There wasn't much to do the next couple of days, going to help out with a few of Bruce's charities while I was still there. Maybe if I helped others, I could ignore my own problems, making sure I stayed out of the publics eyes until the day came that I had to leave.

I'd missed too much school as is, and I had to hurry back. Apparently, there was some exam I had to make up, and I didn't want to miss retest.

Plane ride, taxi, pull up to the brand new dorms with my stuff, staring at the gate. It was hard to believe I'd never been to a single class, and yet I was still here, hanging on by a thread.

Scan my school ID, get my things x-rayed and sniffed and tested in ways I didn't understand, and I was allowed in, walking to the dorms so I could drop off my things and maybe get a nap before classes got out. There was no way I could sit through a lecture as tired as I was, heading up to the floor and room that was supposed to be mine, passing out as I flopped down on the bed.

It felt like a second had passed since my eyes closed when yelling from downstairs got me up and taking the stairs down, rubbing my tired eyes to see what was going on.

"Bakugou, if you're going to use the dishwasher, you must rinse the dishes first!" I could hear iida yelling before I saw him, looking into said dishwasher and putting it through another cycle.

"How was I supposed to know!? It's called a dishwasher, it's supposed to wash the dishes!" He roared back, both of them refusing to back down.

"Hey, I wonder when Midoriya gets back." I called, turning transparent and floating over them, Iida looking around to see who called out before speaking.

"You heard sensei. He's coming back today." He told them, his voice getting progressively higher as I willed a little bit of me over to him, waiting until I was in position upside down next to Iida and Bakugou to let them see me

Most of them jumped, although Bakugou looked annoyed. Tokoyami became the only one who didn't let his outward appearance change. If I couldn't clearly see him, I'd have thought it was him who had moved away, behind Shoji, where I couldn't see them.

"Didja miss me? Come on, I know ya did." I joked, already working on maneuvering myself back on my feet.

"Dude, how long have you been here?" Mina asked, and I shrugged, pulling out my pocket watch to check.

"Honestly, I don't know. I got back and passed out in my bed as soon as I did. I've still got to unpack." I admitted, taking in their faces. Clearly, I'd missed something. They'd grown again, and I'd been left behind.

The door to the dorms opened, the skeletal man walking inside with a smile.

"Ah, Young Midoriya, long time no see kid. I'd hate to drag you away from your classmates already, but I'd like a word in private."

All Might, one of the world's most revered heroes and founding members of the Justice Leagues International branch, wanted a private word with me? I mean, I was the guy who'd intervened in his fight and helped him, so it wasn't like I hadn't expected something like this.

"Sure, no problem." I told him, excusing myself from my class and following him outside.

"So, what's goin' on? Alien invasion? Hostel takedown? Do you need me to make some flowers for your girlfriend?" I asked, less serious than I should be, more serious than I wanted to be.

"Do you remember what I told you while you rested in the hospital? That I would make it my mission to make you shine brighter than I ever did? I wouldn't blame you for forgetting. It was a very eventful time." He told me, and I could see how serious he was about this.

"Yeah, but let's face it, I'm not exactly the kind of guy who's gonna be a top hero." I replied, and he stuck his arm out, stopping me.

"Listen to me. There is not much time left in my old body. My power, it's unique, able to be passed to another. Our battle with All-For-One, you showed me that you are willing to do whatever it takes to stop evil and protect others. Seeing you stand up to your father, willing to do whatever it took to win, it showed me that you are a worthy successor to my power."

Well, that was certainly a reveal, and I had no idea how to reply, standing there with my mouth agape.

"You don't have to answer now, but you must give me one soon, or I'll assume you do not want it." He told me, and I had to think about it, trying to get a grip of the information he'd given me until I could finally think.

"You trust me with that kind of power? I mean, I'm the son of the All-For-One, and my adopted moms are Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Do you really trust me to be the guy who carries the torch?" I asked quietly, hating the way I felt to when I questioned myself. I wasn't good enough. I knew I wasn't.

He moved, looking me in the eyes as he spoke now, and I could see that even with his sunken eyes and skinny frame, he held power deep inside. Besides that, I could hear the sincerity in his voice.

"I believe you are the perfect person to take my power. You showed incredible bravery and intuition during the battle. I don't just believe you're the one I wish for you to take my power, I know you're the one who should."

Words felt strange, my brain buzzing with the feeling that All Might of all people considered me the kind of person who could be a big name hero, that I was the person who could take his power and make it my own.

"When I started this hero thing, it was my way of making up for my sins. Now? It's the path I take to save others. Now, it's because I have the power, and it's my responsibility to use it for others. If you think I can do it, if I'm the right guy, then I accept your offer."

He buffed up, and I couldn't believe the night and day of his forms, but I didn't think too much about it. I'm sure I could walk past Superman on the street without recognizing him.

"Good. You're already in good health and have a good build, but we'll need to bulk you up a bit more, just to make sure your limbs don't blow off from the sheer power."

Well, that was a downer, but I didn't let it get me too down.

"Oh, I almost forgot. You can not let anyone know that this quirk can be given. If you do, it'll just cause them to want it, and it becomes a problem for later. I'll explain more when I physically give you the quirk, but for now, you should be celebrating with your friends." He told me, shrinking back down into his skeletal self.

"Yeah... I guess I'll see you later then." I mumbled, standing there a moment while my thoughts untied themselves enough that I could properly understand what had happened, finally walking back to the dorms and plucking my courage. There were things I had to do, people I had to hurt.

