The episode started with snow falling, and All Might's voice said 'My origin'.

Even with everything that had been going on, the students (and even the teachers) couldn't help leaning in with curiosity. So little was known about All Might before he actually became All Might. Those in this room knew more than most people did, and they still felt like they didn't know much.

Izuku was practically vibrating in his seat. How could he not? They were about to see something about how All Might, his mentor and ultimate favorite hero, became the symbol he was today! Not only was this another childhood dream come true, this could possibly give him insight into One for All!

Yagi found himself smiling a little, which was a surprise to him. He didn't think he'd be doing any genuine smiling until he saw himself finally take down All for One, and make him pay for the things he'd said and done to his own mentor. But, as usual, seeing his own protege happy had a soothing affect on his soul.

A young Yagi was talking to Nana Shimura about how he wanted to make a world where people could smile and live together. He wanted to be a hero that could be a symbol, and give a pillar of support to civilians. Nana asked if that's why he wanted to be a hero, even though he was quirkless, and he said yes. She chuckled, and said he was funny and crazy.

Yagi's chest tightened in a way that had nothing to do with his singular lung. His hand came to rest over his aching heart as he drank in the sight of his mentor. He had some pictures of her, of course, but those couldn't hold a candle to this. This was even more lifelike than home videos; it was like the images, movement, and feelings were taken straight out of his memory. Which he supposed was entirely possible given the power Truth had displayed.

"Funny and crazy huh?" Recovery Girl mused "Gran Torino keeps saying Midoriya is like you, but if that's how she liked her proteges, then I think you're also like her."

Yagi let out a wet laugh. "Yes, I suppose we were similar in that way." he patted Midoriya on the head, making the boy look up at him in surprise. "I think she would have liked you, my boy."

Midoriya beamed up at him, overjoyed by such high praise.

The sweet moment couldn't last though, as the scene then changed to smoking rubble and evacuating civilians. Momo and Todoroki were among them, and the latter was on the phone asking if Midoriya was alright. He confirmed that they all were.

The teachers, especially Aizawa, felt like he could finally breathe now that the students seemed to be fully out of harms way.

Bakugo started going on about how they hadn't rescued him, he'd just gone with them because it seemed like the best option.

Jirou snorted. "Sure Bakugo, whatever helps you sleep better at night."

"Shut up." Bakugo growled, though it didn't hold much heat.

Bakugo muttered that he didn't want to get in All Might's way. Internally, Midoriya agreed that that's what would have happened, and that grabbing Bakugo like that was the best they could do in that situation. He watched some helicopters fly by, and asked himself if they did the right thing.

"Yes, you absolutely did." Aizawa confirmed. "As I told you all earlier, your response to such a drastic change in circumstances was commendable. You didn't panic and draw attention to yourselves, and you found a way to get yourselves and Bakugo out with minimal risk. You all did very well." Yagi nodded along as he spoke.

"I agree with young Aizawa. While you've all grown tremendously since the start of the year, and your rescue of young Bakugo was admirable, you are not at the level where you can contribute to a fight like this. I can fight much better with the knowledge you are all safe."

An old, instinctual part of Bakugo wanted to protest the roundabout slight on his abilities, but he kept quiet. Both he and his on screen self knew that he would just get in All Might's way in that fight. Even a seasoned pro like Gran Torino had already been beaten up.

Back at the main fight, AfO taunted that All Might really was like the previous OfA holder. A memory of Nana was shown, telling him how his power was different since he was not born with it, and earned it instead.

Some noticed how similar those words were to ones that All Might had said to Midoriya before he handed over One for All, and wondered just how much of the Symbol of Peace's wisdom truly came from Shimura Nana.

All Might growled at AfO not to sully his mentor's name, but the man continued to mock her, saying she had no skill and calling her an embarrassment to OfA. All Might had enough and yelled and moved to hit him again. AfO suddenly activated a quirk that sent All Might flying.

Yagi grit his teeth, both in pain and frustration. That had just been what AfO wanted wasn't it? He'd wanted to make Yagi lash out, and that somehow gave him an opening. All his talk of finishing things and he still played right into that bastard's hand...

"Try not to feel too bad about All for One getting under you skin. He's had lots of time to practice doing exactly that after all." Nedzu advised.

All Might was flying right at a news helicopter, and almost hit it before Gran managed to snatch him out of the way. AfO said he was in the way while struggling to get up.

Aizawa grumbled about reporters getting in the way while several others let out sighs of relief.

