AN: Thanks for reading and all of the reviews!
DestructiveDragon360 - I'm sure Overhaul's gonna rethink his life and retire peacefully…
Ultimate10 - In Izuku's defense, he hasn't been in the hospital since Himiko stabbed him!
Chaoscontrol85 - guess you'll have to wait and see what Overhaul decides to do.
SwordOfTheGods - Thanks! I enjoyed writing them fighting together, and they've spent a lot of time since OFA practicing together for that reason.
SonicMax - Not a fair trade, but what's the fun in the good guys just winning everything without any setback?
After the adrenaline left the heroes, the pain reminded Izuku and Ochako of their injuries. They pulled out medical supplies from their belts, and with the help of the heroes, performed first aid to staunch the bleeding. Despite their best efforts, All Might caught Izuku visibly wincing when he tried to stand. All Might reached out to steady his successor.
"Young err… Deku, are you ok?"
"I've had worse," Izuku admitted.
"Here, let me help." Ochako reached out and touched Izuku, removing his gravity as she held onto his arm. "You can float alongside me."
"Thanks, Graviton," Izuku said gratefully.
"How about you?" All Might asked the dragoon hero.
"A few scrapes and bruises, but nothing I haven't had before," Ryukyu said, looking at the other two. "They took the brunt of it."
"I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner. I misjudged my own strength and collapsed a tunnel while Mimic was sending me on a wild chase!" All Might admitted sheepishly.
"Oh… Is it because of Eri?"
"Indeed." All Might lowered his voice. "While I was aware of how much weaker I am now, I was not prepared to suddenly have a healthy body again."
"That's understandable," Ochako assured him. "Think about how much easier things will be now!"
"Indeed! I can't wait to eat real food again! I know just the steakhouse that I will be visiting soon! And I can't wait to taste Inko's cooking!"
"Mom?" Izuku suddenly felt panic settling in. "Oh crap!"
"What is it young- Oh. Oh no," All Might murmured.
"What's the problem?" Ryukyu asked, unsure of what the sudden concern was.
"It's nothing!" Izuku said a little too quickly.
"I have recently been spending a lot of time with In- with Deku's mother," All Might admitted sheepishly. Izuku was glad for the helmet since he felt his face heating up.
"Let me guess, she doesn't know you're All Might?" the dragoon hero asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"No. I have been visiting her in my capacity as a future teacher at UA."
"Well, hopefully, she is an understanding woman."
"I believe she is," All Might said. Izuku nodded his head rapidly in agreement. "I would have preferred to explain things to her under better circumstances, however. Well, no time like the present!"
"Y-yeah, guess so!" Izuku stuttered loudly. Ryukyu just smiled at the antics she was witnessing. It served as a nice reminder that underneath his public persona, All Might was still a normal person.
They had almost made it back to the room where they descended into the catacombs when the four were intercepted by Sir Nighteye and a police officer.
"I believe we have a problem," Nighteye stated calmly as he turned toward Izuku and Ochako. "The press is here, so we need to find a way to get these two out of here without alerting them."
"Can't they just wait down here until they are gone?" All Might asks.
"Deku is hurt!" Ochako said, pointing to his arm where gauze was wrapped around a broken shard of stone. "We don't have that long to wait!"
"What about the sewers and service tunnels?" Izuku asked, pointing toward the collapsed wall where they entered. "If the Yakuza built these catacombs with exits, there has to be someplace to return to the surface nearby."
"Hmm, a valid point," Nighteye mused, weighing the options before he turned to the police officer. "Are you alright with the idea of escorting these two to the surface with me?"
"Yes sir," the officer replied. "Detective Tsukauchi told us to assist in any way we can."
"Excellent. Once we are on the surface we can arrange for transport." Nighteye turned to All Might. "And now, I believe you have some adoring fans waiting for you on the surface."
All Might laughed heartily. "I will give the press a good show! Come Ryukyu, the press will likely want to hear from the number nine hero as well!"
As the two heroes left, Izuku looked at Nighteye. "You seem oddly used to this."
NIghteye gave a coy smile to Izuku. "I've worked with All Might for years hunting some of the most dangerous villains in Japan. This isn't the first time we've had to conduct operations under the noses of the press."
"I didn't know that."
"That's the point! Well then, let's get going."
