Waves crashed against the hull of the cargo ship as it made its' way through the ocean. It was carrying cargo from Japan to I-island before continuing over to USA. Unknown to the captain or the two heroes on board, they were also carrying a very special container. A green container with a small logo on its' side, depicting a blazing phoenix.

"I don't know how many more days I can take with this" Spinner complained. He was sitting in his own corner with his hands clutching his stomach. Another massive wave crashed against the hull, and for a moment Spinner turned even more green. "I really miss those portals now" He said once he was sure he could hold down the contents of his stomach.

"Well, we just have to learn to live without them now" Dabi said. He seemed much less fazed by the ocean sickness, sitting quite calmly on the bottom bed of a bunkbed bolted to the floor of the container. "It was either this or a small boat. If you think this is bad then I can promise you the other alternative would be much less forgiving ride" Dabi explained.

Spinner was about to speak up, but another wave made him stop. He quickly rushed up and into the walled of section that acted as a toilet for the passengers.

"I don't know how many more times I can handle hearing him barfing up his breakfast" Mushou said. She was laying on the top bed of another bunkbed. A wooden box was laying on top of her. Mushou had been sea sick herself for a few days, but luckily for her it had passed.

"Next time I'll make sure someone installs sound proof walls. It's getting on my nerves as well" Dabi mumbled mostly to himself.

The doors of the container then opened up, exposing the inside to the pouring rain outside. A water-soaked Todoroki stumbled into the container and quickly closed the door. "Next time, you do it" Todoroki said with a glare aimed at Dabi. The water started evaporating off his body as he started using his left side.

"You're the one with ice powers. You can handle the cold" Dabi retorted.

"And you can heat yourself up" Todoroki complained. His clothes were dry by now and he began climbing into the bed above Dabi.

"If you're going complain like children then I can take the next watch" Mushou said. "It's only 15 minutes. I've handled worse" She explained.

"Sure" Dabi responded nonchalantly.

"Anyway, do anyone of you know this Melissa?" Mushou asked.

"None of us even knew her name before that message from Deku" Todoroki replied.

"We only knew of her as the Tinkerer before that and not much else" Dabi explained. "But apparently she is vital to the contingency plans"

"Do you think she can fix my katana?" Mushou asked and glanced at the wooden laying on top of her.

"I think Melissa is more of an inventor than a blacksmith, I wouldn't count on it" Dabi replied.

"Well, she did make these throwing knives" Mushou said and began twirling one of said knives.

"What I'm wondering about is what this whole phoenix project thing is and why Melissa is so important to it" Todoroki said with a thoughtful look. "I can't remember Deku ever mentioning it and not in any contingency either"

"Deku mentioned the name once to me. Was shortly after we killed off the League. He said it was something he wanted to do, but that he lacked the technological skill to do it. But if failure leads to contingency 1-alpha, it must be really important" Dabi explained. "He never said what it was all about of course" He added with a slightly annoyed tone.

"I feel like he was that way with a lot of things" Spinner said as he came back to the main section of the container. He was looking slightly better than before.

"Yeah, he didn't talk about things unless it was necessary. The Phoenix project, his quirk, Uraraka" Todoroki said. There was a moment of silence as he mentioned the last name.

"I still can't believe he held an entire relationship secret from us. And one with a hero no less" Spinner said.

"It kind of makes sense in hindsight. I knew he was acting different, like something was on his mind" Dabi said with thoughtful look. "But I never expected him being in a relationship with some hero. Especially not one that produced a child" He added.

"I actually think him and Uraraka goes quite well together. Not what I would expect, but not illogical" Todoroki said, making the others curious.

"What do you mean?" Mushou asked.

"I mean, yes she is a hero, but I learned some things about her while I still was at UA" Todoroki replied. "She is altruistic mostly concerned with saving others. I think she wanted to focus on search and rescue if I remember correctly. If I had to guess, they saw the positive sides in each other rather than the differences" He explained.

