AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews, everyone!
Toshinori lay there with his eyes closed as he heard the massive ring moving up and down his body as it performed its scan. When he heard the telltale whirr of the equipment withdrawing he opened his eyes and watched as the machinery withdrew to its housing. Sitting upright, he slid off the table and looked across the room at David.
Seeing the thumb's up from his friend, he crossed the room to discuss his results. "So how is it?"
"Not good," David said with a frown.
He began typing on the keyboard, and the two looked up as a bar graph appeared on the screen, the numbers showing a steady decline over the past several years until the data point from three months ago. After that, the decline became sharper.
"You've been pushing yourself, haven't you?" David asked as he examined the data. "You've been managing One For All's decline by limiting your daily heroics, but now…"
"I assure you, I'm doing less heroics than I ever have," Toshinori explained, raising his hands defensively.
"How long are you spending every day as All Might when you teach your students?" David asked pointedly.
Toshinori stiffened. "I… spend about two hours a day while I'm teaching."
"I see," David closed his eyes and pushed up his glasses to massage his nose. When he was done he adjusted his glasses and looked at Toshinori. "So even though you're spending less time as an active hero, you are still spending more time a day in your muscle form than you should be!"
"I thought if I was careful and limited my activity while at UA, it wouldn't affect me so drastically."
"Well, the scans are telling a different story."
"What should I do?" Toshinori asked helplessly. In truth, he knew what the answer was, but he was still desperate for another option.
"Well, you have two options. The first is to let your students know the truth about your injury, and why you are teaching them in your normal form. The second is that you reduce your heroics even further."
"There's no other way?"
"Toshi-" David looked at his friend with growing frustration. "Don't you care about your students? Don't you care about Mel?"
"David…"
"Sorry," David held up a hand apologetically. "That was selfish of me. But what about the boy you're training to be your successor, Izuku? He needs you, even more than Mel does."
Toshinori looked up at the diagrams. "At this rate, there wouldn't be much One For All left for young Midoriya by the time he's ready." He turned toward his friend again. "But what about Japan? If I spend any less time as All Might than I already am, people will begin to notice."
He couldn't help but worry about the implications. For nearly forty years, he had been a beacon of hope to Japan. Most of today's active heroes weren't even born when he rose to power and began pushing the darkness of All For One's reign of terror.
If people noticed he was less active…
David sighed. "Wouldn't it be better for everyone to prepare for your eventual retirement now? I know you said you're going to retire when Izuku graduates and five years feels like a long way off, but shouldn't the country prepare for that?"
"Perhaps," Toshinori mused.
"And it's not like I'm asking you to give up heroics completely. You could just tell people you are spending time helping raise the next generation of heroes. When you retire in five years, you'll already be setting the record for the longest unbroken length of service as a hero."
"Have I?"
"Hmph," David gave a wry smile as he crossed his arms. "Of course you wouldn't know something like that. I looked it up. The current holder is 41 years of active service, thanks to their super regeneration quirk. You're set to pass that easily by the time Mel and Izuku have graduated."
"But Japan…"
"Toshi, your time is limited as it is, and you're getting weaker. What happens if a villain gets lucky? Catches you as you run out of time?"
Toshinori winced. "I assure you I'm not that far-"
"You're not that far gone now," David thrust his finger accusingly at the screen. "But how long until you are? And we still don't know what will happen to your time limit when you give One For All to Izuku in six months!"
Toshinori swallowed the lump in his throat as images of Nana's death, of the island disappearing in a kaleidoscope of lights, flashed through his mind. What David was describing was far less dramatic, but it would affect far more people than her death did.
Wouldn't it be better to try and prevent that from happening?
"How much time do I have daily?" All Might asked.
David's expression softened. "By my calculations, you can hold your muscle form for a little under four hours a day."
"If I'm careful, I may be able to get my time at UA down to ninety minutes," Toshinori mused. "Which gives me two hours of heroics daily. Although if the situation calls for it, I will have to push myself."