Once again Ochako activated Smoke, filling the room with a dense fog of smoke as the four crossed the room to the exit on the far side. Using Heavy Gravity, Ochako broke the door with ease and they entered a service tunnel. Borrowing a flashlight, Nighteye led the way, and minutes later, they found a ladder to the surface.
Back above ground, they didn't have to wait long for a police car to pick up Izuku and Ochako.
"This is where I take my leave," Nighteye declared.
"You aren't coming with us?"
"Sadly, I need to return to the scene to finish the operation and also to ensure Toshinori visits the hospital once this is all done."
"He does seem like the type who wouldn't go unless someone made him," Ochako mused.
"Precisely! Don't worry, we'll join you soon."
Once they arrived at the hospital, Izuku and Ochako registered as victims of a villain attack and had their wounds treated. With nothing to do but wait as they sat in their beds, Izuku turned on the television to watch the news about the raid. Thankfully, Nighteye was correct and the focus was on All Might and Sir Nighteye reuniting after five years, as well as the presence of Ryukyu.
"I think we're clear," Izuku remarked, breathing a sigh of relief as he looked at his roommate.
"Not quite." Ochako watched, wide-eyed as she pointed to the screen.
Quickly looking at the screen, Izuku's eyes went wide as he saw the footage being shown of their entrance underground. "I guess using Smoke was the right call…"
"Y-yeah! Do you think anyone will wonder about the two mysterious heroes?"
"Most people don't care that much." Izuku pressed his free thumb to his lip. "Nighteye was correct in saying that most of the attention will be on All Might and Ryukyu, and most people won't even know or care about the full roster of heroes on the scene. However, the hero forums do have their dedicated fans, who try and track everyone at a large event such as this."
"You would know, wouldn't you," Ochako teased before she wore a serious look on her face. "Do you think it's anything we should worry about?"
Izuku shook his head. "They will probably try and solve the mystery of who we are, but as long as we lay low for a while, we should be safe. It's not like they'll let us do anything this publicly again, anyway."
"That's true." Ochako sighed in relief. "I guess it's Deku and Graviton's last hurrah, huh?"
It felt strange hearing the name Deku coming from Ochako. It was a lifetime ago when Uravity rehabilitated the insult, leading to him taking it as his hero name. But from the start Ochako was offended by the name, insisting on calling him Izuku. After knowing her for so long, the name felt strange to hear. He decided that he preferred her chosen nickname of Izu.
"Yeah, I guess so." Izuku smiled at her.
With the fear of discovery fading, Izuku turned into his usual fanboy self, happy to watch the interview and see All Might talking with the press, eventually pulling a smiling Sir Nighteye into the interview. This continued until they heard a knock on their door, and Nemuri came into the room, followed by Snipe, both in their civilian clothes.
"I see you two were over-eager today," Nemuri commented dryly as she set down the pair of duffel bags containing their clothes.
"Yeah," Izuku said quietly as he looked down at his bed. Ochako similarly found herself unable to look at the two teachers.
Nemuri saw the guilt on their faces and gave them a fond sigh. "You're still taking this hard aren't you?"
"We're in uncharted territory now," Izuku said softly. "Because we screwed up."
"We thought we could take him!" Ochako punched the bed, a scowl on her face.
"You two did what you could."
"But it wasn't good enough!" Izuku insisted.
"I'm sure Himiko would disagree." Nemuri crossed her arms. "And so would Eri."
The two sat in silent contemplation before the door burst open as the very topic of the conversation rushed into the room. "Izu! Chako! What the hell is going on?!" Himiko demanded.
"You told us you were going to UA," Inko added as she entered the room.
"Ocha - what aren't you telling us?" Miu asked her daughter as she entered.
"Well, it seems like you have quite a lot to talk about. I'll wait outside," Nemuri said as she turned around and left with Snipe, closing the door and letting the five have privacy.
"Izu, what's going on?" Inko asked as she sat down next to the bed, eyeing his bandaged arm and foot.
Izuku glanced at Ochako as they had their silent conversation.
We have to tell them.
Are you sure about this?
I'm tired of lying to them.
So am I. It's dangerous though!
If we can't trust our family, who can we trust?
With a heavy sigh, Ochako finally broke the silence. "Alright, Izu. But I want dad to join us before we tell them."
"Tell us what?" Miu asked.
"We'll explain exactly what's been going on ever - ever since the week when I visited UA," Izuku said quietly.
