AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews, everyone!
After sending Ochako a message and wishing her a good night, Izuku settled into bed. Closing his eyes, he let his consciousness be carried off deep into the confines of One For All. There, he awoke in the lobby of the observatory, where Nana was already waiting for him.
"Hey grandma," Izuku greeted.
"Hey Izu." Nana smiled softly back. "Since you're not crying, I hope it's good news?"
"Mhm." Izuku nodded before looking around. "Why don't we go somewhere to talk?"
"Not gonna wait for Ochako?"
"She's catching up with Tsu," Izuku explained, "and said to get started without her."
Nodding, Nana led Izuku toward a small office that she had dedicated a lot of time to redecorating. There were several padded leather chairs that she had obtained from around the observatory, as well as a makeshift fireplace that she found materials for somewhere. Of course it wasn't lit, but she claimed it gave the room ambiance, and it was her preferred place to talk to Izuku when they talked about family, rather than business involving One For All.
After sitting down, Nana closed her eyes and lazily spun in her chair. While Izuku sat down, she came to a stop, perfectly facing Izuku. She opened her eyes and looked at her grandson.
"So what happened with Tenko?"
Izuku spent the next several minutes repeating what his mom had told him, exactly as she wanted him to tell her mother. That All Might never got through to him, and that Tenko's hatred for heroes runs deep - but it wasn't just because of All For One. Even from a young age, Kotaro forbade the talk of heroes to the point of being physically abusive.
"Kotaro…" Nana gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "He… what happened to him?"
"He…" Izuku looked away from his grandmother. "I'm sorry."
"Izu." Nana lowered her hands. "What did Inko tell you?"
"She…" Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat before forcing himself to look at the vestige. "He hated heroes. He always resented you for choosing… for choosing to be a hero over raising him and leaving him to the foster system."
Nana was glad she was sitting when she heard the news. Her legs felt weak, and she didn't trust herself to stand. Tears stung her eyes as she tried to form words, but the best she was able to muster were formless sounds. Izuku seemed to understand, and she soon felt his arms wrap around her shoulders as he leaned into her, offering her the vague memories of warmth as he tried to hug her.
"I'm sorry," Izuku whispered. "I didn't want to tell you but mom insisted–"
Nana shook her head, feeling the tears falling. "N-no." She finally managed to croak out. "She was right." Adjusting herself, she managed to free her arms and wrapped them around her grandson. "I just… need a moment."
"Okay," Izuku said softly, refusing to let her go.
Nana held tightly onto Izuku, using him as a lifeline while the guilt and sorrow tore through her. After her husband was killed and she found out she was pregnant with a second child, she knew that she didn't have a choice. Her children would always be in danger as long as All For One still lived. Without any other option available, she gave her son up, abandoning him into the care of others in the hopes that he would escape All For One's wrath.
As for her daughter… she tried her hardest to hide her pregnancy, not daring to trust anyone with the information for fear that All For One would discover her daughter. And when it was time to have Inko, she arranged for her sister to pick her up from the hospital directly. Every day, Nana regretted never being able to hold her daughter and watch her grow up. Even the few times she saw her were from a distance, watching her sister and daughter from afar.
To learn that Kotaro resented her for all of that…
"I wish it was different," Nana whispered to Izuku. "That we could have been a family. But it wasn't meant to be. To think All For One tore my family apart and then used that to twist my grandchildren to his ends…"
Izuku winced as he felt Nana's fingers dig into his back. "It's not too late. We– Mom. She managed to get through to Tenko!"
"Of course she did," Nana said. Taking a deep breath, she finally pulled away from Izuku, releasing him as she sat back in her chair. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Izuku said as he looked down at her weary face. "Are you ready to hear the rest?"
"I think so." Nana took a deep breath. "Tell me what happened."
Izuku sat back down and then continued. He told Nana about how his mom managed to break through. And while it wasn't a total success, it was a start.
"And Toshinori promised to help her see him again. Maybe even keep him out of Tartarus," Izuku concluded.
"That's…" Nana found tears coming again, but they were happy tears this time. "...more than I could have hoped for."
"You thought Tenko was a lost cause, didn't you?" asked Izuku softly.
"Yep." Nana nodded once. "I'd rather… after spending nearly two decades fighting All For One, it was too much to bank on hope," she admitted. "I'd rather be happily surprised by this outcome than to have hoped for it from the beginning only to be disappointed when it failed."
