-68-

One For All

Togata slowly made his way along the empty passageways of the Shie Hassaikai base. He was still bleeding, and had to prop himself against the wall for support. He was leading Eri towards the direction of the heroes and police, but they were moving at a snail's pace. At this rate, they would never make it to the heroes in time.

Come on, Mirio! Togata thought as he struggled. You can do this. Don't give up. Eri is counting on you. Quirk or no, you have to get her to safety. You have to fulfil your promise to her!

Togata felt his head swoon, his vision doubling. It was as if the ground was shaking beneath his feet. He fell to his knees, unable to keep himself upright anymore. This wasn't working. He was slowing Eri down. She had to go on without him.

"Eri," Togata said weakly. "You have to keep going. Follow along this path, and you'll see a hero or a police officer eventually. They can take you to safety. You have to go on without me, get yourself out of here."

Eri said nothing, tears streaming down her eyes. She was trembling from head to toe as she looked in horror at the poor hero before her, the one who had risked and sacrificed so much for her, someone who barely knew her. Suddenly, Eri's head snapped up in alarm as she heard a familiar voice echoing loudly through the hallway.

"DO YOU HEAR THAT, ERI?" Said the voice. "ANOTHER PERSON IS ABOUT TO DIE BECAUSE OF YOU! STOP BEING SO FOOLISH AND COME BACK NOW, BEFORE YOU HURT ANYONE ELSE!"

Eri felt her heart drop into her stomach. Even so far away, while fighting the other heroes, Chisaki was still able to cast his shadow over her. People were getting hurt, people were dying, all because of her. Because of their efforts to save her, they were all going to die. She was killing them. She had to do something to stop it.

"Eri," Togata said, as if reading her mind. "Don't do it! Don't listen to him!"

But it was too late. In a flash, Eri took off back down the hallway, towards the source of the voice. Back to him. Togata tried to stand, to stop her, but it was no use. His legs were giving out, and he couldn't keep up with her.

Midoriya, Togata thought. It's up to you now. Please….win.

In the courtyard up above the compound, Ryukyuu was currently engaged in battle with one of the Hassaikai enforcers. He was a man named Katsukame, and his quirk was the ability to drain the life force out of an enemy by touching them, and converting it into raw power to increase his mass, size and strength. He had managed to consume a quirk enhancing drug, which was amplifying his quirk, allowing him to drain the vitality of those around him without touching them. She was battling him in her dragon form while most of her backup collapsed around her, including Froppy and Uravity.

Najire Hado was floating above Katsukame, blasting him with her shockwaves, offering her support. While they continued to battle, Uraraka tried desperately to regain her second wind. She felt as if she had to sleep for a week to regain her composure, but still struggled to her feet.

"Uraraka!"

She turned to the source of the voice calling her name, seeing Izuku standing just a short distance away. She tilted her head in confusion. She thought that he was underground, helping with the siege on the Hassaikai base. But the look on his face made her shake the confusion away. Something was wrong.

"We need backup, quick!" Izuku shouted, pointing towards the street behind him. "Underground, right below the intersection over there! The others are pinned down and need help!"

Katsukame looked back at Izuku, distracted by his words. Ryukyuu seized her chance and rammed her scaled, spikey head into his abdomen, causing him to double over in pain. Uraraka rose from her stupor, placing her hand on Katsukame, causing him to float. Beside her, Tsuyu used her tongue to wrap around Katsukame's neck while Hado and Ryukyuu led him over to the intersection Izuku directed them to.

Izuku stood tall as the energy that had entered his body continued to pulse through him. It was a feeling that he had never experienced before. It was as if his entire body was filled to the brim with an explosive light that threatened to burst at any moment. "What…what is happening to me?" Izuku asked.

Chisaki's smug look had morphed into that of concern upon seeing this newfound ability before him. He had no idea what the hooded hero had injected into the boy, perhaps some sort of quirk-enhancing drug, but he knew better than to take his chances. He had to get rid of this boy and find Eri quickly.

"Parlor tricks won't save you, boy," said Chisaki. "I will kill you all the same."

Izuku didn't falter, dropping down into a fighting stance. "You're welcome to try, mob-rat," he said defiantly.

"How dare you?!" Chisaki roared indignantly. "The Shie Hassaikai will not be mocked by some pretender child! Prepare to–"

"STOP!"

