The door opened, revealing the bright light of the morning sun to Eri.

"Come on, let's go," The Yakuza guard behind her placed a hand firmly on her shoulder, and Eri let herself be guided outside.

At least if I'm out here that means I won't be strapped in that chair.

It had been five months since her curse came in. Five months since she made her dad disappear. Five months since her grandfather gave her to that man.

Five months since the pain started.

At her grandfather's insistence, she gets a few hours a week to play in the yard. It's one of the few reprieves she had from the needles and the knives.

Even if that man fixed her every time, the pains lingered.

Once she was outside, she wandered over to a patch of grass and knelt under a cherry blossom tree. It had begun to bloom, and Eri loved the flowers. Nearby she saw a blossom that had already fallen, and she picked it up.

Hope…

It had become a ritual for her over the last several weeks. Whenever she saw a blossom she would pick it up, close her eyes, and wish for someone, for anyone to take her away from there. It never worked, but as long as the flowers were in bloom, she would keep wishing…

While her eyes were closed, she heard a crackling of electricity and a sudden rush of air. She heard shouting behind her and felt a shadow fall over her. Gasping, she spun around and looked up.

She saw a woman in a blue hoodie, her blond hair tied up in two tufts pointing upward. Eri saw the crackle of golden energy across her face and hands as the woman gave her a warm smile, her blue eyes exuding warmth.

"Eri," The woman said as she opened her arms. "Everything'll be ok because I'm here. I'm going to take you away."

She saw the Yakuza shouting and pointing, but the angelic woman in front of her ignored them. Instead, she simply waited.

Eri looked down at the cherry blossom in her hand and didn't even realize she was crying until she saw a tear strike the blossom. Trying to hold it as gently as she can, she stood up and ran toward the woman. The angelic figure stepped forward and knelt, and Eri felt her arms wrap around her.

Even though her arms were wrapped in metal, she could feel the kindness in them. It reminded her of how her mother's arms used to feel.

"I need you to hold on tight and close your eyes, okay?" The woman said as she gently took the blossom out of Eri's hands.

"O-okay," Eri said as she wrapped her arms around the woman. Even squeezing her eyes shut, she still saw a golden glow as she felt electricity dancing all around her.

The next thing she knew she felt air rushing past her, the air almost forced out of her lungs from the speed she was moving.

"You're a very brave girl Eri," The voice said. "I promise you, you're safe now. Nobody will ever hurt you again."

Eri knew she couldn't talk, but she felt the tears leaking out as she clung tightly to her savior. A single thought filled her head.

My wish came true…

Melissa Shield held Eri close to her chest as she hopped from rooftop to rooftop, the power of One For All wrapping her in golden energy. Worried about the Shie Hassaikai or a local hero following her, she dared a glance behind her, only to see empty rooftops.

Perfect.

With a sigh of relief, she changed her path and found the rooftop where her supplies were. As she landed she gently set the little girl down.

"You can open your eyes now, Eri."

The little girl opened her eyes and looked at her in awe as she realized she didn't know where she was. She began looking around frantically. "Where are we?"

"We're just taking a little break," Melissa assured her as she walked to a generator and retrieved a hidden duffle bag.

Melissa unzipped the hoodie she was wearing - a blue and red hoodie that was styled to look like All Might's suit - to reveal a white tee shirt underneath and arms covered in strips of blue metal. Touching a button on each wrist, the strips spread out before retracting into the bracelets on each arm. She then pulled off a pair of blue sweatpants to reveal a pair of red leggings and two more armored braces on each of her legs.

She balled up the clothing and dumped it into a corner, before picking up the bag. Reaching into it, she grabbed a white dress shirt and red cardigan and quickly put them on, before opening a case and putting on a pair of glasses. She then pulled an oversized dress out of the bag and offered it to Eri.

"Put this on."

Eri took the dress hesitantly and slipped it on over her scrubs. It was red and white, just like the other woman's outfit. As she stood there, her eyes were drawn to the sweater discarded on the ground. "Umm, can I wear that too?" She asked, pointing to the sweater.

Melissa looked back and forth between the girl and the sweater as she removed the clips from her hair, letting it flow down her back. Smiling, she walked over to it and picked it up, before walking back to Eri and placing it on her shoulders.

"Let's get going. We've got a busy couple of days ahead of us."