"I'm glad Mom was able to surprise you," Izuku said softly.
"Me too." Nana let out a fond sigh. "I'm glad at least one of my kids turned out alright."
"Do you… do you feel the same way about Hana?"
Nana looked at Izuku and gave him a broken smile. "I already know what you're thinking. And yes…" She spun her chair around, facing away from him before leaning back to stare at the ceiling. "I just can't hope. Not yet. I've already found you and Inko. That was more than I ever deserved. If Inko manages to help Tenko find his way back from the path of villainy, that would be nothing short of a miracle. Knowing you want to go after Hana too…"
"We'll find a way," Izuku said.
Nana closed her eyes in an attempt to hold back the tears. "I hope you prove me wrong."
Izuku sat there, trying to think of some way to convince his grandmother that they'd be able to pull it off when he heard the door handle twist before it pushed open.
"Sorry I'm late!" Ochako said with a hint of exasperation in her voice. "I got to talking to Tsu and we just went overboard and I–"
Nana chuckled as she spun around. "It's okay. I think we're just about done here."
"We are?" Izuku asked.
Nana spun around in the chair to face her grandson again as her eyes darted between the two teens. "Yeah. You two should go relax. I've got a lot to think about."
Ochako shot Izuku a questioning glance, and he gave her a small gesture to tell her that he'd tell her later, which quelled her curiosity. Turning his attention back toward his grandmother, Izuku stood up. "If there's anything you need, you know where to find us."
"Of course I do," Nana chuckled. "Don't worry, you're off the hook for tonight."
Nana watched the two retreat out of the room, her gaze lingering on the door as it sealed behind them. With a weary sigh, she turned her chair toward the fireplace, once again wishing she could find a way to light it. It was always her dream to have a small house somewhere in rural Japan where she could eventually retreat and live out the rest of her days peacefully. Something to look forward to if she ever managed to triumph over All For One.
A dream that was tragically cut short.
As she sat there, she imagined Inko and Toshi sitting there next to her while Izuku and Ochako told stories of their latest missions as pro heroes. But this time, she imagined Tenko standing in the corner, brooding and sulking, just like his dad – her son – used to.
"You always were a difficult child, Kotaro." Nana closed her eyes and dismissed the vision. "Thank you, Inko."
The first day back was a quiet, somber affair for most of the students of 1-A. And while that was because two of their loudest classmates were missing, it was the reason why they were missing that was the problem.
Both were still in the hospital, serving as a reminder of the attack they had all been a part of.
However, as the day passed, things slowly returned to normal – as normal as they could be. By the time classes were dismissed for the day, half the class was able to pretend things were normal again. Or at least as normal as you can get at a hero high school.
By the next morning, the gloom that had filled the classroom was mostly gone, and the students were back to their morning routine before homeroom. They had broken into small groups of twos and threes and were talking amongst themselves until they heard the door open to reveal their teacher. Scrambling to their desks, they sat down as Aizawa walked to the front desk and silently surveyed his classroom. Once satisfied, he gave his students a single nod before speaking.
"I would like to announce that we have come to a decision, and the Sports Festival is still going to proceed as normal."
It was a bit of a lie - they had never intended to cancel the Sports Festival to begin with, hoping that the attack at the USJ would be the end for the League of Villains. However, they conducted multiple meetings over the past two days trying to determine the best way to proceed in light of how events played out.
"For real?"
"Even after that?"
"Aren't you worried?"
"It makes sense," Ochako called out from her seat. After she had everyone's attention, she looked at Aizawa. "After all, we don't want to make the villains think they can get away with this, right?" She saw a few of her classmates nodding their heads, prompting her to give them an encouraging smile. "Besides, we're not the only class here. It would suck if the entire school year revolved around us."
"Uraraka is right," Aizawa continued from the front of the room. "The sports festival gives everyone, not just Hero Course students, a chance to show off. It would be unfair to them if we canceled on account of one class. However, we understand some of you may be concerned in light of recent events. Therefore, if anyone isn't comfortable joining in the Sports Festival, you may let me know privately, and you will be allowed to sit out – we will not hold it against you. In the meantime, are there any questions?"
Finding none, Aizawa began explaining how the students could begin training for their first festival.
At the end of the day, Ochako packed her bag before she stood up. She then looked over at Tenya and Tsuyu as they approached her desk.
"You two ready to visit the support labs?"
"Yes, kero."