Both Izuku and Chisaki turned to the source of the voice. Izuku was horrified to see the small form of Eri standing before them. "Please, stop this!" She shouted, tears in her eyes. "I'll do whatever you want, but please, don't hurt anyone else!"

"Eri, no!" Shouted Izuku. Before he could react, he felt something hard slam against his body, sending him flying away from the small girl. Chisaki had used his quirk to knock him away with a stone pillar while he was distracted.

"Stay out of this, boy!" Chisaki shouted before turning his attention back to Eri. "Good girl, Eri. You came to your senses. Now come here quickly, before I–"

Chisaki was interrupted by a deafening explosion. The ceiling above them had caved in completely, revealing Katsukame being slammed into the ground by Ryukyuu, one of the heroes that accompanied the police on the raid.

"Here comes the cavalry!" Shouted Green Arrow. Overhaul bristled in anger. There was no way he was prepared to take down more heroes. He had to cut his losses, grab Eri, and escape now. He slammed one of his malformed hands on the ground, causing a pillar to shoot up underneath Eri's feet, propelling her into the air. Overhaul then began lifting himself towards the hole in the ceiling using another stone pillar, catching her as he rose.

"NO!" Shouted Izuku. He couldn't let him escape with Eri, not after all that they have done to save her. Izuku felt the power return, this time coursing through his legs. As if on instinct, Izuku pushed off the ground and was propelled at intense speeds towards Chisaki. It was both an exhilarating and frightening experience for Izuku. Whatever was happening to him had given him more ability and power than he could ever fathom.

Chisaki looked back as he continued to rise to the ceiling. "Stubborn brat!" He snarled, seeing Izuku practically riding his coattails. Eri noticed as well, and she noticed something else out of the corner of her eye: it was Lemillion's torn cape. Her heart began to ache as she remembered the poor hero's sacrifice for her, giving up everything, even nearly his life, just to save her. It was her fault. She was nothing but a burden, a mistake who would get people killed. It was better this way. Away from everyone who she could hurt. Away from–

"Eri."

Eri looked around, confused. She could swear she heard someone calling her name. It was suddenly as if everything was slowing down around her, seconds turning to minutes. She heard the voice again, but it was clearer this time. It sounded like the voice of a female, with an accent that she had never heard before.

"Eri…"

"Who are you?" She asked. "What's going on?"

"Don't be afraid, mon cher," the voice said gently. "Use your quirk, child."

"No," said Eri. "No, I can't, I have to go with Chisaki. I can't let other people get killed because of me."

"Chisaki lied to you, cher," the voice assured her. "He is the killer, not you. Reach out, Eri."

"I can't…" said Eri sadly.

"Mon cher," the voice continued. "You are a special child, and these people will never stop trying to save you, even at the cost of their own lives. If you truly wish to stop the killing, you must let them take you away from this place."

"I….I.." Eri said, her heart racing and tears streaming down her face.

"You can do it, child," the voice continued. "It is time for you to be a hero to them. Reach out and take the cape. Unleash your quirk. Allow yourself to be free."

The world began to return to normal around her. Despite herself, she reached forward towards the red cape as it drifted towards her. As it got closer, she felt her heart grow warm. She remembered the words of Lemillion, telling her the reason behind his cape, to protect her and reassure her. She could almost feel as if he was there with her right now, and that feeling of safety returned to her as she grasped the cape.

Chisaki felt as if his body was being ripped asunder. He looked down at Eri and saw that her horn was glowing, causing yellow light to course throughout her body. In an instant, Nemoto was ripped from his body, and he felt himself return to normal. Eri had used her quirk, rewind, to put him back to the way he was before he had merged with Nemoto. This had caused him to drop Eri, who was clutching the red cape. He tried to reach for her again, but he heard a popping sound, and Eri was taken away from him at alarming speeds. He looked up to see Izuku holding a grappling hook, attached at the other end of the cape, and bringing her towards him, catching her in his arms.

"NO!" Shouted Chisaki angrily.

"I've got you, Eri!" Shouted Izuku. "No one will ever hurt you again!"

"Give her back to me!" Shouted Chisaki, using his quirk to send more spiked pillars at him.

Izuku placed Eri on his back. "Hold on tight, Eri!" He said. He cupped his hands and unleashed an intense blast on Chisaki below him, a blast larger than anything he had ever been capable of before. Chisaki had just barely had time to dodge the attack, but not in time to prevent his arm from being caught in the blast. His arm was instantly vaporized, and he roared in pain as he grasped it. Izuku was propelled into the sky above them, with Eri still clutching him.