Inko frowned, deep in thought before she turned toward Miu. "That was the week that you received a contract offer, wasn't it?"
"It was." Miu looked at her daughter. "This is related to that, isn't it?"
"Yes," Ochako confessed, taking a deep breath before looking her mother in the eye. "It's not bad. I promise! It just- it's a lot, and I don't think this is the right place to discuss it."
"Izu…" Himiko looked at the boy she considered her brother. "Can you at least tell us what you were doing today? Why were you in a freaking police raid against the yakuza?"
"We were saving a little girl," Izuku revealed. "She was being tortured by the boss of the organization."
"Her name is Eri," Ochako added. "And ever since her quirk came in, she'd been treated like a lab rat."
A dark expression came over Himiko, as everyone could tell she was remembering her traumatic past. "Did you get her out?"
"Yes, she's safe," Izuku assured her. "She's probably somewhere else in the hospital."
"Are we going to have another addition to the family?" Inko asked, deadly serious.
"No!" Izuku shook his head vigorously. "She- she doesn't know how to use her quirk, and it's extremely dangerous because of that. So she will be under the care of a hero who can help her control her quirk." He couldn't tell if his mom was relieved or disappointed by the news.
"Are you two going to have problems with the vigilante laws?" Miu asked, concerned. "We saw you two…"
"Don't worry mom! We had permission!" Ochako said, a little too loudly. "For most of it, we were sitting in a van safe and sound! Just… At the very end, things happened and we went in."
"Ocha…" Her mom looked worried. "I saw All Might was there. If things were bad even with him around, what difference could the two of you make?"
"You'd be surprised," Ochako laughed nervously.
"I believe you. Just- it's scary to think about."
"It really is," Inko confirmed. "Getting a call that Izu was in the hospital the night Himi attacked him was terrifying." She looked at the two. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to it. But, this is the life they have chosen, and I told Izu that I'd support him, as long as he keeps coming back alive."
Miu looked between her friend and her daughter and sighed, wiping her eyes. "I guess we'll have something else in common, huh? I don't think Ocha's going to be any different."
Ochako shook her head, a guilty expression on her face. "No."
"How badly are you hurt?"
Ochako leaned forward and pulled up the pant leg of the hospital gown, revealing bandages along both of her legs. "A lot of cuts and scrapes, but nothing too deep. I'll have to cut down on my routine for a few weeks, but nothing major."
"What about you Izu?" Inko asked as she looked at his arm pointedly.
"I had to get staples in my arm," Izuku admitted sheepishly, "there was a pretty deep gash. And some spikes punctured the soles of my feet, so it'll be hard to walk for a few days." He waved his good arm in front of him defensively. "But nothing too bad! The doctor said I'll be fully recovered in a few weeks!"
Inko looked like she ate a lemon, but then she forced herself to smile as she took her son's hand. "Ok, Himi and I will do our best to help."
Himiko glared at Izuku who looked at her apologetically before she finally gave an exasperated groan. "Fine, I'll help too."
With the worst over, the five shifted to a lighter topic, dancing around the elephant in the room as best they could until they heard a knock on the door. Turning, they saw Nemuri poking her head in. "Have you worked it out?"
"For now," Izuku answered.
"We are going to wait until Katashi can join us tonight to finish the conversation," Inko explained.
Nemuri frowned at the two children, before sighing. "If that's how you want to do it. If you are done then, Sir Nighteye is here to see you."
Opening the door fully, she revealed the other hero as the pair stepped into the room before closing and securing the door.
"How did it go after we left?" Izuku asked nervously.
"It went smoothly, as to be expected." Mirai gave a nostalgic sigh. "I must say, it feels good to work alongside Toshinori again."
"How is he?"
Mirai gave Izuku a curious glance, before responding. "He is currently being examined. While it appears that Eri's quirk was a net positive for him, we don't know the full extent of the effects yet."
"Toshinori was there?" Inko asked, looking between Izuku and Mirai.
"He was, mom," Izuku said awkwardly. "He um, you would also know him by a different name."
"What do you mean?" Inko asked curiously.
Nighteye looked between Izuku and Ochako before he turned toward Inko. "I see, are you Inko Midoriya by any chance?"
"Yes, that's me."
"I believe Toshinori may want to explain this to you himself."
Inko got a worried look in her eyes. "When can I see him?"
"We can go wait for him if you would like."
