once more.

"It's OK mom, I bet I can talk to him later," Kazumi told her, patting her back. "I'll tell him you love him too, OK?"

"Yes, I do. Oh God, I miss him, so, so much," his mom cried.

"No daddy! More 'splosions!" Sumi wailed. Kazumi turned to see her father picking her up.

"You can bother Kazumi for more explosions later. Right now I think Aunty Ochako needs some privacy," Uncle Izuku said. He smiled down at Kazumi. "Tell your dad...he was the best of us. We all miss him, a lot."

"Hmph. Want 'splosions," Sumi pouted as they walked away.

"Don't worry, mommy will make lots of explosions!" Aunty Mei cackled. "I brought fireworks!"

"Yes! 'Splosions!" Sumi cheered.

But Kazumi and his mother sat by the statue of his father, as she told him stories he'd never heard about his dad, and he told her what he'd seen and heard.

In the future, Kazumi would gain more quirks as he aged, until he became the first true master of One For All. He too would gain the title of the World's Greatest Hero, and spend many years, working with his wife Sumiye Bakugo nee Midoriya, to build a better, brighter world, in one of the rare eras of peace for mankind. He would become the first Bearer of One For All to die peacefully of old age, having passed on his powers when he retired.