"Indeed. I have been in Ingenium's support department so I am curious how they compare."
Ochako gave them a soft smile and nod before she walked over to the storage locker. Keying in the code, she watched it slide open and retrieved her case; her friends did the same. After giving Izuku a small wave goodbye, she then led the two out of the classroom and toward the stairs. While she had been up to Melissa's lab once already, she wasn't aware of the other two ever stepping foot on the upper floors of the school, so it was a new experience for them as the three climbed to the third floor and made their way to the support wing of the school.
Ochako couldn't help but smile at Tenya's hesitancy as they approached the labs. The three heard strange sounds and noticed the somewhat crowded hallways littered with crates, each having pieces of support equipment poking out - the product of many failed experiments as they designed usable support gear.
Suddenly, the three froze as they heard the sound of a distant explosion.
"What was that?" Tenya asked, suddenly on high alert.
"Was it from the labs?"
"It was probably one of the first years," Ochako muttered as she thought of a specific support student.
Fortunately, she was saved from having to explain herself by a door opening and the very girl they were looking for stepping out. Melissa looked down the hallway curiously until she spotted the trio. With a smile and wave, she urged them forward. "Hey Ochako, are you breaking my gear already?"
"I wouldn't say that," Ochako admitted. "But the integrity is a lot lower than it should be."
Melissa frowned. "Alright, we can discuss that. And who are your friends?"
"Tsuyu Asui, but you can call me Tsu, kero."
"I am Tenya Iida! It is a pleasure to make acquaintances with someone from I-Island!"
"Iida…" Melissa said thoughtfully as she placed her index finger on her lips. Eyes lighting up, she snapped her fingers. "Ingenium, right?"
"That is correct." Tenya smiled proudly. "I come from a proud line of heroes. Currently, my brother Tensei holds the title of Ingenium and carries on our family name. I just hope that someday I live up to my family's legacy."
"I know how hard that can be." Melissa gave the boy a faint smile, but even through the glasses, Ochako could tell it didn't reach her eyes.
She made a note to talk to the girl about it later, maybe see if she wanted to explore the area more.
"So what can I do for you?" Melissa continued, interrupting Ochako's train of thought.
"I am not looking for anything today," Tenya explained. "I am merely exploring UA's options after the USJ. After all, I am impressed by the costumes of my classmates, particularly Midoriya's and Uraraka's. It would be wasteful to not see how I can improve my own when the time comes."
"I am actually wondering if you could help me, kero," Tsuyu began. "During the USJ, I had a problem with Todoroki's ice lowering the ambient temperature around us." She crossed her arms and shivered at the mere memory of what happened. "Since that could be a problem in the field, especially during the winter, I was wondering if you could help design some sort of thermal regulation for my suit."
"Todoroki did that huh…" Melissa mused as if she was thinking of something. Ochako winced internally and hoped they didn't make a mistake by telling the older girl about their classmates. "You'd think the son of Endeavor would be more careful."
"Indeed." Tenya chopped a hand through the air and landed it on his open palm. "While he is powerful, he is a lone wolf! It is again the exact opposite of how Tensei operates the Idaten Agency!"
"That was the second time he acted alone, and it caused a problem." Tsuyu tilted her head and placed a finger on her mouth as she thought about it. "Actually, he was called out both times by the Midoriyas."
"Izuku's got another project already?" Melissa asked Ochako, a light tone floating behind her question.
"Yep!" Ochako replied with a far-too-wide smile that quickly faded. "Although… it might take a while to get through to him."
"That's… a little sad," Melissa said.
Tenya raised his arm to emote while he responded, only to pause midair as he registered Melissa's words. "Sad?" His arm lowered itself back to his side. "What do you mean?"
"Well, don't you ever feel…" Melissa paused, searching for the right word. "Pressured by the weight of expectations? After all, you've got a history of heroics in your family, plus your older brother. Doesn't that feel like a lot to you?"
"No," Tenya replied with uncharacteristic softness. "I can't say that I do. I wish to honor my family and will strive to be the best hero I can be, but I do so because that is what I choose to be."
"I see." Melissa gave him a tight smile. "I guess you're lucky then."
"What do you mean, kero?"
Melissa shook her head. "I guess I'm just… My dad's leaving some big shoes for me to fill, and I don't want to disappoint him. I'm wondering if that's why Todoroki's acting the way he is."
"I never thought of it that way," Tsuyu said, tilting her head as she thought about it.