"Please ensure your seatbelts are fastened as we come in for our landing," The pilot announced over the loudspeaker.

Eri looked up from her tablet and over to the woman seated next to her. "We're there already?"

Melissa looked down at the girl and smiled. "Yep!" She dropped her voice to a whisper, hoping Eri wouldn't hear her. "Now let's just hope the disguise holds up."

Technically, she no longer was Eri. She was now Erin Sword, daughter of Risa Sword, the woman sitting next to her. Her real name was Melissa, but she had trouble pronouncing it, so she was perfectly fine calling her Risa. After they fled, Melissa explained that she was sent by someone very special to protect her specifically. She cut Eri's hair and dyed it blonde to match her own, and gave her actual clothes to wear, bright reds and whites to match her own, saying that hospital gowns weren't appropriate for little girls. She took care of her arms and legs, and in a few short days, she already saw her scars beginning to fade, along with the phantom pain she felt.

When the airplane came to a stop on the runway, Melissa stood up first, grabbing their bags from the overhead compartment. Eri unbuckled herself and stood up, taking the bag from the other girl. "You used to live here, right Risa?"

"Yes Erin, I did," Melissa had a nostalgic smile on her face. "Long before you were born. It's an amazing place! Hopefully, I can show you around before we have to leave."

"I'd like that!" Eri replied happily.

She took Melissa's hand as they walked through the terminal, and felt the older woman's grip grow tighter as they stepped on the moving walkway. "Here goes nothing."

As they were riding, Eri saw green lasers appear and felt herself flinching as they began to cover her, only for Melissa to hold her hand tighter. "Don't worry, these won't hurt you. It's how they see who you are. Look!"

Eri did as instructed and looked at a monitor in front of them. There she saw pictures of herself and Melissa, with the names 'Risa Sword' and 'Erin Sword' underneath them. As the information appeared, she felt the older woman's hand relax. She didn't know what was bothering her, but she was glad that it was over.

The woman was nice and didn't deserve to be worried.

Yagi Toshinori, the man most people know as All Might, was sitting in his office at the top of Might Tower trying to perform breathing exercises. He pushed himself too far again, and almost revealed the truth of his condition to the police and paramedics on the scene.

He was startled out of his efforts when his cell phone started ringing. Thrown off, he coughed and choked on blood, before he was able to grab a nearby handkerchief and spit the contents of his mouth into it. He quickly wiped his mouth, soaking up the lingering blood before he grabbed his phone.

Someone from I-Island?

Toshinori was surprised. If it was David he expected him to call from his lab or personal number. But perhaps it was an emergency and he was calling from someplace else. Making a decision, he accepted the call and put the receiver to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Uncle Might?" The voice on the other line was both familiar and foreign to him.

"Melissa?"

"Yes! You do recognize me!" He heard her cheering on the other end of the line.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"It's- Uncle Might, I've been through a lot," She admitted. "I don't have a lot of time, but I need to talk to you."

"What's wrong?" Toshinori suddenly sat upright.

"I know about One For All."

Toshinori once again found himself coughing from surprise, grabbing the handkerchief again. It took him longer than he would have liked to calm down, and when he finished he held the handkerchief in his hand, his knuckles turning white. "What- How?"

"It's a long story. Maybe I'll be able to tell you someday," She said, resignation in her voice. "But I have something really important to tell you about it. It- it's too powerful to be used by anyone who isn't quirkless. You need to pass it on to someone who is quirkless. If you don't, it doesn't matter how young or healthy they are, they'll die in ten to twenty years."

Toshinori sat there in silence as he tried to digest the news. If that's true… then the fact that he himself was quirkless was a stroke of luck. "How do you know this?"

"You told me. Ten years ago."

Toshinori's eyes went wide at the implication. "That means-!"

"Don't say it!" Melissa cut him off. "But yes."

"How?!"

"I- Uncle Might, do you trust me?"

"Of course!"

"Then trust me when I say the less you know, the better."

Toshinori frowned at that. Part of him was screaming to know more, to demand answers. But Melissa was a smart girl. If something happened that required him to stay in the dark… He let out a resigned sigh. "So why call me at all?"

"It's about your successor. I know quirkless kids are getting rarer, but…" She paused.