"Wha…what just happened?" Asked Ryukyuu, having covered Nighteye, Green Arrow, Uravity and Froppy to shield them from the blast.

"Where's Deku?" Asked Uravity. Suddenly, she saw someone emerge from the rubble several yards from them. Chisaki stood, still clutching his severed and charred arm, blood seeping down his face. In an instant, what was left of his arm was dematerialized, only for it to re-materialize a second later, good as new.

"You won't get away," he said in a low, manic voice. "You belong to me, Eri. I must realize the old man's dream. I must bring back the Hassaikai to glory. I need you, Eri."

He walked towards the unconscious form of Katsukame, placing his hand upon him. In an instant, he disintegrated into a mess of blood and dust. A second later, Chisaki's body began to transform, similar as he did before.

"Not good!" Shouted Ryukyuu.

"Don't worry," came the weak voice of Sir Nighteye. "He won't come after us. He's going to the surface in pursuit of Midoriya and Eri. And that will be the end of it."

"What do you mean?" Asked Green Arrow.

"I recognize that power," said Nighteye, more to himself. "I didn't think it would pass to him, but I guess I was wrong. Still, it won't be enough."

"What are you talking about?" Asked Uraraka.

"I have seen Chisaki's future," Nigheye replied sadly. "He will kill Midoriya and escape with Eri."

"No…" said Uraraka. "No, we have to save him!" She tried to use her quirk to float herself upwards out of the crater, but she immediately felt her body swoon and hit the ground. She had used up the last of her energy by bringing down Katsukame. She was too weak to use her quirk.

"By the time we reach him it will be too late," Said Nighteye. "I'm sorry."

"Bullshit!"

Nighteye looked over at Oliver, who was glaring at him. "That's bullshit and you know it," he said. "Do you know how many times my death has been foreseen? Or Batman's? And we're still here." He looked up at the ceiling. "And if Midoriya is anything like his mentor, he's not going anywhere either."

Izuku was still flying above the crater below, but he noticed something different. His injuries were gone, and he felt refreshed, as if he had just awoken from a good night's sleep. "Eri, is this you're doing?" Izuku asked. "Are you a healer?"

Eri remained silent. Before Izuku could question her further, a large rumble came from the crater below them. Izuku gasped in horror as a gigantic creature emerged from the wreckage, using its several appendages to pull itself up out of the crater. It was grotesque and misshapen, like a skeleton covered in rancid flesh. Inside a large beak-like opening at the head was top-half of Chisaki, sticking out of the center of the gaping maw.

"She can't control her quirk," said Chisaki. "She has the power to rewind people, but she can't turn it off. If you keep holding her like that, she'll erase you from existence. Didn't I tell you that girl is cursed? Now hand her over, or would you rather be annihilated?"

"Rewind, huh?" Izuku said. He looked at his hands. The blast from before had shattered his fingers due to its power, but now they were completely fine. Whatever was happening to him, this increase in power was damaging his body when used at full force. But now that he had Eri with him, she could rewind every injury he sustained.

That means he has a chance to really cut loose.

"Lend me your power, Eri," said Izuku. "Things are about to get messy."

"You fool!" Shouted Chisaki. "Quirks are not natural! They are a virus! A plague that infected humanity for too long. Eri's power can rewind humanity to a time where quirks no longer existed, removing the very tainted cells that make quirks possible. Can't you see how she could change things?! I can finally cure this hero sickness! I can end this madness! GIVE HER TO ME!" Chisaki used his appendages to propel himself into the air towards Izuku. In turn, Izuku cupped his hands together again, feeling the power flow through him.

"MEGATON BLAST!"

The blast was even greater than before, erupting in a megaton explosion. Chisaki's grotesque body was blown apart, only for him to reassemble it into a different form a moment later. He then sent several spiked pillars from the city below towards him and Eri, only for Izuku to propel himself towards him with his quirk, kicking and punching the pillars into rubble as they came. He leveled his hand and blasted Chisaki again. His shattered limbs immediately repaired themselves thanks to Eri's quirk. Izuku felt Eri's quirk growing stronger. He had to end this quickly before the unthinkable happened.