"I would advise against it," David crossed his arms, a wry smile on his face. "But I know that won't stop you if lives are at stake."
Toshinori chuckled. "You know me too well."
"Just don't overdo it, ok? For the sake of those kids - and all of your students."
"I won't," Toshinori promised.
Toshinori had spent most of his flight back to Japan trying to decide how to best break the news to the public. With him only being active for two hours a day, people were bound to notice something had changed. He'd spent enough time dealing with the press to know that if he didn't give them any information, then they would gladly speculate, attempting to fill in the blanks for themselves.
It would be for the best if he got ahead of that.
Entering his office at the top of Might Tower, Toshinori sat down at his desk. Pulling out a pen and a pad of paper, he began putting together the notes for an announcement.
Several hours and many failed attempts later, Toshinori held up the notepad, smiling in success as he accidentally knocked several crumpled pieces of paper to the floor. Gently placing the pad of paper down, he swept the failures into the trash before pressing a button on his phone, paging his secretary.
"Is there something you need, All Might?"
"Yes," Toshinori eyed the speech sitting on his desk. "I need you to arrange a press conference, I have an important announcement to make."
"I've got it!" Izuku called out as he heard a knock on the door. Standing up, he raced over to the door and opened it, revealing the worried face of Melissa.
"I didn't miss it, did I?" Melissa asked.
"Nope!" Izuku shook his head. "We've got another twenty minutes before it starts."
"Great!" Melissa's face morphed into a smile as she stepped inside. Quickly removing her shoes, she followed Izuku into the living room, before looking around in confusion. "Where's Ochako?"
"Her mom needed her this afternoon," Izuku explained. "She said she'd watch the stream on her computer."
"Oh," Melissa felt a mixture of relief and disappointment. On one hand, it'll be easier to talk about One For All without her there, on the other hand, she enjoyed the girl's company. While she was growing to become friends with Nejire, the other girl still felt distracted and distant, while Ochako was just so easy for her to talk to.
As Melissa and Izuku arranged themselves on opposite ends of the couch, Inko came out of the kitchen, a smile on her face and two glasses of water in her hands.
"How are you doing Melissa?"
"Great! Thanks for letting me come over on short notice. I'd much rather watch this on television than stream it on my computer."
"You're always welcome here," Inko said, her eyes darting to her son's face as she saw his cheeks heating up. She had hoped that after three months he would be more comfortable around the girls, but he was still easily flustered by the idea of them spending time with him.
Well, at least he was improving.
The two girls have done wonders to bring him out of his shell so far, so she'll do her best to continue encouraging him. They were both wonderful friends to him, especially in contrast to Katsuki.
"Thanks!" Melissa took the offered glass and drank half of it immediately. "I've been meaning to ask if I could bring my consoles over sometime and hook them up, but I don't want to impose…"
"I-if you trust me to take care of them!" Izuku stammered out in surprise.
Melissa put a hand over her mouth as she giggled. "Izuku, All Might and I trusted you with two of the most important secrets in the world. I think I can trust you not to mess up my video games."
"When you put it like that," Izuku rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, I'll leave you two alone then," Inko placed the second glass of water on the table. "Will you be staying for dinner?"
"Yes please!" Melissa smiled at the woman. "Your cooking is wonderful!"
"Thank you," Inko smiled at the compliment. "I have a few things to finish up for work, so I'll be in my office if you need me."
Standing in the empty hallway, Toshinori looked down at his notes one last time. They felt heavy in his hands, as he truly felt the weight of his position as the Symbol of Peace.
The more he thought about it, the more he knew David was right though. It was time to trust the future to the next generation - to Izuku and Melissa, and to students like young Ochako, Rika, and Tamaki, who have all shown themselves to be strong and more than capable with their own quirks.
Taking a deep breath he called upon One For All and transformed into the smiling form of All Might. Walking down the hallway, he pushed open the heavy door to meet the press, their cameras already flashing.
"There he is!" Izuku said excitedly as All Might came out of the doorway.