"Nevermind." Melissa shook her head and offered the three first years an apologetic smile. "I've wasted enough of your time. Why don't you step into my lab and we can discuss what you want done?"
After spending time letting Tenya look through her portfolio and discussing potential upgrades with Tsuyu, Melissa and Ochako said their goodbyes to the pair. They watched as their fellow students left, waiting until the door fully closed behind them before they turned to each other.
"Ok, so now that we're alone, do you mind explaining how you're breaking my gear?" Melissa asked jokingly.
Ochako felt her face heat up slightly as she set her case on the workstation. "I wasn't pushing myself if that's what you're asking. At least, I wasn't pushing myself harder than Izu was. But when we ran the diagnostics afterwards well…"
Ochako reached into the case and grabbed the gauntlet with the built-in control panel and offered it to the third year. Melissa snatched it out of her hands. Walking it over to the other end of the station, she hooked it up to her computer and started typing. Moments later, a holographic image appeared displaying the status of all of Ochako's equipment.
"I see," Melissa said as she looked at the numbers. "Your full gauntlet's suffering far more strain than it should be under normal operating conditions."
"Yep!" Ochako said with a far-too-bright smile. Rubbing the back of her head, she looked at the older girl sheepishly. "I think I know what happened though."
"Oh?"
Nodding, Ochako turned toward the diagram. "This was the first time I used both Heavy Gravity and One For All at the same time."
"I see." Melissa steepled her fingers in front of her as she stared at the readings. "If that's what caused this, that could be a problem. After all, the gauntlet's designed to contain One For All's power, but if that power is amplified by your Heavy Gravity…"
"That means I can't use as much of it," Ochako finished the sentence for her friend.
"Exactly."
Ochako sighed. "Is there a way to fix it?"
"Not yet, but that hasn't stopped me before!" Melissa exclaimed brightly. "We always knew we'd have to reinforce the material as you and Izuku got reacclimated to One For All." Her eyes darted to the readings. "This just means we need to push the timetables a little bit."
"Won't that be risky?" Ochako asked nervously.
"A little bit," Melissa admitted before balling her fists in front of her. "But I swear I'll figure it out!"
"I know you will." Ochako smiled at the older girl. "In the meantime, is it safe to keep using this gear?"
"Yep!" Melissa smiled brightly at Ochako. "Just keep your Galactic Shroud levels down if you're mixing it with Heavy Gravity, otherwise you'll risk breaking the gear."
"Of course that means Izu's gonna have the advantage," Ochako grumbled.
"Is that a problem?"
"Not at all!" Ochako smiled far-too-brightly for Melissa's liking. "We just have a few friendly competitions going on, that's all!"
"Ehe," Melissa laughed nervously. Giving her a wobbly smile she unhooked the gauntlet from her equipment. "I've got no idea what's going on between the two of you, and some days, I think I prefer it that way."
"Eee… It's not like that!" Ochako raised her hands defensively as her face heated up.
"Sure it's not," Melissa teased as she offered the younger girl her gauntlet. "Do you need anything else from me?"
"Not right now!" Ochako said quickly as she snatched the equipment back and roughly shoved it back into her case. Closing her eyes and taking several steadying breaths, she looked at her friend. "But maybe we should go out sometime?"
"Go out?"
"Yeah! I know you're still settling in, but maybe we can invite Himi and Jiro and go out for an evening?"
Melissa let out a soft gasp, before giving her friend a warm smile. "I think I'd like that. Staying cooped up in my apartment can get kind of boring."
"I'll talk to the others then," Ochako promised.
"I'm looking forward to it!"
"I'd better get going," Ochako continued as she gently closed her case. "Gotta make sure Izu and All Might didn't think up anything too crazy while I left them alone." She giggled at her own joke.
Melissa laughed in response. "Tell uncle Might I said hi!"
"I will," Ochako promised. "See you later!"
"Later." Melissa watched as Ochako walked to the door. "And thanks."
After a calm weekend to cap off their eventful first week, the students of 1-A returned to school on Monday for what would hopefully be a much less eventful week.
Unfortunately for Izuku and Ochako, they found their hopes were swiftly dashed as they approached the door to their classroom and heard a certain loud pair of voices coming from inside.
"Oh no," they both exclaimed. Turning toward each other, they both shared a resigned smile before Izuku grasped the door handle.
"Ready?"
"No," Ochako admitted. "But there's no point in waiting."