"Hey, at least the bad guy is having a hard time getting up too. That's gotta count for something." Sato said.

"I certainly hope so." Mic said.

Gran scolded All Might for letting his emotions get to him, and told him not to repeat his mistake of six years ago. Gran told All Might not to exchange words with him, and commented that AfO's fighting style seemed much different compared to last time.

"I wonder if he was forced to change it due to the damage caused in that last fight. He might not be able to see fully anymore, so that could change things a lot..." Midoriya's muttering gave Yagi something to focus on, which help clear his mind a little. Gran Torino was right. He wouldn't win if he kept making the same mistakes over and over. If All for One could change up his fighting, then so could he.

Gran told All Might he'd have to be tricky and push himself past his limits to win this. All Might's eyes blazed with determination. The reporters in the helicopter described how half of Kamino ward had already been taken out, and all done while All Might was only fighting a single villain. Nedzu, Aizawa, and Vlad were all shown watching the events unfold on TV.

"We can't let this happen once we get back." Aizawa said quietly. Even with the evacuation going on, with how much destruction there was, he had no doubt that there were already casualties. How many more would there be by the end of this?

"We won't." Mic said, laying a hand on his shoulder. Aizawa wasn't sure if that was meant to give reassurance to himself, or to Yamada.

"With all the information we've gathered already, I'm certain we can find a way to avoid this level of bloodshed." Nedzu agreed. His other self probably thought their plan would avoid this too, but that Nedzu didn't have nearly as much intel as himself and the other teachers now did.

"I will do everything in my power to make it so." All Might said.

Civilians and 1A students were shown watching the fight with various levels of worry or horror. Civilian voices were heard expressing worry about the situation, but still saying that surely the heroes would win in the end. Some didn't even sound concerned at all.

"How can they be so calm after seeing that?" Uraraka wondered.

"They don't know the kind of things we do about this villain, and some probably live far away from Kamino and don't think they have to worry about it." Tsuyu reasoned. Iida nodded.

"And their trust in All Might is surely absolute."

Aoyama watched nervously. He and his mother had been shown among those watching. Were the two of them secretly hoping that this would be the end of it? That All for One would be defeated and they could be free to live their lives without his shadow hanging over them? He knew what his other self must be thinking while watching this. How it was all his fault, how this might not have happened if he hadn't given the League information. What would he do if there were casualties from this? How could he face any of his classmates or teachers ever again?

All for One mused about whether or not it would be okay for himself to deal the final blow after Shigaraki put so much work into chipping away at the public's faith in heroes. Then he said that he hated All Might the same way that All Might hated him. He took All Might's mentor away, but All Might also took things away from him. That's why he wanted to make his death gruesome!

"Oh yeah, sure, killing someone he loves is totally the same thing as destroying part of your evil business." Hagakure's words dripped with sarcasm.

"Well, All Might did blast his face off, and since the only person he actually loves is himself then he probably does consider that the same thing." Ashido said.

AfO geared up for another shot, and Gran and All Might prepared to dodge, until AfO pointed out there was a civilian trapped in the rubble behind All Might. Gran tried to get to her, but wasn't fast enough. All Might was forced to stand there and take the hit to protect her.

Izuku saw what was coming, and quickly shoved a rolled up towel between his mentor's teeth. All Might let him, then his body jerked as pain washed over him. Blood filled his mouth, despite him not biting his tongue, and he couldn't hold back a cry of pain. His skeletal hands clenched, and he was surprised they closed around something. He was less surprised when that turned out to be the hands of Midoriya and Iida.

When the dust settled, All Might could be seen in his skeletal form. He'd used too much power to keep up his muscled appearance. AfO taunted him with how the world would see how he truly was now. Indeed, crowds of people where shown looking at the image with shock and confusion.

All Might released his hold on his students' hands, while giving them a shaky 'thank you', and took the towel out of his mouth. It was blood-soaked now, and wouldn't do him any good. Recovery Girl was already walking over with more in hand, and he was struck by how grateful he was to have all these people in his life.

He wondered if they would be enough for his other self to survive this, both the fight and the public reveal of his true self. A part of him was prepared to die fighting All for One ever since Mirai's vision, but he wasn't sure if he was prepared for whatever blowback might come from his secret being revealed to the public at large. He took the towels from Recovery Girl and thanked her. Maybe his other self wouldn't be prepared for that, but with help from those around him, he thought he could navigate it.

All for One mocked All Might's sunken cheeks and eyes.

"You don't even have a face!" Ashido griped.

"I guess he figures that fits for a villain." Sero said.