The two students sat in utter silence as their mentor and hero came out of the door with his signature smile and waved at the cameras before he walked up to the podium and began speaking.
"Is this thing on?" All Might looked around the room before flashing a thumbs-up to someone in the crowd. "Perfect!"
His posture relaxed as he set down the papers he was holding, and looked out to the crowd.
"For the past forty years, I have served Japan both as a hero, and as the Symbol of Peace. I have fought many foes, helped in countless disaster recovery and rescue operations, and saved many lives. I wish to assure you all that I hope to continue doing so for many more years to come."
Izuku and Melissa felt themselves filled with nervous energy at his words, an energy mirrored by the murmurs they heard from the crowd on the screen.
"However! I also know that I'm not immortal. And someday I will step down from my role. When that time comes, I want Japan to be ready. I want the heroes of Japan, and all of the brilliant students currently studying at the schools and academies across the country, to be prepared for when that day comes. I have already taken the first step - by becoming a teacher at Japan's prestigious UA High School. There, I teach first-year students the fundamentals of what it means to be a hero, instilling in them a strong foundation to build upon."
All Might paused for effect, and everyone, in the crowd and the living room, waited with bated breath for his next words.
"Over the past few months, I've tried to continue being a full-time hero, as well as a full-time teacher. It was easy at first, but over time, I've found it harder and harder to balance both. And I found myself at a crossroads. Do I continue as a full-time hero, and neglect my students - Japan's future Heroes? Or do I become a full-time teacher - raising the next generation of Heroes - and trust in Japan's heroes to pick up where I've left off?"
"I am here to announce that I have decided the latter option is the best. I'm going to focus on my duties as a teacher, and ensure that the students under my care have the best education they can possibly have. Now, what does this mean for my role as Japan's number one hero?" All Might chuckled lightly. "Ideally nothing! However, I will be reducing my patrols and time spent on active duty. In addition, I will focus my efforts more on assisting heroes and solving cases where I am specifically requested."
All Might pointed to the camera. "Even though I will be serving as a hero in a reduced capacity, I know Japan will be okay. Why? Because They Are There. The brave heroes of Japan, from Endeavor down to the lowest sidekick, will still be operating at their fullest potential. All of them will assist me in keeping Japan safe. And soon enough, they will be joined by the brightest students Japan has to offer, helping carry us into the future."
All Might gave the camera a reassuring smile. "Now then, are there any questions?"
Back in the living room, the two teenagers sat entranced by what they just heard.
"All Might is…"
"...going to focus on teaching…"
The two turned to look at each other, both feeling the weight of Japan on their shoulders. "...us!"
From inside his agency, Yoroi Musha watched the press conference with his secretary. As the speech wrapped up and All Might began to take questions, he raised the remote, turning off the screen before slowly turning to his assistant.
"I believe it is time to hang up my sword and armor."
"Are you sure about that sir?"
Yoroi turned back to the black screen of the television. "Absolutely. I have been a hero for nearly as long as All Might. If he has decided it is time to step aside for the younger generations, perhaps it is for the best that I do the same."
His assistant had a sad look on his face but bobbed his head. "Understood sir. Shall I prepare the paperwork?"
"Yes," Yoroi stood up with a heavy sigh. "I will get started on a speech."
Sorahiko Torino turned off the television in disgust.
"Damn it, Toshi. Why didn't you tell me you were going to do this?"
With a weary sigh, Torino hopped out of his chair and made his way to an old filing cabinet. "Taking a job at UA was the smartest thing you could have done, but now this? I wanted to enjoy my retirement, damn it."
Wrenching open the top drawer with more force than necessary, Tornio began leafing through the old documents until he found what he was looking for. Pulling out a yellowing folder, he opened it and was satisfied to find his teaching certificate. Attached to the certificate was a post-it note with a phone number scrawled across it.
"Well, didn't think I'd ever be needing you again, but good thing I kept you." Torino slammed the cabinet shut and sat down at his desk. "I wonder if I can convince them to let me kick Toshi in the head as a signing bonus."