"I don't really care for how they got together. Deku is dead and we got orders to follow. I don't want to be the one carrying out contingency 1-alpha" Dabi said, ending the conversation.


Around the same time, back in Japan, two women and a young girl was walking on a small path in a forest.

"Why did you pick this location again?" Inko asked. She wasn't in the shape she used to be in her younger days, and all the walking was starting to tire her out.

"I didn't pick it, he did" Ochako replied. "I found a note in his hand after he..." She said, but trailed of. "You know" She said with a saddened look.

Inko only gave her an understanding expression.

"Anyway, the note detailed what to do with his body. After all, what graveyard would want to bury a villain" Ochako explained

"Dad wasn't a villain. He was a hero, he saved me. He only wanted to help people" Eri said.

"You're right, but not everyone sees it the same way as you do. Ochako replied.

"They are wrong" Eri huffed out.

After that followed a moment of silence before Inko began talking. "So Izuku wanted to be buried here?" She asked

"Not exactly. He wanted to be cremated, which I managed to do by using a few contacts. He wanted some of it spread where we are going, which I did. As for the rest I could do whatever I wanted to" Ochako explained.

"So what did you do?" Inko wondered.

"I planned on having it in my apartment so that I could have him with me. But I haven't even been able to look at the urn" Ochako replied. Her voice filled with sadness and regret.

"You do what you want to do when you feel ready" Inko said and rubbed her hand comfortingly on Ochako's back.

"Maybe I should just give it to you" Ochako suggested.

"No, you keep it" Inko said, shutting down Ochako's suggestion immediately. "I'm sure Izuku would want that"

"But' you're his mother" Ochako protested. She stopped as small tears formed in her eyes.

"Every parent has to accept that their child may one day find someone who they love more" Inko said with watery eyes.

Ochako gave a small nod a smile as they began moving again.

After a while, the trio reached their destination. Inko and Eri stopping for a moment to admire the view as they emerged from the trees. The landscape seemed to open around them. They stood on a small clearing of green grass overlooking a gorgeous valley below them. The valley was filled with tall green trees and went on beyond their sight in both directions. At the bottom of the valley a clear blue river flowed, continuing until it reached a calm lake right below the clearing Inko and Eri found themselves on.

"Nice view right?" Ochako asked.

"It's so pretty" Eri said. And for the first time since Izuku died, she smiled. A small but still noticeable smile.

"Your father thought the same" Ochako said with a small smile of her own. "During our dreams we would walk to so many beautiful places and see so many stunning views. But this one stuck with him" She explained.

"And now he can stay her forever right?" Eri asked.

"Of course. And if you ever feel that you miss him and that you need to talk with him, you can come here. It may take a day but it's always possible" Ochako replied. "By the way, there is something your father wanted you to have" She added and pulled out a small box from her pocket. Ochako then handed the box to Eri.

Eri slowly opened the box and let out a small gasp once she saw what was inside. "It's is necklace" She muttered. Eri carefully picked the golden necklace out from its' box and examined it. It was the same golden necklace, with a green gemstone that had fire patterns, that her dad used to wear. "Thank you dad" Eri whispered, letting out small sobs as she struggled to hold back the tears.

"It's alright Eri. There is no shame in crying" Ochako said and rubbed Eri's back comfortingly.

"You'll be a wonderful mother" Inko said with a weak smile. "I'm glad you were the one Izuku fell for"

"Thank you" Ochako responded. "I just wish he could be here" She added.


The trio spent the rest of their time talking together. All of them had faced their own struggles after Izuku's death. But this trip helped them to move on. They then ate the lunch they had brought with them before beginning the long trip back home.

Eventually Ochako and Eri came back home. They had dropped off Inko earlier at her place. It was getting late by the time they got home, and Eri was getting tired. So Ochako decided it was time for her to go to bed, something Eri didn't protest against.

"Mom?" Eri asked as Ochako tucked her into bed.

"Yes sweetie" Ochako replied.

"I love you" Eri said and lightly grabbed Ochako's arm.