Toshinori knew exactly what she was talking about. Every year, fewer truly quirkless individuals are born, and the dwindling number of children who are quirkless tend to be ignored by society, never really given the chance to stand out the way those with truly exceptional quirks can.

"There's someone you want me to meet, isn't there?"

"Yes."

"What's so special about him?"

"He's tenacious. He never gives up, no matter how dire the situation. And even though it took him years to truly master your ability to smile, he eventually figured out how to hide his fear with a smile on his face."

Even through the phone, Toshinori detected the fondness in her voice as she spoke about this man. He had to admit, from the way she described him, he does sound like the perfect successor. "Who is he?"

"Izuku Midoriya."

Grabbing a notepad and a pen, Toshinori hurriedly scribbled down the details that Melissa rattled off from memory.

"Thank you," Toshinori said, as he examined the information in front of him. He'd have to conduct his own investigation into this Izuku and see if what she said is correct. "And Melissa. If there's anything I can do for you-"

"Not for me. But Melissa, she's going to need you soon. You may want to chart a flight to I-Island."

Toshinori's eyes went wide. "What- Why?"

"Because I have a second copy of One For All, and I'll be giving it to her."

"N-no! You can't!"

"I'm sorry for being so selfish. Goodbye, Uncle Might. If- hopefully, you'll forgive me and we can speak again."

Toshinori heard the other line go dead, and looked at his phone in a panic. Quickly bringing up his contacts, he tried calling David's lab.

He didn't want to reveal his secret to David. Especially not like this. The risk was too great! But this was an emergency, and Melissa's life was at stake.

As Eri watched, Melissa hung up the phone, a look of regret on her face. "I know you're not happy."

One odd thing about the older girl, Eri had discovered, was that sometimes she acted like someone was there, listening to and talking to her. But Eri never saw anyone. She wondered if it was part of the older woman's quirk, or if something else was going on, but she was too afraid to ask. Melissa had been nothing but kind to her and had promised her that she would explain things later. That was good enough for now.

"I know what I'm doing is selfish, but-" Melissa bit her lip as she appeared to be staring at someone. "You know this was always a dream of mine! And I can protect Eri without it!"

She tilted her head to the side, as if listening. "You know Izu's the right call! You chose him yourself! I- it doesn't matter if I set their paths on a collision course." A slight pink dusted her cheeks. "You would have brought Izu to I-Island anyways. I'm just speeding things up a bit!"

She paused, listening to the air again, before giving a resigned sigh. "I know. I- You know what we've been through."

Another pause, this time her eyes looking at Eri. Eri found herself fidgeting uncomfortably under her gaze. "But that can't happen now! I know we can't plan for the Butterfly Effect, but I want to give them the best chance I can! You can't argue how useful a second copy of One For All would be in their hands!"

The ghost of a smile appeared on Melissa's face as she looked like she was winning whatever argument she was having. "I promise. Please - take good care of her?"

Much to Eri's confusion, Melissa seemed to be hugging the air, before she finally reached down to retrieve her backpack, looking at the little girl. "Sorry about that. Let's get going." She offered a hand to Eri, who took it. "We've got one more place to go!"

Melissa Shield was busy at work in her small corner of her father's lab. She had her routine: after she was done with school for the day she would come by the lab and work on her homework while he worked on whatever project he was busy with. Sometimes he would let her watch and help, and sometimes when she finished her school work early, she worked on the small projects she had set up in her workspace.

Today, her dad was busy with meetings, leaving her alone with her projects. She was currently tinkering with a miniaturized engine when she heard the door to their lab open. Thinking her dad was finally here, she spun around in her chair and stood up, only to gasp.

It wasn't her dad who just entered, but a small girl with short blonde hair and bright red eyes in a comically large All Might hoodie… and a woman who looked suspiciously like herself.

"Who are you?" Melissa asked defensively.

"Well, according to the biometric scanner on the door, I'm you," The older woman said. Her lips turned upward into a playful smile. "You can call me Risa Sword though." Melissa found herself sputtering and coughing when she heard that name. As she recovered she heard the older girl's unmistakable laughter. "Thank you, I needed that."

"You- how?" Melissa asked incredulously.

"It's a long story for another time," The older woman said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Melissa took several deep breaths to calm herself, trying to wrap her head around the implications that a future version of herself was standing right in front of her. "So why are you here?"

"I have something for you," The older woman said as she reached into her pocket and withdrew a small test tube filled with blood. She held it out to Melissa. "Here, drink this."

"What?" Melissa's eyes went wide as she focused on the vial, before looking at her older self's face. "Why?"

"I want to give you a quirk. Specifically, I want to give you Uncle Might's quirk. Well-" The woman gave Melissa a sad smile. "That's what you would know it as."

"Uncle Might's quirk?" The words felt foreign on Melissa's lips. "How is that possible?"

"His quirk is special. Very special. It originates from the Dawn of Quirks itself, a quirk that can be transferred from person to person, growing in power with each passing generation. I want you to have it."

"But if you have it…" Melissa gasped. "Did something happen to Uncle Might?"

The woman shook her head. "No! He's ok! I actually spoke to him a few minutes ago! This is another copy! From… when I'm from." She admitted.

"Why do you want me to have it?"

"Remember our dream?" The woman asked.

Melissa gasped, her hands rising to cover her mouth. "To be a hero…"

"Yes," She gave her younger self a sad smile. "I gave up on that dream, thinking it was impossible. Don't give up on that dream. For both of us."

Melissa looked down at the vial of blood. It was probably a trick of the light, but the crimson liquid appeared to be glowing. As she watched it, something unexpected began blooming in her chest.

Hope.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Melissa made her decision.

"I'll do it, Risa! I'll be the hero I- the hero we always dreamed of!"

Melissa swore the other woman was fighting back tears as she took the vial from her and unstopped it. As she stared at the crimson liquid, she gathered her courage before putting the vial to her lips and drinking it in a single gulp. It was thick and tasted of metal, and she started coughing.

"Sorry," The older woman offered her a bottle of water. "It was the best option, unless you wanted to eat my hair instead."

"I think I prefer this," Melissa said as she gratefully took the bottle of water and drank half the bottle in a single gulp. "So now what?"

"In a few hours, you'll feel it, there." The older woman pointed at the center of Melissa's chest. "In the core of your very being. A fire that will ignite inside of you. Whatever you do, don't try to use your new quirk."

Melissa felt her courage draining out of her. "What- why not?"

"You need a lot more muscle to use the quirk safely. Without it…" She gave Melissa a fond smile. "Let's just say you'll end up breaking a lot of bones." She took a watch-like device off of her wrist and set it down on the table. "Take this though. It's one of my greatest inventions. It's called a Full Gauntlet."

"What's that do?" Melissa asked curiously as she eyed the device.

"It wraps your arm in a brace. With it, you can hopefully use your new quirk without breaking any bones. You'll only get a couple of swings though, before it breaks."

"I'll…" Melissa swallowed the lump in her throat. "Keep that in mind."

"Don't worry though! Uncle Might knows you've got this quirk. And once the quirk is yours, you should have a visitor."

"A visitor?"

"It's a side-effect of the quirk. It's inhabited by the ghosts of the previous holders, and they have some ability to communicate with the current holder. That is to say, you," The older Melissa explained. "One of them should visit you. To help you learn how to use it once you're ready."

"You're not going to stay?"

The older woman shook her head. "No. I have another job." She gestured to the girl sitting at the table. "I need to take care of her and keep her safe. There's an ancient evil out there. If he ever gets his hands on her, it will spell disaster."

Melissa seemed to understand. Whatever her older self was doing here, it was because of her. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Hopefully not!" The older girl replied cheerfully. "But if something happens…"

Melissa nodded somberly.

The older Melissa stepped forward and suddenly wrapped her younger self in a hug. "I'm sorry I can't tell you more." Stepping back, she offered her younger self an encouraging smile. "But I know you're going to be a great hero."

AN: Well, I've teased this a couple times with one-shots, and now I'm actually starting it properly.

A couple quick notes about the timeline: These events takes place approximately three years before the Sludge Villain incident, which means currently Izuku and Ochako are both first years in middle school, and Melissa is in the I-Island equivalent of Japan's final year in middle school. This also means that Eri is 1 year older than she is during the events of canon.

As for where the rest of the cast is, the 'prologue' part is 3 chapters long. After that we'll be getting Izuku in chapter 4, and introducing the rest of the cast shortly afterwards.

I hope you enjoy!