Nodding, Izuku slid the door open to reveal half of their classmates hanging around the room. However, everyone's attention was on the pair of recently-recovered classmates that stood in front of the teacher's desk. There, Aika and Bakugo stood with their arms crossed as they glared at each other.
Izuku looked at Ochako, hoping that maybe they could sneak away from the inevitable confrontation. But no such luck.
"Oi! Deku!" Bakugo called out, already facing the duo.
Freezing, Izuku turned his attention toward their classmate. "Yes?"
Bakugo stomped toward the pair and stopped less than a meter away, jabbing a finger at Izuku.
"You– Look." Bakugo closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them to glare at Izuku. "I'm still gonna be number one! Just because you've got a quirk and a girlfriend now doesn't change that!"
"And what about–"
"I'm getting to that, damn it!" Bakugo balled his hand into a fist. "If someone like you thinks you can be number one with a social life that just means I'm gonna have the best social life, too!"
Izuku opened his mouth to make sure it wasn't just bluster, but all that came out was an undignified squeak as he heard the words he had been dreading all year.
"Wait!" Mina hopped off the desk she was sitting on. "You mean to tell me the two of you are dating?!"
"Oh thank the kami," Aika breathed a sigh of relief. "I wasn't the one to spill the secret."
"Aika!" Ochako shot her friend a look of betrayal.
"It wasn't me!" Aika held a hand to her chest. "Blasty there told everyone! If he figured it out, then everyone was bound to find out sooner or later!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Bakugo demanded as he spun around to face their songstress classmate.
"I knew it!" Toru exclaimed. "Those two were way too comfortable around each other!"
"So how long?" Mina asked, closing the gap between them until she got between Bakugo and Izuku. "I want deets."
"Umm…" Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he looked at Ochako nervously. "Since last summer. We actually… got together the same day Himi did."
"Aww, that means you're middle school sweethearts!" From the position of her uniform, everyone could tell her hands were clasped in front of her.
"That's adorable!" Mina said. "Getting together the same day as your sister! It must have been so cute!"
"Ehe…"
"Is that why your quirks appear to be so similar?" Momo asked curiously, breaking into the conversation. "Because you've trained a lot together?"
"Yep!" Ochako said a little too loudly as she leaned into Izuku's side. Smiling at her boyfriend, she gave him a content smile. "When we found out my gravity manipulation could be used a lot like Izu's energy manipulation quirk, we spent a lot of time trying to figure out if we could do what the other person could." She smirked at her boyfriend. "My quirk's still better though."
"Hey," Izuku protested. "I'm still a fan of being able to create Blackwhip! Plus I did figure out how to fly eventually."
"Ugh," Katsuki scoffed. "Get a room, you two. Just because everyone knows now doesn't mean we want to see it."
Ochako opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by the sound of their teacher.
"I should expel all of you," the tired voice of Aizawa announced. As one, twenty faces turned to see their teacher standing behind his desk as he surveyed the room. "You were so interested in gossip that I managed to make it to my desk without anyone noticing. What would have happened to you if I were a villain?"
As one, the students all scrambled to sit down at their desks, reaching them in record time. Letting out a resigned sigh, Aizawa started giving the morning announcements, ready to begin the school week.
AN: "And everyone else is on the way to a full recovery," The young man named Hira said.
"That's something at least," Homura let out a loud sigh.
"If I may be so bold as to ask, how are you doing?"
Homura let out a small gasp before she looked at the man who had become the unofficial medic of their ragtag band.
Of course he'd see right through me.
"I miss him," She admitted, before she forced herself to smile. "But I'll get through it. I've gotta be strong."
For Tomura. For all of you.
"I know you will," Hira reached out a hand and gently placed it on her shoulder. "Just remember, we're all here for you. Just say the word."
"Thank you. It's just…" she let out a frustrated sigh. "I know the right answer is to wait and come up with a plan but…"
"Impatience doesn't suit you," Hira interjected. "Better to leave that to your brother."
"You're right," For a brief moment Homura's smile turned genuine. She then took a deep breath and slammed her mask back into place. "Going against All Might and the heroes will be extremely dangerous, especially now that they know of our existence. We will have to be careful if we want to get Tomura back."
"I'm sure you'll find a way," Hira said.
Homura looked over at the pile of portfolios on her makeshift desk, a combination of material sent over from Sensei and the information broker Giran. "It's only a matter of time."