Picking up his phone, Torino began dialing the number. It rang for longer than he was expecting, but eventually he heard the other end pick up.
"Hey Nezu, it's Gran Torino. I just saw what my idiot student did on the news…"
Bakugo slammed his fist against the coffee table, punctuating it with an explosion.
"Hey, don't explode the furniture!" Mitsuki called out from the other room.
"Can it, old hag!" Bakugo shot back before looking at the television in disbelief.
All Might… was stepping back.
"All Might - what happened?" Bakugo asked. "You're supposed to be stronger than this!" He yelled at the television as he began to rise. "I- I'm not ready yet!"
Bakugo looked down at his hands. "Stronger - if All Might isn't there to be the Number One hero, I'm going to have to be the strongest there is!" He held a fist in front of him. "I'll show everyone what a real hero looks like!"
Bakugo looked at the television, fierce determination on his face. "I promise you, All Might. I'll take care of Japan for you!"
Shoto Todoroki stood outside the family's dojo, hearing roaring flame and crashing inside. He wasn't sure why his father was as upset as he was - All Might stepping back gave him a chance to show everyone what he was capable of, and finally, claim the spot of Japan's number one hero.
So why was he so angry?
"Is everything ok?" Fuyumi asked as she walked up behind Shoto.
Shoto turned around to face his sister. "I'm not sure."
"He's been in there ever since we heard the news."
"There's been a lot of loud noises," Shoto admitted. As if to emphasize his point, the pair heard a loud crash coming from inside.
The pair stared at the door and hoped that their father was ok.
Inside the dojo, Enji Todoroki stared at the destroyed dummies and smashed equipment, scorch marks along the wall. Lowering himself to the ground, he sat on his knees and surveyed the damage.
"All Might… I've been chasing you all my life. What is the point of getting stronger if you are just going to retire before me? How can you just quit while I'm so far behind? I'm… too much has happened to stop now. Touya…"
All For One lowered his hand, his face split wide in a grin.
"I knew it!" He declared triumphantly. "All Might is getting weaker!"
As if on cue, a small screen appeared on his monitor and displayed the face of his trusted assistant Doctor Garaki. "I take it you heard the news?"
"Indeed I did! This is excellent news!"
"How? You still haven't fully recovered from your last battle with him!"
"But this means that he hasn't either. He's finally been forced to choose a successor. Why else would he settle down and become a teacher?"
"But Tomura isn't ready yet."
"No, but that doesn't mean we can't take advantage of the situation," All For One grinned.
"You already have a plan?"
"Of course! We will begin searching for his successor and finding them. And in the meantime–" All For One chuckled. "-we will dedicate our resources to attacking heroes directly. With All Might's partial retirement fresh on everyone's mind, we will remind everyone of what it was like before his return to Japan. And then, when the time is right, we swoop in and take what is rightfully mine!"
"An excellent plan, as always. Do you need anything from me?"
"Accelerate the Nomu project. We need more manpower if we want to instill fear in the citizens of Japan."
"As you wish sir."
The light winked out, leaving All For One once again in silence. With a satisfied look on his face, he brought up the footage from UA's sports festival. It was the most likely place for All Might to hide his successor, after all. Starting with the final round, he brought up a match featuring Melissa Shield - daughter of All Might's support specialist. Due to her proximity to All Might she was his most likely suspect, but when he watched her match he noticed how much she relied on support gear.
All For One frowned at the image of her using a pair of gauntlets to regulate her quirk. Clearly, he was mistaken. And while the thought of taking the quirk from someone so close to All Might had its appeal, even if it wasn't One For All, the fact that she needed to use support gear wouldn't do for either himself or Tomura. Writing her off, he rewound the video and began focusing on her opponent instead.
Time seemed to stretch on forever as Izuku and Melissa stared at each other in shocked silence. Recovering first, Izuku noticed the girl's eyes misting up. Unsure what to do, he slid closer to her and carefully touched her arm, flinching back as she jumped.
"S-sorry!"
"No no, you're ok!" Melissa assured him as she took off her glasses to wipe her eyes. "I just–" she turned toward the television where All Might was busy answering questions.
"He didn't tell you any of this?"
"No," Melissa shook her head. "I haven't seen him since he got back from I-Island yesterday."
"I wonder why…" Izuku followed Melissa's gaze to the television. "Do you think he'll tell us tomorrow?"
"I hope so," Melissa said, a mixture of sadness and frustration leaking into her as she looked down. "I'm getting so tired of not knowing things."
"Not knowing?"
Melissa looked at Izuku and he could see her eyes beginning to mist up. "Do you remember how I said my future self gave me One For All?" She waited for Izuku to bob his head in affirmation before she continued. "Well, she didn't exactly tell me anything else. She made me promise to become the hero we always wanted to be, and then she took off. And then Uncle Toshi - well, he's helped me learn how to control One For All. But beyond that, he's mostly kept to himself."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Melissa shook her head and forced herself to smile. "I'll be ok, I just– promise me you'll never keep anything like this from me?"
"Of course!" Izuku said reflexively. "You've already trusted me with so much and I– I don't think I'll ever have anything like that."
Melissa let out a wet laugh. "Don't say that! I'm sure we're both going to have plenty of big important Hero Business secrets when we graduate!"
"It's ok! Because I trust you!"
Melissa gasped at hearing the words, her forced smile turning genuine as she looked at Izuku. "Thanks, Izuku."
"You're welcome," Izuku felt his face heating up as a treacherous thought entered his mind when he looked at the girl. "D-do you want a hug?"
"I'd love one!"
Melissa opened her arms wide and Izuku quickly scooted over to the other side of the couch. The two held each other, feeling their tension draining away before separating. Izuku fled just as quickly as his courage, scooting back across the couch. As he was moving, his eyes landed on his cell phone, sitting forgotten on the table in front of them.
"W-we should call Uraraka!" Izuku squeaked out. "I hope she took the news better than we did."
"Yeah, that sounds great!" Melissa once again took off her glasses as she dabbed the tears from her eyes.
Izuku picked up his phone and began dialing Ochako's number as Melissa instinctively scooted down the couch to sit next to him. After a few rings, Ochako picked up, her voice coming through the phone's speaker. "Midoriya! Did you hear the news?"
"Yeah!" Izuku bobbed his head, even though Ochako wouldn't see it. "Melissa and I both watched it and wanted to check in on you - I have you on speakerphone."
"Oh, okay! Hi Risa!"
"Hey Ochako," Melissa said softly.
"So how're you doing Izuku? I know how much All Might means to you."
Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "It's a lot to take in. I just… He's always been there!"
"Yeah!" Melissa added. "Even all the way out on I-Island, everyone knew about Un– All Might! But I'll take care of Izuku, what about you, Ochako?"
There was a long silence before Ochako finally answered. "I'm not really sure. It's like Midoriya said - he's always been there, ya know? And I know he's not gone yet, but this is the first time I've really thought about the fact that someday he will be."
"But we'll be there to step up when he does, right?" Izuku asked nervously.
"Right!" Melissa said a little too loudly. "If All Might's going to be working part-time, that just means we need to show Japan how awesome we are."
"Yeah, you're right!" Ochako said on the phone, confidence building in her voice.
As Izuku and Melissa shifted to lighter topics of conversation with Ochako, they missed the form of Inko as she peeked out of her office. She had been watching the feed on her computer and when she heard the news she went to check on the children. However, as she watched the scene unfold, she couldn't help but smile. Izuku and the two girls that were his first real friends were doing fine without her help, and she couldn't be happier for them.
Quietly, she closed her door and returned to her desk, sipping at her green tea to calm her nerves.
AN: Wow, that was some wild news coming out of Japan this week. I have faith in Japan's heroes though! And don't worry, Risa will be continuing her world tour and visit him before he retires! ~SupportGrrl47