Halfway there, I stopped and wondered if I was doing the right thing, if I could really do this, my hands shaking as I stared at his name on my phone.

Pushing the green call button, I listened to it ring until it went to voice-mail, leaving a message asking him to call me back.

A few minutes was all I had before my phone started ringing, rushing to answer even when I didn't know what to say.

"Hey, Tim, I-" I paused, not sure what to say, if I could say anything I needed over the phone. "Are you busy? Can we talk?"

There was a pause, and I knew Tim wasn't stupid. He was smarter than me on any day of the week.

"I'm not busy. Talk to me." He replied, and I wanted to cry because how could I do this to him? But how could I keep going in a relationship I didn't want to be in anymore?

"Tim, you've been the best person I've ever dated, and you're sweet and kind and you treat me so nice, but-" I paused, and I imagined his face, imagined he knew where I was going with this, and I felt myself cry knowing I was going to hurt him.

"You were the first person to ever show me that kind of affection, and I'll always be grateful that you've shown me I can be loved, but I don't think we're right for each other. I-I think we should break up, maybe see other people."

There was silence on the other end, and I wondered if he'd hung up on me before finally he said someone.

"I kind of suspected this. You've been weird and distant the last couple of days, so it's not a surprise."

He got quiet, and I wondered what was going on.

"I'm glad I got to know you, Izuku, and once time does it's thing, I'll be glad we're friends. Just give me some time to let it all sink in, okay?" He finally spoke, and I wanted to answer the words stuck in my throat until I managed to push one out.

"Okay."

It was a start. He didn't hate me, I think, and he wanted to be friends after this. He was always better than I ever was.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up. Sometimes these things just don't work ouf." He told me, and even when I was the one hurting him, he comforted me.

"Oh, there's the gangster I'm looking for, I gotta go. Be safe."

The call ended, and I was left alone again, and now that I was, I hated myself. Why didn't people see that I might not be evil, but I was still a bad person?

There didn't feel like any reason for me to get out of bed or unpack, but I had to do it, pushing past the negative long enough to put things where they went, an envelope falling out of one pouch, a new credit card since my last one had been messed up when I fought my dad.

Sad heart? Use credit card. A simple formula that people had been perfecting since the dawn of credit cards, quickly pulling out my phone and ordering a ton of crap I didn't need, plus the WayneStation 5 I was promised I'd get when I came here in the first place.

One shopping spree later, I was bored, which meant I had to think about my mistakes, which meant I hated myself a little more.

A knock from the door was just what I needed, jumping up to ignore how I felt a little longer and finding Momo standing there looking as guilty as I felt.

"Hey." She told me, holding one of her arms awkwardly.

"Hi." I replied, looking up at her and wondering what I was supposed to do.

"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior the other night, and thank you. I misread the signals you gave me, and even then, you protected my reputation and didn't let anyone see me. You're a really stand-up person, and I'm grat-"

I interrupted her, standing up on my tiptoes and pressing my lips to her, kissing her until she pulled back and looked at me, shocked and blushing like crazy.

"This isn't right. What about your boyfriend?" She asked, looking mortified at the thought of being used for cheating on someone.

"I broke up with him earlier. Not because of you. Things kind of came up, and I decided we weren't right for each other. And now I owe you an apology because I know you asked me to kiss you the other day, but you didn't this time, so it was inappropri-"

This time, she interrupted me, leaning down and gripping my shirt as she kissed me, leaving my brain feeling like it was burning, wanting more than she could give me until she pulled away, leaving me breathless.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry. All I heard was that you had no boyfriend, and then I just kind of acted." She apologized, hiding her blush behind her hands.

I didn't mind, a laugh bubbling out of me as I felt my own cheeks burning.

"I don't mind. You can kiss me whenever you feel like it." I flirted, trying my best to look calm and collected when my brain was shorting out.

It looked like her brain was doing the same. The two of us just awkwardly stood there for a moment until finally she seemed to gather herself.

"Um, I'll see you later at dinner?" She asked me, looking bashful about the whole thing.

"It's a date." I agreed, watching her face turn a darker shade of red before walking away, closing my door with much higher spirits than I opened it earlier. There should have been a morsel of guilt, but I was a bad person.

Now that matters of the heart were taken care of, I had to focus. All Might said I had to bulk up, and if I was getting power, I needed to know how to wield it. I needed to know how to learn how to fight outside of streetbrawls. If I wanted to be the person All Might though I was, I needed to be more than a powerhouse.

"Aw crap, I'm gonna have to work out." I whined, opening up my phone for research, time passing by until a knock drew me out of my work.

"It's dinner time." Bakugou told me, walking away before I had a chance to speak.

At least he reminded me that I'd made a promise, heading down and finding Momo with her friends. Man, I loved my life sometimes. I got to do things like float over her head, solidifying my hand enough to take two fingers and direct her attention to me.

I'd never felt so smooth, but I liked how it felt being so in control of a situation like this.

A cocky grin found its way onto my lips, and I leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Are we still on for dinner, or should we skip directly to desert?"

It was lame and cheesy, but it worked, her face turning all shades of red as I pulled away, slowly touching the ground.

"So? Dinner? I'm starving." I told her, ignoring the surprised looks from her friends. I'd managed to stun them into silence.

"It's a date." She echoed, and I felt my bravado slip, my heart beating quickly. We'd kissed. Why did this make me more nervous?

It took a second before I understood what the feeling was. I never did this kind of stuff with Tim, I just never found time.

I didn't know what I was doing, and that scared the hell out of me.