Chisaki reformed his body, but it wasn't as large as it was before. He felt his blood boil and his mind begin to shatter. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. This boy was ruining everything. He was like his mentor, the man who took him in. He told him pursuing drugs was foolish and dishonorable, that restoring the Hassaikai wasn't worth losing their humanity in the process. But he was short sighted, so he had to get him out of the way. Once he destroyed this kid, and raised the Hassaikai to their rightful place, he would revive the old man, and show him how right he was. Yes, he had to show the old man. He had to get Eri back. He had to win!

Chisaki launched another attack at Izuku, who used his quirk to propel himself out of the way just in time, countering with another blast. Each time he reformed himself, he had less to work with. But the boy would not let up. Each time he attacked, the boy was quick to evade and counter. In truth, Chisaki wasn't much of a fighter. He mainly used his quirk to win battles, but in this case, the boy was definitely superior to him in combat.

"You're a fool, Chisaki," said Izuku. "You have abandoned all humanity chasing an impossible goal."

"Shut up!" Shouted Chisaki.

"You were destined to lose!" Shouted Izuku. "From the very start! People like you will always be stopped by people like me. I will never stop until people can finally live free from terror caused by monsters like you. This I vow!" Izuku appeared before Chisaki, who gasped in surprise.

"Starting with you!" Shouted Izuku, raising his hands. "Special move: KRAKATOA!"

Chisaki felt his body crumble around him as he was enveloped in the blast, a strange, calm thought entering his mind, aware that if he hadn't had Katsukame's body protecting him when he merged with him, he would not have survived. Perhaps the boy knew that, and was counting on it. But it didn't matter anymore. His mask had melted in the blast, along with the rest of Katsukame's body, and as he fell to the earth beneath him, he was finally forced to accept the inevitable: he had failed.

Uraraka and Sir Nighteye had made it above ground, with Uraraka utilizing her quirk with Ryukyuu's assistance to get them out of the crater below. They had watched the battle before them in stunned shock, with Nighteye unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Impossible," he whispered. "I saw it…Chisaki had escaped and killed Midoriya. I saw it so clearly…an immutable future."

The dust and smoke around them cleared, and the truth was laid before their eyes. Chisaki was unconscious and beaten, and Izuku stood triumphant. Nighteye couldn't believe his eyes. The future had changed. It had really changed!

"Heh," Sir Nighteye laughed, coughing up a little blood. "It appears I have finally landed on tails." With that, he drifted into unconsciousness.

Izuku stood amidst the rubble around him, panting heavily from his battle. He had done it. He had defeated Chisaki and rescued Eri. It was over. It was finally–

Izuku doubled over, suddenly in extreme pain. He felt as if his body was coming apart at the seams. He looked back at Eri, who was still clutching to his back. The horn on her head had grown longer, and was glowing even more. Her quirk was increasing beyond her control. This was bad. If it continued to grow, Izuku would be destroyed.

He felt the ground rumble beneath him. Chisaki was awake. He had reformed himself and was reaching towards him with one of his giant hands. As soon as it touched them, however, the arm exploded, causing a reversal where Katsukame and Chisaki separated, sending them both flying in opposite directions. Uraraka immediately seized her chance and floated towards Chisaki, using her martial arts she learned from Gunhead to subdue the crime boss.

Izuku fell to his knees. Eri's power was growing, and he could feel himself growing weaker by the second. He had to find a way to shut off her quirk, but he could barely move from the sheer weight of the power coursing through his body. Eri felt her heart pound, crying in fear. She had to stop. She was going to kill him! She had to–

Suddenly, the power that was coursing through her suddenly stopped, causing her to collapse in a heap atop Midoriya, who caught her just in time. Asui, Ryukyuu, Green Arrow, and Eraserhead had finally made their way above ground, and Aizawa had used his quirk just in time to stop Eri before it was too late. Eri was safe. Chisaki was defeated.

They had won.

The rest of the raid went off without a hitch. Reinforcements were called, and those who were injured were quickly taken to the hospital. Red Riot, Rock Lock, Lemillion and several police were carried away on stretchers, sustaining minor to moderate injuries that would recover with time and treatment. Green Arrow, Arsenal, Speedy, Suneater, Fatgum and the remaining heroes and police worked to clear out and arrest the rest of the Hassaikai.