"Yes please," Inko said, stepping toward Mirai.
"Are you two up for a trip?" Nighteye asked the two bedridden students.
"Yep!"
"I'll be a little slow, but yeah."
With the help of their respective mothers, Izuku and Ochako eased themselves out of their beds and stood up. Inko offered Izuku a pair of crutches that he reluctantly accepted, and then they left the hospital room. They followed Mirai through the hospital to a different wing, where he knocked on a door and opened it, briefly conversing with someone inside. Finally, he opened the door fully, allowing the group inside. There, they saw All Might sitting in bed in a hospital gown, a smile on his face until he saw Inko.
"All Might?" Inko asked in confusion.
"Hello, Inko. I guess I have a bit of explaining to do?" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Inko…" Inko's eyes went wide at the familiarity. "Toshinori? But- but how?"
"Five years ago I was seriously injured, destroying most of my stomach and one of my lungs, which eventually led me to the state you were familiar with," Toshinori softly explained. "It had the benefit of being a perfect disguise when I didn't want people to know who I really was."
"But how-"
"Through a combination of contorting my body and using my quirk, I was able to hold this form for a limited amount of time each day."
Inko's eyes began watering. "With the condition you were in, it's hard to imagine you fighting like that."
"I did what had to be done."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Truthfully, I had meant to tell you the truth when the time was right. But I was scared. You were the first person to truly know me as Toshinori Yagi, and not as All Might. I didn't want to lose that." He chuckled awkwardly. "But due to young Eri, I guess I don't have a choice now."
Inko couldn't help herself as she cried earnestly. "Oh, Toshi-"
Toshinori pushed himself out of the bed and slowly approached Inko. "I know this is a lot to take in, but I don't want to let the fact that I am also All Might change things. I truly have been enjoying the time we spent together. If you will let me, I would still like to spend time with you - as Toshinori. "
"Yes!" Inko suddenly leaped at Toshinori, who easily caught her and held her against him. "I've been enjoying my time with Toshinori. And now, knowing you are All Might… Everything you said- everything you did- now makes so much more sense."
Miu just watched in shock. "Toshinori is All Might?" She looked at her daughter. "Did you know?"
"We all did," Ochako sheepishly said. Izuku and Himiko both nodded their heads in agreement.
"Those times we had him over for dinner- we had All Might over for tea?!" Miu exclaimed.
"Ah yes, Mrs. Uraraka. My apologies for keeping this secret from you as well," Toshinori said awkwardly as he maneuvered to the sink to grab a handful of paper towels. "I hope this doesn't make things too uncomfortable the next time we get together."
"N-no! Not at all!" Miu quickly exclaimed. "We'd be honored to have you over!"
"Please, don't go out of your way for me."
"I'll make sure they don't!" Ochako quickly promised, grabbing her mom's arm. "Right mom?"
"Y-yes, of course," Miu said, still looking at Japan's number one hero in awe.
Nighteye coughed pointedly. "Now that introductions have been made. Toshinori, did the exam reveal anything?"
"Not at all!" Toshinori exclaimed as he gently sat Inko down and offered her the stack of paper towels, which she gladly accepted. "They estimate I am a good fifteen to twenty years younger, and more importantly, that my injury has been fully healed! Their only concern was that I ease myself back onto solid foods, simply because I have been on a liquid diet for so long, they don't know how my body will respond."
"That's a relief." Mirai gave his mentor a genuine smile. "You may have to hold off on that steakhouse for a bit longer."
"A shame, but soon, they won't know what hit them!"
"No, they won't," Mirai agreed.
After Inko and Miu had time to recover from the revelation that the Toshinori Yagi that they had gotten to know was All Might, they had one more person to visit. Following Mirai, he led them to another room where Detective Tsukauchi waited outside. Pulling him aside, Nighteye encouraged the other five to enter the room.
Ochako hesitantly knocked on the door, and they saw Shota open the door, a tired look on his face. "You want to see Eri?"
"If she's up for it, yeah," Ochako said softly.
Shota's head disappeared behind the door as he asked a question before the door opened fully. "Come on in."
Izuku and Ochako entered the room first to see a much younger Eri than they had remembered sitting in the bed with Emi hovering nearby. She turned her head to see the people entering the room. "Are they also heroes?"
"Yep!" Emi cheerily replied. "These are the two I told you about. The ones who led us to you!"