"Maybe, but my point still stands."

All Might declared that even if his body withered away, his heart would still house the Symbol of Peace, and that's something he couldn't steal away! AfO said he'd forgotten how stubborn All Might was, then asked if his heart wouldn't be daunted by this: Then he revealed that Shigaraki is Shimura Nana's grandson.

All Might's eyes lost their fierce fire. He looked devastated.

While a few in the audience had figured out that Shimura Nana and Shigaraki were related due to the similar names, Todoroki being among that number of course, for most this was the first time everyone knew. It was the first time all those in the room fully realized what that flashback to Shigaraki's childhood really meant.

"What the-?!"

"How did he end up with All for One?!"

"You bastard! Family should be off limits!"

"Yeah! If you're gonna have a nemesis then you should fight them head on!"

"What did he do to him?"

"Why? Just...why?!"

If he'd just heard this on it's own, Yagi might think All for One was just trying to mess with him by lying about the boy's origins. But having seen the flashback, having heard Shigaraki's original name, he knew it to be true.

He also didn't want to think about it anymore.

This may be his other self's first time hearing it, but he himself had figured it out the first time he heard the name 'Shimura Tenko'. He hadn't gotten past the revelation by any means, and he still didn't quite know what to do about it, but all of that could wait until after they were done watching this fight. It could wait until after he saw whether or not Mirai's vision was about to come true.

A hand touched his arm, and he looked over to see young Midoriya staring at him with worry. He managed a smile, and patted Midoriya's hand to reassure him. He wouldn't let this destroy him, not here, and hopefully not there.

All for One said he'd thought of what would hurt All Might most, and purposefully made opportunities for the two to meet, for All Might to beat Shigaraki without realizing the truth. All Might accused him of lying, and AfO said that it was true and asked All Might where his smile was.

"He...he set up those earlier fights, the USJ, just for that?!" Uraraka demanded.

"What an absolute asshole!" Jirou yelled.

"That faceless bastard!" Bakugo growled. He didn't give two figs about Shigaraki's origin, but the villain had no right to make All Might look like that!

"I highly doubt that was the only reason he set up those events, but I imagine he viewed it as an excellent bonus." Nedzu said acerbically. 'He probably knew his opponent wouldn't be 'truly' defeated unless he did something to break his spirit as well as his body. This villain thinks very far ahead.'

Another memory of Nana was shown, one of her saying that a true hero saved hearts as well as lives. She said no matter how scared you were, you should smile to show others that you're okay. In real life, All Might's hands shook and he still wasn't smiling.

"It's okay to not be okay." Recovery Girl told him softly. She had stayed close by after delivering the towels.

"Maybe when cameras aren't focused on you." All Might replied just as softly. 'I'm sorry Nana. I don't know how this happened, but I'm so sorry.'

AfO said he was having fun, and that maybe he'd managed to steal a piece of that heart after all. All Might let out a scream as the weight of the revelation hit him.

The students felt their hearts breaking. They wanted to do something, anything, that could help, but had no idea what to do or say. But then someone else gave them an idea.

"Don't...lose..." A shaky voice said from the rubble. The trapped woman called for help. Then other civilians were shown watching the events on TV. They were scared, rattled, but they still had faith. All Might was still All Might, and they started cheering for him, telling him he could do it. Together, Midoriya and Bakugo shouted for All Might to win.

"He only gets to steal a part of you if you let him." Midoriya said fiercely.

"And you won't let him." Bakugo said with absolute conviction.

Others were quick to join them.

"Yeah!"

"You can still do it All Might!"

"We believe in you!"

"You can win!"

"You're still our Symbol no matter what!"

All Might felt his chest lose it's tightness as he was heartened by the faith being shown in him, both by his students and those he had always worked to save. A smile made its way to his face, not as bright as his usual one, but all the more genuine.

All Might said 'of course miss'. Then started to power up one arm. He told AfO he was right when he said heroes had a lot to protect, that's why he couldn't lose.

Aizawa hadn't thought the cheers could get any louder, but was proven wrong when All Might's words made them swell. Hizashi finally joining in probably had something to do with it. He'd be annoyed if the whole thing wasn't so gosh darned heartwarming. He himself was grinning behind his capture weapon.

Nedzu smiled. 'It is truly amazing, the inspiration a single voice can spark.'

The scene changed. Snow fell in darkness that was lit up by a single flame. The image and voice of Shimura Nana came once again, telling All Might that, when he was in his darkest moment, he should remember his origin. He told himself that he would make a world where everyone could smile and live together.

The audience was on the edge of their seats waiting to see what would happen next.

The world they knew wasn't one that was totally at peace. Villains still attacked, people still suffered, but they all felt All Might had made things better. Crime rates had gone down because of him, and he had inspired the students of 1A and countless other children. There was still a lot of work to do, but he had done a lot of work to get things closer to the ideal, and they hoped he could do it again by taking All for One down once and for all.

Gran Torino watched the pair, and noted how only one of All Might's arms was muscled up. AfO also pointed out that All Might must have just used the last of his power.

Midoriya couldn't help but be reminded of his own early uses of OfA. He double checked to make sure All Might had a towel to bite on, and leaned in closer to him. He hoped All Might wouldn't get as badly hurt as he himself did when he used OfA like that.

"Maybe he is at his limit, but he's from UA, and we're all about Plus Ultra!" Present Mic declared.

AfO said he still sometimes had dreams of All Might coming after him with his guts strewn about.

Some students shuddered at the mental image that created, while others were just impressed that All Might had kept fighting while in such a state.

All Might actually felt a bit of vindictive pleasure at that admission. Assuming it was true, it would be fitting for his nemesis to have nightmares, since he had plenty of his own about that fight.

AfO reeled up for another attack, but was cut off by a wall of flame. Endeavor stomped on screen, yelling about All Might's form. Edgeshot showed up right on his heels.

A cheer went up at the arrival of the heroes. It wasn't as loud as the one they gave for All Might just a little bit ago, but it still held plenty of joy and relief.

"Never thought I'd be this happy to see Endeavor!" Hagakure noted cheerfully.

"Same here." Todoroki admitted. At this point he didn't care how much credit or praise his father may or may not get for being involved. As long as the man actually helped get All for One taken care of, that's all that would matter.

Edgeshot thought about how the Detective had sent them on once the Noumu's were taken care of. AfO said he didn't think the Noumus would be defeated this quickly, but that it made sense given how Endeavor climbed to the number 2 spot.

"He really does know everyone's weak spots doesn't he?" Aoyama said. Ashido looked at him, confused by how sad he sounded. She had expected more fear or anger.

Endeavor's mind flashed back to a younger version of himself, staring at All Might's back. He thought about how the harder the worked the more he realized how much of a distance there was between them, and how it made him despair. Images of his wife and Shouto were shown briefly, then he yelled at All Might for that same back now looking so pitiful.

Kaminari scratched his head and frowned in confusion. "So...he's mad because he kept using All Might as a goal post, and now he found out that even when All Might was losing power that he couldn't compete with him? Is that it?"

"Kinda sounds that way, not sure why Todoroki and his mom were there though." Sero said.

"Perhaps he was thinking about what he sacrificed in the name of a goal that now appears so 'pathetic'." Tokoyami theorized.

"The only thing Endeavor has seen is All Might's other form, so it's hard to tell what he's thinking, since he doesn't have any of the context we do." Tsuyu pointed out. "Still, I hope he doesn't get so distracted by it that he can't fight properly. There are bigger problems to deal with right now."

"I've never known my father to ignore a villain when he was in a position to capture them, so hopefully he won't start now." Todoroki said. He glanced at Tokoyami. 'Could he be right? Does he have any regrets about what he did to me or Mom, or is he just regretting putting so much work into reaching that 'pathetic' back?'

Midoriya and Bakugo didn't say anything, but both of them noticed how the young version of Endeavor stared at All Might. It looked pretty similar to how they themselves tended to look at the number one pro hero.

Ingrained insecurities grated on Bakugo's nerves. He'd wanted nothing more than to be the number one hero since he was little, and also measured himself against All Might, and had felt about the same way as Endeavor when he first realized the true state of All Might and his power. Because what was he if he wasn't always striving to be the best?

But that was before he saw how far All Might still pushed himself, saw how much he did with a power and body that were starting to fail him. That was before All Might himself told him that 'failure' didn't always mean 'weakness', which caused him to start looking at his goals in a different way.

Midoriya's mind whirled at the implications of that brief look into how Endeavor saw things. Did his 'competition' with All Might stem from a twisted sort of admiration? Did it matter if it did? Why did he think about his wife and son just then?

AfO warned the heroes to stay out of it and started to ready another attack, but Edgeshot intervened. He distracted AfO while Kamui Woods and Tiger worked to get the fallen pros and civilians out of the way. The heroes encouraged All Might and told him to take down the evil villain while they took care of the rest. Even Endeavor was somewhat encouraging, telling All Might to live up to his title while he joined Edgeshot.

A rueful smile spread across Yagi's face. He always thought of All for One's defeat as his responsibility alone, with the exception of Gran Torino since he and Nana had been close. Now here he was, facing down his nemesis, and the thing that was saving people and keeping his own fight from going completely downhill was the support of other heroes. He'd been told many times now that he shouldn't take things on alone now, and had tried to tell young Midoriya the same, despite not fully accepting it himself. Perhaps, if their assistance gave him the opportunity he needed to end things with All for One, then maybe he could finally accept that he didn't have to stand alone.

It was a late realization, probably too late to do himself much good, but maybe it wouldn't be too late for him to pass that viewpoint onto young Midoriya.

Gran Torino was shown remembering a conversation he had with Shimura Nana. She told him about Yagi's idea to become someone the citizens could truly rely on, a pillar. Back in the present, Gran Torino looked at All Might and thought about how he was a pillar that could not be allowed to break. He wondered if All Might could hear how people were cheering him on, despite AfO forcing All Might to show his true form. 1A students and citizens were shown while Gran Torino spoke.

Kaminari had watched the flashback of Gran Torino's with surprise. "Gran Torino's hair was gray all the way back then? How old is this guy?"

Sero shrugged. "I dunno. Probably at least as hold as Recovery Girl right?"

"Well how old is she?"

"I don't know, I don't even know how old All Might is!"

Before Kaminari could reply, Jirou reached over and flicked his ear, which made him let out a startled 'yip!'.

"Pay attention, you guys can talk about dumb stuff during the break."

When the cheering students and citizens were shown on screen, the students in the audience joined them in cheering on All Might. They weren't as desperate as the ones on screen, of course, but they were just as genuine. They too had faith in All Might and the other heroes to find a way out of this and protect everyone.

Yagi didn't know if he could ever put what he was feeling into words. Ever since his last battle with All for One, a part of him had feared that if his peers and the citizens ever saw how much weaker he was becoming that they would lose faith in him. But now they had seen what he looked like while running on fumes, and they were still watching him and cheering for him. They had seen him vulnerable, and still trusted him to save them. He didn't know how this fight would end yet, or if that ending would shake their faith in him. But if they could still cheer him on now, then he still had hope.

AfO scoffed and sent out a wind blast that sent debris and heroes flying, though All Might stood his ground. AfO said they needed to stop talking about emotions and start talking about reality. He rattled of quirks as his arm bulged with power and strength. People looked scared as they watched. AfO said that the previous attacks were only meant to wear him down, not kill him.

Yagi scowled in anger and grit his teeth against the pain. He felt the debris pelt his body as it flew by, but bore it, using his hatred to distract and fuel him. How dare this villain make his students and citizens cry and fear, how dare he use his power to take their smiles away!

Midoriya's mind whirled. All for One had piled quirks up earlier in the fight, but not nearly so many! How many could he use at once? Did he even have a cap? How did he keep them all straight in his mind? Was that a part of his quirk? How could they possibly beat someone who could do that?!

Some were now looking on fearfully while others stared in grim determination. Was All for One telling the truth, had he been holding back? Or was he just bluffing to take away his opponents morale?

AfO declared that he would kill All Might with the ultimate combination of quirks!

When the dust settled, and All for One's arm was revealed, the room filled with gasps and exclamations of shock. There was also a couple expletives, courtesty of Bakugo, and it sounded like a few people were gagging.

"What the...how can he even move his arm like that?!" Uraraka asked shrilly.

"I don't know...I even...I lost count of how many quirks he named..." Momo stuttered.

"That looks like it should hurt him too..." Shoji noted. He flexed one of his own arms, wondering how it would feel to have one of them look like that.

"Maybe he has a pain nullying quirk hidden in there." Mineta said faintly.

AfO revealed that he was now certain that All Might was only using the leftovers of OfA, meaning he'd passed it on, and that his own ability to use it grew weaker with every use. He rushed at All Might, shouting about how he knew it was Midoriya that now had OfA, and how that boy had come there uninvited. All Might's eyes widened at the revelation, but he still held his ground. AfO declared that All Might could die regretting what a failure he was as a teacher too.

Midoriya's breath caught in his chest. Not because All for One had revealed he knew who it was who now had One for All, he figured the villain had already figured that out, though the gasps he heard suggested not everyone else had. What made him short of breath was All Might looking off balance from it, and the words about the remains of One for All.

"No, no you aren't! You won't-" He took in a strangled breath. All Might couldn't fall here. Not because of him, not because he'd passed One for All onto him and was now worried about him!

He startled when a hand landed on his shoulder. It was All Might's.

"Breathe, young Midoriya. I'm right here, and not going anywhere, no matter what timeline we are in."

Midoriya forced himself to do just that. All Might shouldn't be comforting him when his other self was in such a big fight; he needed to be stronger for his mentor! Even now he could feel All Might's body trembling, likely from the pain that came with his injuries and half muscled form. Realizing the fists were about to meet, Midoriya hurriedly insisted All Might bite down on another towel.

All Might was indeed in pain from pushing himself further and further with the last bits of One for All. But the thing at the front of his mind was making sure Midoriya was okay, and promising himself that he'd try to keep the boy more concealed in their own timeline. Assuming that was possible, given his display at the USJ.

The fist of the villain and hero met. A blue light swirled around the impact before dust and debris exploded up around them. AfO's nullified part of the impact, allowing him to shove All Might back. All Might's arm bulked up, but the muscles broke and spurted blood.

Yagi let out a muffled cry, and his body jerked as agony raced through his arm and down his back. Midoriya and his friends rushed to lay him out on the ground, just like they'd done for Midoriya himself so many times before. His body continued to spasm in pain as his students looked down on him helplessly.

All Might thought to himself that he should have reprimanded Midoriya. In fact, he needed to reprimand him! A determined light was suddenly rekindled in All Might's eyes.

The audience gaped at the screen, in awe of how All Might endured, and in giddy surprise over his revealed motivation.

'I...I'm not messing him up? He's holding on because of me? Because he wants to be a good teacher to me?' Izuku thought incredulously. Tears spilled down his face as he grabbed All Might's hand and held it as tightly as he dared. 'He can scold me however he wants, as long as he makes it out of this alive. I'll accept it, no matter how harsh it is, if he can make it back to us!'

AfO suddenly realized what was happening, that he'd miscalculated. All Might had found the motivation to keep sheltering the last embers of OfA. He pressed even harder, but All Might bulked up even more, despite the blood and pain it caused him. All Might flashed back to Nana one more time, then cried out that that he couldn't die before he finished training Midoriya! He shot forward and landed a blow right to AfO's head!

Several people shot out of their seats, as if that would somehow afford them a better view of what was happening. No one said anything just yet, the battle had had too many twists and turns for them to feel safe thinking that would be the end of it, but they watched with baited breath and eyes wide with desperate hope. (Plus, the more they watched, the sooner things would end, and their All Might would be without pain, one way or another).

Yagi bit back his scream as much as he could, not wanting to cause young Midoriya anymore distress, but of course the boy still heard it. How could he not while he was hovering over him? He tried to squeeze his hand, to reassure the boy, but found his hand getting the extra squeeze instead. He focused on young Midoriya's face and found that, though his tears still fell like a waterfall, the boy was smiling at him.

"It's okay, I'm here."

The words were soft and wobbly, and All Might felt so incredibly proud of his boy.

Gran Torino was still watching, and realized that All Might had taken his advice and gone for the sneaky hit, by quickly transferring power from one arm to the other. AfO tried to scold him for the choice, and All Might quipped that he was only now really putting his back into it. His arm was mottled and broken, but suddenly the lights associated with the past OfA users appeared. He remembers Nana's words as she passed the power onto him, and his limbs powered up again despite his injuries.

All Might shrieked in pain, no longer able to hold anything back, his hand gripping Izuku's like a lifeline. Numerous voices joined him in a worldless cry of raw emotion, hope and determination and desperation all mixing together. Others could only stare, too overwhelmed to make single sound.

He thought 'Goodbye All for One' as he shot forward with everything he had and pummeled AfO's face into the ground! 'Goodbye, One for All.'

Izuku's breath hitched. Did that mean...was that it? Did the last few sparks of One for All leave him? He...he didn't know how to feel about that yet, and he wouldn't know until he knew All Might's fate, and All for One's.

'It has to have been enough. Please! Let it be enough!'

Everyone stared at their TV screens in absolute silence, the entire world seeming to hinge on the settling dust. Then, AfO was shown, laying still and motionless, with All Might crouched over him. Slowly, ever so slowly, All Might found the strength to raise his hand, and stand in his victory pose. Everyone watching exploded into cheers as the news reported his victory!

The state of things in the watch room could give the raving crowds a run for their money. People leaped out of their seats, cheering and crying in joy. Those who had already been standing danced around and let out whoops of joy.

"He did it! HE DID IT!"

"Hell yeah United States of SMASH!"

"He won!"

"Victory!"

"He made it!"

"He's gonna be okay!"

Midoriya let go of All Might's hand in favor throwing himself down to hug him. He buried his face in All Might's shoulder, no doubt getting his shirt wet with his tears. All Might's hand came to rest on his back.

"I'm here." All Might reassured him quietly.

"We're here." Midoriya corrected, tightening his grip slightly. All Might let out a breathy laugh.

"Right you are, young Midoriya."

Edgeshot and Endeavor watched with worry and incredulity, wondering if he should push himself like that. Gran Torino told them to let it be, since this was his last job as the Symbol of Peace. A continuous chant of 'All Might!' could be heard in the background.

With the intense emotions going on throughout the last several minutes, the majority of those in the room hadn't fully registered it when All Might said 'goodbye' to OfA. They were still riding the high of All Might's victory now, just like the crowd on screen, but Gran Torino's words made the other realities of this fight start to slowly sink in.

"His...his last job?" Koda asked softly, hardly daring to put the thought out in the open.

"Every fire must eventually die out, even one that burned as brightly as All Might." Tokoyami said solemnly.

"Yeesh, you make it sound like he died." Sato scolded.

"Yeah, it's not like that. One for All is a torch, remember?" Shoji prompted. Tokoyami realized what Shoji meant, and his eyes fell on Midoriya.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot that One for All is not a power to be hoarded, but to be passed on."

Koda followed Tokoyami's gaze, and relaxed. The idea that All Might wouldn't be able to use any of One for All still made him sad, but with Midoriya carrying its full power he didn't feel worried.

The crowds cheering were shown. The two exceptions to this were Bakugo, who looked at the screen solemnly, and Midoriya, who watched with tears in his eyes. A short time skip later, and rescue efforts were shown onscreen. Uwabami was shown using her snakes to locate survivors while a reporter commented on the events. Numerous other pros were shown, and the reporter said there was likely to be a large amount of casualties.

This was the thing that finally sobered the mood in the room. The fight may have been over, and the lead villain may have been arrested, but that didn't change the fact that there was a lot of work left to do and a lot of people had been hurt.

The students weren't unfamiliar with this part of hero work exactly, news channels showed the aftermath of fights just as much as the action, but this was the first time they'd seen devastation on this level. Not to mention this was the first time they'd known so many people involved in the conflict. So it all felt a lot more real than any news clips they'd seen before, or clean up jobs they'd passed by in their everyday life.

Aoyama felt like he was going to be sick. A part of him desperately needed to know precisely how many casualties there were, and a part of him wanted to stick his fingers in his ears and hum to make sure he didn't find out.

The reporter noticed AfO being put in the iron maiden and focused on the scene. When All Might saw the camera, he coughed up a bit of blood, then pointed at the camera without looking at it. The reporter looked confused.

"Good lord Yagi what are you still doing there?! You should be getting medical treatment, not hanging around on sight!" Recovery Girl scolded. She waited for a response, but didn't get one. She looked to the side and saw that Yagi was holding himself very stiffly, and his eyes were a bit glazed over. Midoriya had helped him sit up during the breaks between scenes, and it looked like the man might be regretting it now.

"I-I'm sure he will soon." Midoriya reasoned.

"If it were me, I would not be able to rest at all until I knew for certain that the villain I'd been fighting had been safely put away. Now that that's being done, I'm sure he will get treatment!" Iida agreed.

The part of Yagi's brain that wasn't focused on keeping in any sign of pain thought that his continued presence was likely meant to be a reassurance to others as well, but didn't say that. Both because he couldn't spare the mental power and because he was pretty sure she wouldn't like that answer.

"What's up with the pointing?" Hagakure wondered. Ashido shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe he's telling her to stay there? If a reporter went and messed up AfO finally getting sent to jail I'm don't think I'd be able to handle it."

Back in the crowds away from the scene, Kirishima and the other 1A kids decided to get a move on and tell the other heroes about Bakugo no longer being a hostage. Just as they started to leave, All Might said 'Next' on TV. Midoriya turned around to look. All Might said 'Next, it's your turn.'.

The crowd went wild once again. Midoriya's voice said that, to most anyone else, the words would seem like a warning for other criminals. But Midoriya knew it to mean something else 'I've used up everything I have in me'. Tears spilled down his face, and Bakugo watched as he tried to wipe them away.

Things were quiet for a minute, as both students and teachers alike were subconsciously averse to breaking the solemn silence.

"So...that means that All Might really doesn't have anything left of One for All?" Tsuyu asked. "And he said that to let Midoriya know?"

"That would seem to be the case." All Might said. His body was sagging in relief now that the episode was over.

"But, but, that can't be the end! How are we supposed to go on without the Symbol of Peace? The League is still out there!" Mineta fretted. He wasn't the only one freaking out, many faces around the room were painted with shock or anxiety. As always though, All Might was quick to assuage their fears.

"Like I said to All for One, as long as I still have my heart, even if my strength is gone. My time as the holder of One for All maybe be up, but that does not mean hope is lost." All Might gave Midoriya a soft smile. The boy fidgeted nervously.

"All Might...I'm not ready."

"Don't worry, I don't plan on transferring everything over right away once we get back. With this knowledge I'm hoping we can manage a more gradual transition. But even then, this will happen some day. But even if we don't, even if something like this happens in our timeline as well, I have full confidence that you will be able to shoulder this responsibility."

"But I don't think my other self is ready either!"

All Might laughed. "You think I was ready the moment I received the full force of One for All? Because I can assure you that I was not. Part of the reason I ran off to America for a while after I graduated was to spend some time making sure that I was ready before coming back to face down All for One. I had good friends there who helped me do that, and with all the friends you have here, I think you'll manage just fine."

Yagi smiled at him, and Izuku felt the warmth of it build in his chest. He looked at his mentor, than at his friends, then his classmates and the teachers standing behind them. He smiled right back at All Might.

With all of them on his side, the idea of bearing the full weight of One for All didn't seem quite as impossible as it did before.


"Do you think All Might was actually able to hear the crowds cheering and stuff?" Kirishima asked. Kaminari looked up from his food.

"Um, I don't know. I didn't even think about that, but they were pretty loud, so probably?"

"I'm not so sure. I mean, things were pretty destroyed all around them, so the crowds must have been a ways off. Even if All Might could hear them, he probably couldn't tell what they were saying." Ojiro pointed out.

"Why'd you ask? You look like you're thinking about something." Jirou said.

"Well, I just realized that if All Might couldn't hear the crowds we saw, then that means his whole second wind came about because that one civilian asked him for help. Which is pretty badass." Kirishima explained.

"Oh dang, you're right! He bulked up like that at first just to save one person, despite using up so much power, and then kept going because of thoughts about Midoriya and stuff. That is super badass!" Kaminari agreed. Ojiro nodded vigorously.

"It really is amazing how much influence one voice can have in the right time and place."

"Or with the right people. It's a very All Might thing to do, you know? Tearing a villain down, despite what it cost him, just to make sure at least one more person was saved." Jirou said.

Any remaining anxieties they had were put at ease, at least for now. Because if one voice can inspire the greatest hero, then surely Midoriya and the rest of the class would be able to inspire others too, and handle whatever came next.


Two blonde boys watched the room that All Might had been bustled into by Recovery Girl. The other teachers had followed not long after, probably to discuss something important, but neither of them were thinking about that. They were both thinking about the role they had played in what had just happened. They were both thinking the fact that All Might could no longer function as an active Symbol of Peace in that other future, and how it was at least partly their own fault.

Bakugo and Aoyama didn't notice each other as they stared at the door from different parts of the room. So they had no idea how much their thoughts were mirroring each other, or how they were both thinking that they needed to do something about this.


Recovery Girl let the other teachers stay and talk to Yagi while she gave him a quick check up. They talked about how best to transition into All Might's retirement in their world, where they would presumably get more time to do it. How All Might could make appearances hinting at his retirement for a while before it happened, and how he could endorse various active pros and upcoming student heroes.

However, as soon as she was done, she insisted they all leave and let Yagi get some rest. He needed to recover after going through so much pain all in one episode, after all.

Aizawa lingered a bit longer than the others, making an opportunity to speak to All Might semi-privately.

"I know I've given you some grief about not being the best teacher. Which was ironic of me since I've come to see I have more shortcomings that I realized in that area myself. But...I wanted to say that, if a desire to keep teaching Midoriya can get you through a fight like that, then you're not such a bad teacher at all."

All Might smiled. "Thank you, Aizawa. I'll do my best to live up to your high praise."

Aizawa rolled his eyes, but did it with a smirk.


A.N.

Not gonna lie guys, I teared up a bit while writing this one.

I'm gonna take another break here and get the next arc all typed up. Sorry for having another break so soon, but I'll do my best to make good use of the time.