Eri had gained a fever and passed out. She was quickly rushed to the hospital with the others. It was Sir Nighteye that had taken the worst injury. He was in critical condition, and if it wasn't for the fact the spiked pillar that pierced him through the back had stopped the bloodloss, he would have bled out long before the ambulances arrived.

Chisaki was strapped to a stretcher and taken into police custody. He was scheduled to be transported to Tartarus within the hour. His hands were restrained to prevent him from using his quirk, but the mob boss seemed listless, and didn't put up a fight. Still, the heroes were not going to underestimate him.

As the police were driving, however, they noticed a large semi-truck pull up in front of them. They turned on their sirens to signal them to move, but the truck didn't budge. Suddenly, the back doors opened, revealing three individuals: a man in a red shirt and black vest, sporting a white mask and top-had; a man with purple patchwork skin; and lastly–

"Tomura Shigaraki!" Shouted one of the officers.

The patchwork villain known as Dabi used his fire to blast the police car before him. The blast was interrupted, however, when Snatch, the Sand Hero that was escorting them, threw up a wall of sand to protect them. Shigaraki had leapt from the truck towards the police vehicle. Snatch tried to throw up another protective wall, but Mr. Compress had rolled one of his compression orbs under the car, and upon releasing it, caused the car to ram into a large boulder that was contained in the orb.

Shigaraki hopped from that car to the other one, breaking the glass and causing the driver to crash the car. This caused the truck that was carrying Chisaki to swerve to miss hitting the police car, overturning it in the process. With the convoy stopped, Dabi and Mr. Compress subdued Snatch in a compression ball.

Shigaraki approached Chisaki, who was still strapped to the stretcher and immobilized. He stared despondent at Shigaraki as he approached. "Did you come to kill me?" He said.

"No," said Shigaraki. "That's too easy. No, I thought of what you would hate the most." Shigaraki removed the hand on his face that served as his mask. "Do you know what I can't stand about you? You're too full of yourself. You think you're better than everyone just because you can't handle a few germs."

Chisaki felt a sharp pain course through his arm. He looked down to see that Mr. Compress had used one of his compression orbs to sever his arm at the elbow. "An eye for an eye, an arm for an arm," he said, brandishing his robotic arm while he made the orb disappear.

Chisaki looked in horror as Shigaraki pulled the small wooden container from the safety box from the truck. "Is this the finished product?" He asked, inspecting the contents inside.

"Give it back!" Said Chisaki.

"No," said Chisaki, pocketing the box. "You know something, Overhaul, a person who wants to rid the world of quirks shouldn't rely so much on his own." He reached down and placed his hand on Chisaki's non-severed forearm. He felt a rush of pain as the skin began to crack and die, withering away. In an instant, Shigaraki cut off his other arm at the elbow, stopping the decay. "Sorry about that, but if I hadn't cut it off, your body would have turned to dust. But isn't it funny? All this time you were trying to rid the world of quirks. Now you are nothing but a powerless, quirkless child yourself. Hoisted by your own petard, so to speak. And now the fruits of your labor are mine, and you have nothing."

Chisaki gasped in horror, the realization dawning on him. His hands were gone, which meant that his quirk was now gone. Everything he had worked for was undone. Everything he had strived for was for naught. And worst of all, he swore to revive the boss after his work was complete, and now he could not. The boss was going to die. The man who saved him, took him in and raised him, was going to die because of him.

Shigaraki walked away, leaving the horrified and shattered Chisaki to wallow in his thoughts. He retrieved the box from his pocket, looking at the four remaining bullets inside them. "Our benefactor will be very pleased," he said.

"Indeed I am."

Shigaraki turned to the voice behind him. A shiny limo had just pulled up beside them, and a woman in a business suit had opened the rear door, and a tall, bald man with a muscular physique and expensive suit stepped out. He was fidgeting with the glowing green ring on his finger as he approached the villains.

"We held up our end of the bargain, Luthor," said Shigaraki. "Now it's your turn."

"Yes, you've done well, Shigaraki," Said Lex Luthor, handling the box and placing it in his suit coat. "Don't worry, I'm a man of my word. Phase one is complete. Soon, you will get your revenge. But first, there's much work to do."

Izuku had finally reached the hospital himself. After being inspected by the doctor, he was found to have sustained no injuries at all. This wasn't surprising to Izuku, considering Eri had used her quirk on him, but that wasn't what was on his mind at the moment. He had to find Eri, Lemillion and his classmates, and most of all, he had to see how Sir Nighteye was doing. From what the EMT had said before they arrived, he was in critical condition and was not expected to survive.

"If you're looking for the others, you'll need to come with me," said a voice from behind him. He turned to see Aizawa standing in the doorway to the examination room the doctor had just left Izuku in.

"Mr. Aizawa!" Izuku said. "Are you all right? What about your injuries?"

"I had ten stitches," Aizawa said nonchalantly. "This way." As they walked, he filled Izuku in on the status of the other heroes. Kirishima had broken bones and lacerations, but nothing too serious. Fatgum had a few broken bones, Amajiki had a crack in his cheekbone and eyesocket, but they were doing okay. As they walked past his room, Izuku noticed that Amajiki wasn't alone. Sitting in a chair at his was Speedy, a bouquet of flowers laying at the foot of his bed as they talked. Izuku smiled to himself as they continued to walk.

"What about Eri?" Izuku asked.

"Still unconscious and feverish," Aizawa replied."We've had to keep her quarantined."

"Quarantined?" Izuku asked. "You mean, I can't see her?"

"It's because she can't control her quirk," Aizawa explained. "If she should lose control again, I'm the only one who can stop her. The only reason you were able to withstand her quirk is because you continuously destroyed your body in the process."

Aizawa sighed. "Training her to use her quirk is going to be difficult," he said, more to himself. "We can't rely on her quirk to fix what's been done. Just gotta accept it."

Izuku didn't quite know what he meant by that, but before he could ask, they walked through the double doors at the end of the hallway. "Good, you've arrived," Aizawa said. Izuku stepped through the doors behind Aizawa to see All Might, Recovery Girl, Oliver, Black Canary, and Nighteye's sidekicks standing in the lobby.

"All Might? Recovery Girl?" Izuku said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I called them," said Bubble Girl. "Sir Nighteye is…." She began to break down into tears.

"He's not expected to live long," said Recovery Girl. "It's honestly a miracle that he lived this long. Not even my healing can help him now."

All Might stood before his old sidekick, beholding the grisley sight before him. Tubes and wires of all kinds were coming out of the hole in his stomach as he struggled to breathe. It was a sight that All Might was all too familiar with, and it reminded him of his first fight with All For One that had placed him in his current physical condition. It pained his heart to see his friend and comrade this way.

"Nighteye," All Might said, waking him. Nighteye slowly opened his eyes, looking at All Might.

"So…." he said weakly. "You finally feel like seeing me, but on my deathbed?"

"I'm sorry," said All Might. "I've no excuse for the way I treated you. I wish…I wish things had been different."

"Sir Nighteye!" Said Izuku, running into the room from behind All Might. "You have to live! I can contact the Justice League, there has to be something we can do!"

"It's too late, Midoriya," said Nighteye, who then turned to All Might. "I don't resent you, All Might. I know that it is in your nature to be a hero. I shouldn't have tried to force you to retire. It's your nature to fight for what is right."

"But you need to fight, too!" said All Might. "If I am to atone for how I let you down…"

"There's nothing to atone for," said Nighteye. "I wanted to change the future where you were killed, but no matter what I tried, I wasn't able to change it." He turned to face Izuku. "But you showed me today, Midoriya. You showed me that the future is not as set in stone as I once thought. A strong will, with an unshakable determination, can overcome any obstacle."

The door behind them burst open suddenly, startling Izuku and All Might. Togata came limping through the door as fast as he could while the nurse tried to stop him. "SIR!" He cried upon reaching his bed. "Please, you can't die. You can't! I still have so much to learn from you! Please…" tears fell freely from his face as he trembled before his mentor.

"Mirio," said Nighteye. "I should have been a better mentor to you….I only wish I could have….saved you before you lost your quirk."

"Don't say that!" Said Togata. "I owe everything to you! It was because of your teaching that I was able to get strong! I would be nothing without you! Please, don't leave me!"

Nigheye slowly lifted his hand towards Mirio, placing it on his cheek. Mirio saw his mentor's irises change to a deep purple color, the same color it did when he was using his quirk. "I've seen your future, Mirio," he said. "You….will become the finest hero this world has ever seen." His hand fell to his side as his strength left him. "This is a future…that should not change." He gave a rattled breath before a smile returned to his face. "Remember….remember to smile…a world without humor….will not have a bright…future…."

The heart monitor attached to Nghteye began to let out a steady tone. All Might could no longer hold back his own tears. His sidekick, his partner, his best friend, was gone.

Hours had passed since Nighteye's passing. Despite there appearing to be nothing physically wrong with Izuku, the doctors wanted to keep him overnight for observation, just in case. Izuku and Mirio had returned to their respective rooms to rest, but it proved to be a nearly impossible endeavor. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Izuku was able to drift into a restless sleep.

"Hey, nerd, time to get up."

Izuku's eyes shot open to see his old friend Katsuki Bakugou standing in the doorway of his hospital room. "Kacchan?" Izuku said, sitting up in surprise. "What's going on? What are you doing here?"

"Get up," he said again. "There's some people who want to talk to you." Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked out the door. Izuku got up, confused and cautious. As he approached the door, the room around him seemed to change. After he walked through, the hospital had disappeared, and instead he found himself in a large circular room. There were nine people sitting in high-back chairs surrounding him. In the center chair directly in front of him was a strange, humanoid man with green skin and white hair, with three circles glowing on his forehead connected with lines. Next to him was a thin, sickly looking man with long silver hair, wearing a simple long-sleeved shirt and pants. On the other side of the green man was a woman with black hair, partly tied in a bun with the rest flowing freely. The rest of the inhabitants of the room in the chairs around him were shrouded in shadow, with glowing eyes that seemed to stare into Izuku's soul.

Kacchan stood next to Izuku, who looked at him nervously. Kacchan simply nodded, indicating him to move forward. Izuku nervously approached the center of the circle, and the green man greeted him with a warm smile. "Welcome, Izuku Midoriya," he said. "We've been expecting you. It's finally good to meet you in person."

"Who…who are you?" Izuku asked.

"My name is Querl Dox," said the man. "You may know me by my other name, Brainiac."

Izuku's eyes widened in shock. "It's you…." He said. "Then…does that mean…?"

"Yes," said the woman. "One For All has passed to you."

"But how?" Said Izuku, at a loss.

"Your mentor," said Querl Dox.

"Bruce?" Asked Izuku.

"He had taken a strand of All Might's hair," said the man with the silver hair. "After doing so, he had explained to Toshinori that he had crafted it into an injectable serum, to be used as a contingency."

"A contingency for what?" Asked Izuku.

"All For One may be contained, but he is not defeated," said Querl Dox. "Brainiac still guides him, even in prison. Bruce knows this, as he knows the importance of One For All."

"I don't understand," said Izuku.

"You were All Might's chosen successor," said the woman. "When the serum was injected into you, One For All passed on to you. Now, you are the next holder of this power."

Izuku could hardly believe it. His mind was filled with mixed emotions. Part of him felt betrayed by Bruce for forcing this power onto him, but another part of him felt relieved, as it undoubtedly saved his life and what caused him to succeed in his battle against Overhaul. He knew that Bruce had contingencies for nearly everything, and he obviously wanted to make sure that Izuku would be safe, and somehow knew that he would need this power eventually.

"But we sense that you are hesitant to take this power," the silver-haired man said.

Izuku couldn't lie, he was apprehensive of taking this power. Though he had come to terms with it, he had a hard time accepting Kacchan's quirk being forced onto him by All For One. He no longer wanted power to prove he was strong, because he wanted to show the world that he was strong without powers. But now, it was more than that. He learned that it wasn't the powers or lack thereof that made a hero, but the will to do what was necessary, to make the sacrifices, even the ultimate one, to save those in need.

But there was something more to it than that.

"Something is stopping you from fully obtaining this power," said Querl Dox. "You feel that there is someone else more deserving of it than you."

Izuku nodded. It was true, there was one other he felt was more deserving of this power than he was. Togata had lost everything in his battle with Overhaul: his quirk, his future as a hero, and even his mentor, and had never once faltered in his desire to save Eri. He truly was the embodiment of All Might, the very same hero that he wanted to be like at one point. As he continued his train of thought, his mind flashed back to the prophecy Nighteye gave before he died.

You will be the finest hero this world has ever seen.

"You know the importance of One For All," said the silver-haired man. "You know it is the destiny of the heir of the House of Dox to destroy Brainiac, and put an end to the suffering he has caused."

"Yes," Izuku said.

"You know that this power is not taken or given lightly," said the woman.

"Yes," Izuku repeated.

"Then you know, Izuku Midoriya, what you must do," said Querl Dox. "But no matter your choice, you are still a vessel of One For All, and as such, you will always hold a connection to it, and to us."

"I understand," said Izuku.

"Then go forth, Izuku Midoriya," said Querl Dox. "Follow your chosen path, and do not falter. And remember." He smiled knowingly at Izuku as the room around him began to fade. "Anyone can be a hero."

Izuku awoke with a start. After a moment of taking in his surroundings, he realized that he was back in his hospital room. He leaned back in his bed, pondering what had just transpired. After what felt like an eternity, Izuku came to a decision.

He knew what he had to do.

Izuku quietly crept out of bed, retrieving his utility belt and exiting his room. He deftly dodged the night nurses and doctors that were making their rounds as he made his way down the hallway. Thanks to his training with Batman, he was able to avoid being seen rather easily. Finally, after a few minutes, he made it to his destination: Togata's room.

He slowly and quietly opened the door and stepped in. Togata was fast asleep. He heard from the nurses that the death of his mentor had shaken him to his core, so much that he had to be sedated in order to assist him with sleeping so he could heal. Izuku silently crept over, pausing for a moment as he looked at the poor battered teenager before him. His heart ached for his loss, as he knew both how it felt to lose someone who meant a lot to you, as well as to feel powerless to stop it. He took a deep breath.

It was now or never.

He reached into his utility belt and drew a small knife. He sliced a small cut at the tip of his finger, just enough to draw blood. He then moved over to Togata and carefully removed one of his bandages on his arm, exposing one of the many cuts and lacerations that riddled his body. Carefully, placed his bloodied finger against the open wound, allowing his blood to seep into the gash. Upon doing so, he felt strange, as if a life force was being pulled from his body. As quickly as it came, it had gone, leaving him with an eerie feeling of emptiness. But despite this, he couldn't help but also feel a sense of relief passing over him.

Sir Nighteye's vision will come true, Izuku thought. You will be the finest hero this world has ever seen.

Izuku then replaced the bandage, and exited the room.

An old man walked the empty halls of the university hospital mortuary. He leaned on a cane and carried a duffle bag with him, his breathing slightly labored as he walked. It was after hours, so the staff had gone home for the night. That was good. He didn't want to be disturbed. He approached the door that led to cold storage, where they held the cadavers before transporting them to be cremated. He put down the duffle bag and with a wave of his hand, the door unlocked and opened, allowing him to step through.

The old man looked through the many cold storage lockers that lined the wall before him, finally finding the one he was looking for. Dropping the duffle bag, he waved his hand again, and the locker slid open on its own, drawing out a table with a body bag resting on it. He unzipped the body bag and opened it, revealing the lifeless corpse of Sir Nighteye.

"Hello, old friend," said the man. "I'm sorry we had to meet again like this." He sighed as he looked over his friend's peaceful face. "You have been through so much, a part of me wants to let you rest, to leave you to your reward in the afterlife. However…" he opened the duffle bag and retrieved a golden helmet. "Fate has other plans for you."

"One For All has successfully passed on."

Izuku and Togata were sitting across from J'onn J'onzz in the Watchtower. Behind them stood All Might and Batman. The former had a look of complete shock on his face, while the latter was as stoic as ever.

Izuku had awoken that morning and immediately made his way to Togata's room. Upon arriving there, the upper-classman had informed him that had awoken feeling strange that morning, and when he got up to brush his teeth, he had accidentally snapped his toothbrush in half, causing the top half of the toothbrush to shoot across the room and shatter the glass in his window. Izuku immediately contacted Bruce and All Might, who had arranged for Togata and Izuku to be transported to the Watchtower. After explaining the situation to them both, they took the teenagers to J'onn, who began using his psychic abilities to investigate the situation further.

"So, that means Young Midoriya has passed it on to Young Togata here?" Asked All Might.

"That is correct," said J'onn.

"What about Kacchan?" Asked Izuku.

"Katsuki Bakugou's presence has remained behind, along with his quirk," J'onn said.

"How?" Asked All Might.

"I am uncertain about that," said J'onn. "Perhaps it is because of the conditioning I placed upon Izuku's mind that prevented the transference of the Exobytes. Or perhaps it is simply that your friend did not want to leave you." J'onn gave Izuku a kind smile as Izuku pondered his words.

"But I don't understand…" