AN: I'm sorry...
"Good morning, and welcome to The Today Show. The nation mourns this week as the Mighty Agency in Tokyo hosts a funeral for their founder, the former #1 Hero All Might. All Might, age 65, passed away on the 23rd of this month after succumbing to a massive stroke while giving a lecture at U.A High. We take you now to footage of the funeral procession earlier today.
…
"As you can see, the pallbearers include current #1 Hero Deku and #2 Hero Dynamight, along with retired pro Gran Torino and former Mighty sidekick David Shield. Both Shield and his daughter have flown in from I-Island to be here, and they're not the only ones. Hundreds of heroes from around the world have travelled to Japan in support of the former Symbol of Peace. Many of us remember the days of All Might saving everyone with his iconic smile, and I'm certain his legacy will go on for centuries. We will return after a short break, after which we will show footage of the eulogy delivered by Deku."
"Good evening, and welcome to the 6 o'clock news. Earlier this morning, Pro Hero and U.A Teacher, Eraser Head, was found dead in a Musutafu warehouse at the scene of a massive shootout. Autopsy reports indicate that Eraser Head had several bullets lodged in his lung and stomach. Eraser Head, age 51, is survived by his wife Emi Fukukado-Aizawa, better known as the Smiles Hero Ms. Joke; as well as his adopted daughter, famed surgeon Doctor Eri Aizawa. Eraser was famous for his distaste for press and media, so very little footage of him can be found. But throughout the day, numerous heroes who had the man as their homeroom teacher have shared stories and photos of him on their social media accounts. Also, a tribute to the fallen hero has been announced to air on the radio show, An Evening with Present Mic, later tonight."
"Pro Hero Phantom Thief was found dead in his apartment today. Experts believe the cause was suicide by drug overdose, but it is still too early to call. The 25-year-old hero had received much negative criticism from the press and the public for his comments regarding the higher-ranking heroes, and he was seen fighting numerous members of the press in the months prior to his death."
"Yesterday Pro Heroes Tailman and Invisible Girl were lost in a car accident. Both heroes, aged 30, were allegedly out on a date when their car blew a tire and steered out of control, ultimately going off a bridge into the icy water. People following their careers may know that their wedding was scheduled for June of this year, but sadly they will not have the chance to tie the knot now."
"Tragedy struck last night as the #12 Hero, Uravity, was killed while responding to a massive fire in the streets of Tokyo. The rescue hero came onto the scene as an apartment complex was set ablaze due to an electrical shortage. Reports say that she managed to pull over 50 civilians from the blaze, but was still inside when a massive explosion brought the ceiling down on the young woman's head. Uravity was just 2 months short of her 43rd birthday when this occurred."
"… The assailant is still currently unknown, but he was believed to have had a quirk related to cold weather. In the ensuing battle, the Rainy Season Hero went into hibernation from the ice exposure and died of frostbite shortly thereafter."
"...and when they realized there was no way to disarm the bombs, both men dove on top of the pile to absorb the explosion. They managed to protect all the present citizens, but both founding members of the Riot-Steel Agency lost their lives almost immediately. Red Riot and Real Steel are survived by their respective wives, Pinky and Battle Fist, along with their children…"
"Midoriya Izuku, better known as Deku, was hospitalized this evening by a heart attack while capturing several bank robbers. Fans wonder whether this is the end of his run as the Symbol of Hope. He first earned the position of #1 Hero during his third year of high school, and he's held onto his prestigious position for going on 70 years. Some are saying that he should have retired decades ago, and that he's running entirely on the fumes of his quirks now. We here at the Hero News Network wish him a speedy recovery, and respectfully ask him to hang up the cape once he does. Thank you, and goodnight."
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The rhythmic sound of hospital machinery was the only noise to keep Izuku company. The nurses left him to rest hours ago. He honestly couldn't fault them one bit. Who wants to sit and listen to an old man prattle on? With nothing better to do, he idly ran his fingers over the old scars on the back of his hands and wrists. Could he truly call those the good old days with so much hardship?
Yes, he ultimately decided. He treasured every brilliant moment with his friends and family. Wouldn't trade a single injury or heartache for the world. For a moment his fingers brushed over his wedding ring, and a phantom ache in his chest returned. Her bright eyes and angelic smile danced across his memory like a ghost. He still wished she could be here with him most days. For all that he had accomplished, here he sat alone with his thoughts and musings.
But he wasn't alone, was he? It had been a long time since he spoke to the voices in his head, but it was worth a shot.
"Hello? Anyone home?"
…
Silence. Bitter silence carried on in his mind. The rhythm of the machines continued in the background like a nagging tick in his ear.
Izuku's thoughts were interrupted by the door swinging open. In came one Katsuki Bakugou, still confined to a wheelchair. In the past few decades, Katsuki's sandy hair had faded into a silver hue. The light in his fierce red eyes had dimmed to a brownish color. Lastly a lifetime of generating explosions left him with matching hearing aids.
"Dynamight! It's been too long!" Izuku gave him a warm smile.
"Not long enough if you ask me. How dare you keel over and make me drive all the way down here, Deku!" Clearly his waning age hadn't tempered his mouth.
"Not dead yet, buddy" Izuku tried. "How have you been these past few years?"
"Terrible" Katsuki retorted. "My idiot kids never bother showing up, and all the healthcare people are obnoxious! If I have one more punk yell in my ear, I will get out of this wheelchair and beat them with it!" Izuku laughed, but quickly regretted it as he succumbed to a violent cough. At this point he could practically feel the air being robbed from his lungs. When the cough subsided, Dynamight narrowed his eyes. "It's your own fault you're here, Deku. You should have quit when you were ahead."
"Didn't you keep trying to go on patrols after your legs stopped working? I seem to remember your daughter dragging you back home when you tried to get Hatsume to make you some kind of rocket-powered wheelchair armor. Frankly I'm surprised she talked Hatsume out of doing it too, that's right up her alley."
"Shut up nerd, we're not talking about me!" They'd been friends too long for Izuku to take offense to that. In his own way, Dynamight was showing that he was worried and that he cared.
Instead, Izuku attempted to change the subject. "You ever miss them?"
"Depends. Who are we talking about?"
"You know, the old gang. Class 3A. The best generation of heroes!"
"Those clowns? They were a pain to be around, and I'm better off without them!"
He could tell when Katsuki was lying. The man had cried for hours after the last of the self-proclaimed Bakusquad passed on. Izuku didn't want to think about the waning days again, but the memories of his friends – no, his family – still pressed themselves onto his brain.
"I miss my wife, Kacchan" he muttered. "I miss her dearly."
A beat, and then, a resigned sigh. "Me too. Our wives were sappy, but they were pretty badass. Just be happy they aren't here to see you and all your sentimental crap."
Deku resisted the urge to laugh again at that. The pair just sat in silence for a few minutes more, until:
"Hey, remember when Recovery Girl died? Remember what she said to us in the hospital?"
"I'm pretty sure she said, 'Deku you break another bone while I'm gone, and I'll climb outta the grave to drag you back with me!'"
Izuku rolled his eyes. "The other thing. She said that all old people have a sixth sense about when they're gonna die, like cats do. I always assumed it was an old wives' tale, but sitting here tonight, I don't know. Feels like it's getting close to my time."
He suddenly felt a cold hand grab his own. "Don't you dare die before I do, you damn nerd! Without you I– I…"
Izuku grinned. "Now who's getting sentimental, old timer?"
"Shut up! I'm just saying it'll get boring if I can't take you down a peg! Who else am I supposed to talk to?"
Izuku sighed, then felt a yawn coming on. "I think, I'm gonna try to get some sleep. You staying or going?"
"I'll do whatever I want, Deku! If you wanna pass out, I'll just sit here and think of more insults for you."
"Yeah, keep them coming. You and me, all the way to the end. Goodbye, Kacchan."
There was no denying it now. Izuku felt too weak to get back up and fight, they both knew it. Dynamight closed his eyes and exhaled with a wheeze. Izuku shut his own and drifted off to sleep.
"Glad you could make it, Number Nine!"
Izuku found himself in a familiar courtroom with several thrones around him. The Singularity lives on, he grinned. He really had expected that conversation with Bakugou to be the last thing, but he wasn't about to turn down a visit with his predecessors.
Tonight the only ones present were the seventh and eighth. "All Might! Nana! It's so good to see you! Where are the others?"
"I'm afraid we're all that's left, my boy. The others have already faded, and the three of us are going soon as well."
Izuku idly rubbed his neck. He noticed that all three of them, while having physical bodies in the Singularity world, shared a glowing translucent appearance. They were more like ghosts than ever before, but his mentors' faces were still vibrant with life. "You look exactly like you did when we first met! I guess I must be quite a sight after all these years."
Nana moved in closer and ruffled his white hair. "What are you talking about, Nine? You aged very gracefully, and you look like a dignified grandfather! Certainly better than Sorahiko did."
Sorahiko. There was a name Izuku hadn't heard in a few decades. The old man had died in his sleep not too long after All Might's funeral. He missed Torino trying to beat him with his cane all the time. Izuku finally sighed and stared at Nana and All Might. "So this is really it then? One For All dies tonight?"
"The quirk has long since done its job, my boy. All good things come to an end eventually."
"Why do you two have to be such Debbie-downers? We've got a chance to see the end together, and y'all wanna spend it moping? Let's hug it out, boys! Come on, bring it in."
All Might smiled fondly as he embraced her. "Ever the optimist. You never change, do you master?"
"I'm dead, Toshi, I'll do as I please. Midoriya, get over here!"
Izuku sighed and wrapped his arms around All Might and Nana. He was surprised to feel so much warmth radiating from the spirits before him.
Suddenly, he felt the sensation of drifting away again. There was a lot he wanted to say, but he realized that he didn't need to say anything at all. A comfortable silence was more powerful than any string of apologies or speeches about death could ever be. The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was the throne room vanishing and the smiles of his mentors. Finally, Midoriya Izuku passed on and allowed the sweet embrace of nothingness to envelop him.
…
…
"Rise and shine, for I am here!"
What?
"Rise and shine, for I am here!"
Is that All Might talking? Why's his voice so distorted? Is this the afterlife?
"Rise and shine, for I am here!"
Izuku finally opened his eyes. He was immediately bombarded by All Might's smiling face all around him. Toys, posters, even the messy scraps of papers on the floor were covered with drawings of All Might. For some bizarre reason, he was back in his childhood bedroom.
"Rise and shine, for I am here!"
Oh right, that novelty clock he got when he was a kid. Izuku reached over and tapped All Might's head to shut the alarm off. He rubbed his eyes and stretched his sore arms. As he felt his hands touch his face, he quickly realized several things. First, the faded ring signifying his marriage was absent. Second, his hands were much smaller and chubbier than he ever remembered them. Next his skin felt smooth and soft to the touch, with none of the calluses or wrinkles of his elder years. Finally, the twisted knuckles were straight and clean for the first time since he was 15. No missing bone, no scars etched in his skin.
Wait, Izuku thought. If I'm in here, and my body is…
He needed a mirror, now.
Izuku bolted for the open hallway and ran down the familiar path to the apartment's bathroom. When he arrived, he slammed the door behind him and rushed towards the sink. He quickly realized that he was too short for the sink, so he looked around and found a stepping stool on the floor. He climbed up the stool and finally got a look at his reflection.
The face that looked back at him was one he hadn't seen in decades. The eyes in his reflection hadn't changed. His green eyes had stayed with him to the end, and he had never let the light go out of them; but his short, cream-colored locks now resembled a vibrant and luscious forest. Izuku ran his short, stubby fingers through his emerald curls to ensure they were real.
As he marveled over his youth, a familiar voice called out to him, "Honey? Is everything okay?"
…
Mom?
The last time he had seen his mother, she needed to eat out of a tube. Her hair had been lost to chemo. Her natural complexion had been withered away until a frail husk remained. On the rare occasion she found the strength to speak in those last months, he heard so much pain seep through her low, raspy voice. He loved her and spoke kindly to her all the way to the end, but the image of her misery continued to haunt him to his own dying day.
Slowly, Izuku slid the bathroom door open and looked down the hallway. There she was, alive and well, healthier than she had been in decades. He hesitated to move closer, afraid this was all some sick joke. She noticed his caution and frowned. "What's wrong sweetie? Did you have a nightmare?"
He inched closer and continued to stare at the woman before him.
Finally he broke into a sprint and leapt in the air towards her. Inko was unprepared for this movement; she stumbled backwards when he flew into her torso, but she stood her ground and caught Izuku in her arms. "Mom!" He sobbed. In a flash, the tears began to run like waterfalls. He huffed and puffed, letting all his grief out in a single joyous moment. The lump appearing in his chest reached up to choke his throat. An ancient, vacant place in his heart began to mend itself.
Inko's motherly instincts kicked up to 11 at the sight of her boy crying. "Shhhh Baby, it's okay! I'm here, I'm here. Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine!" He insisted between sniffles. "I'm just really happy that you're here with me!"
"Oh baby, I'm not going anywhere! I'm here, you're here, we're both here. Everything's gonna be alright, sweetie!" She rubbed circles around his back with one hand and petted his hair with the other. She continued holding him with her arms and hugged his small frame against her body.
Izuku didn't know what had happened. He still wasn't completely convinced this was real. All he knew was that he had his mother back whispering soothing things in his ear. If this was indeed a dream, he decided, he didn't want to wake up.
To be continued…
Fun fact: This whole concept of old man Midoriya becoming a kid again started from the basic premise of: "What if baby Deku acted like Mr. Rogers and helped the troubled souls of MHA? How would people react?" But then my fingers just kept typing and THIS appeared. Tune in to see just how far my brain takes this idea, because even I don't know what I did.
You may ask about who Midoriya and Bakugou married. In the words of Mickey Mouse, that's a surprise tool that'll help us later. ✌😉
That's all I got for today. See ya next time!