"I love you too Eri" Ochako responded with a smile and gave Eri a kiss on the forehead. "And now you need some sleep" She said and walked over to the door. "Goodnight Eri"

"Goodnight mom" Eri replied before Ochako gently closed the bedroom door.

After closing the door to Eri's room, Ochako sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. It was tuned in on a news channel where they were talking about Deku. A topic Ochako was tired of hearing about after a week of constant coverage and theorizing from the media. She quickly turned off the TV, deciding there was better things she could spend her time on. She then heard someone knock on the front door.

'Who is visiting me now? It better not be another reporter' Ochako thought as she walked over to the door. She grabbed the handle and opened the door, becoming slightly surprised when she saw who had knocked.

"Hey" Bakugo said. "Can I come in?" He asked, uncharacteristically polite compared to his normal attitude.

"Sure" Ochako replied, taken aback by his unusual calm behaviour. She moved aside and let Bakugo inside her house. "I wasn't expecting you of all people to come visit me" Ochako said.

"I wasn't planning to either. But things happened and I think I need to talk with someone who can also understand the situation" Bakugo explained. "You know, about Deku" He added.

"Well I knew him a bit so I guess-" Ochako said, but was interrupted.

"Look, I'm not dumb" Bakugo said harshly, cutting off Ochako. "I know that you and Deku had more going on than what you told me, All Might or Aizawa back then. It doesn't take a fucking genius to connect the dots when you're taking care of his daughter now" He said, showing more of his usual demeanour.

"It's complicated" Ochako said quietly.

"No shit Sherlock. He was a villain" Bakugo retorted. He then seemed to calm down a bit before continuing. "Look, I'm not going to judge you. I've done enough of that before and look at what that has caused" Bakugo said. "I just want to get a few things off my chest" He explained.

"Couldn't you just talk with Kirishima? He seems like a great listener" Ochako wondered.

"I could" Bakugo admitted. "But Eijiro wasn't there and I would only be able to tell my side of the story. You're the only one alive who know Deku's side of events" He explained

"I see" Ochako said with a small nod. "Can I get you anything. Tea, coffee or something?" She asked.

"Some whiskey would be nice. If you got any" Bakugo replied.

"Don't you need to get home afterwards?" Ochako wondered.

"I haven't gotten around to getting my driver license yet. I'll just call Ejiro and he'll come pick me up" Bakugo answered as he sat down next to a table.

"I see" Ochako said. She found a bottle of whiskey and poured it into a glass. She then got herself a glass of water. Ochako walked over to the table and handed the whiskey to Bakugo before sitting down on the opposite side.

"Thanks" Bakugo said and took a small sip from the glass. "So..." He began with a sigh. "Do you think that all of this could have been prevented?" Bakugo asked.

"You'll have to be more specific than that Bakugo. A lot has happened" Ochako replied.

"I'm talking about Deku. You saw his memories, you know what he experienced, what I did to him" Bakugo said with a regretful look. "If I had been able to see past my own fucking ego back then and actually help him rather than bully him, would things have turned out differently?" He asked and took another sip.

"I don't know. Remember I saw his memories back during our first year at UA in a dream. I remember a lot of it, but the memories are fuzzy. Especially after he died" Ochako explained. "But remember that your influence, while not helpful-" She said with a hint of harshness "-It was far from the only thing. All the other classmates, all the opportunities that was closed off, the behaviour of everyone around him, the constant rejection from all other paths he tried, All Might's rejection and finally, Inko's death. It's just hard to tell what would happen if only one thing changed. We simply can't know" Ochako explained.

"I guess that's true" Bakugo mumbled nonchalantly. "It's just that I can't stop blaming myself for everything that happened because of him" He said as he started to get worked up. "Everyone he experimented on, everyone his revolution killed, all of those who died when Endeavour's agency collapse and all the innocents. I can't help but I feel that they in some way died because of what I did. If I had just done things differently then maybe they would still be alive" Bakugo explained. "Maybe things would have been better if I hadn't been around" He added with a tone that worried Ochako.

"I..." Ochako began, but stopped as she didn't know what to say.

"But I'm right aren't I?!" Bakugo exclaimed. "If it hadn't been for my shitty behaviour back then we wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation! Deku would still be alive and he wouldn't be a fucking villain!"

"I will throw you out if you yell one more time. Eri is asleep" Ochako said harshly, silencing Bakugo. "Good" She said once he calmed down. "Now just to get a few things straight. If it hadn't been for Izuku being a villain and his sacrifice then All for one would still be roaming around. And I don't want to imagine the horrors that he could bring without opposition" Ochako explained.

Bakugo then sat quietly with a thoughtful expression as he finished his whiskey. "Alright, you got a point" He admitted as he looked into the now empty glass.

"Look, Bakugo..." Ochako said, her voice much calmer. "I won't pretend that what you did wasn't that bad or didn't have that big of an impact. Because you were a terrible person back then and you most certainly had a role in turning Izuku into who he became" She said calmly, making Bakugo slightly uncomfortable. "But you've changed. You understand now that what you did was wrong and I think you've done pretty much everything you can to make amends. Izuku might not have forgiven you, not that I think he would have either. But I have forgiven you. Blaming yourself for the pain inflicted by him is just foolish because you're a good person" Ochako said and gave Bakugo a comforting smile.

"Thanks" Bakugo said and quickly brushed away a small tear from his eye. "But I still want to do more to make amends" He added.

"What more can you do? You've rejected your old promise of becoming the richest and most famous hero. You donate, what is now 68%..." Ochako said.

"72%" Bakugo interjected.

"Oh yeah, 72% of your income to charity, especially those focused to help those who are quirkless or are shunned because of their quirks. Not to mention publicly supporting the right for quirkless people to become heroes. What more can you do?" Ochako asked.

"I don't know" Bakugo replied. "Though there is one thing me and Eijiro have been talking about" He added.

"And what is that?" Ochako wondered.

"He talked about how we could adopt a kid" Bakugo answered. "I looked into it and found out just how many parents abandon their kids just because they are quirkless. It's fucking insane" He explained.

"But?" Ochako wondered.

"I don't know. I just don't feel ready to handle a kid. I mean, I'm not exactly the ideal fucking father figure" Bakugo replied.

"You're right. Definitely more of a mother figure" Ochako said with a smirk.

"Hey!" Bakugo exclaimed as Ochako struggled to hold back her snickering.

"Well, you do take after your mother" Ochako said, earning a grunt from Bakugo. "But seriously, you never really feel ready for a kid. You just have to take things one step at a time to the best of your ability. Treat them well, be kind, respect them, help them and guide them. That is all you can do really" She explained.

"If you say so. I won't argue with someone who has experience" Bakugo said. He then stood up from his chair. "Anyways, I better get home now. Thank you Uraraka, this helped" He said with a small smile.

"You're welcome. I also need people I can talk to. The last month has been tough" Ochako replied.

"Tell me about it. The press can be a nightmare" Bakugo scoffed.

"Reporters at your door too?" Ochako wondered.

"Amongst other things" Bakugo replied. "Well, I'll be going" He said and walked over to the front door. "By the way" Bakugo added as he stopped with his hand on the handle. "Do you know where Inko lives?" He asked

"I do. I can text the address to you if you want" Ochako replied.

"Yeah, if you could do that. As I said, I try to make amends where I can" Bakugo said and opened the door. "Goodnight" He said before quickly leaving and closing the door.

"Goodnight Bakugo" Ochako said quietly to the empty room. She slowly rubbed a hand over her belly and let out a sigh. "I miss you Izuku" Ochako mumbled in a saddened tone.


A/N: Alright, here we go again with the sequel. I hope you'll like it, cause I got many ideas in mind for this. Anyways, as the title suggests, this was just a prologue. I originally planned to have this as an epilogue for the first book, but I decided not to. Next chapter will be where this story really starts, about 8 years after this chapter. Anyways, I'm hoping you're all having a wonderful day as always. Goodbye.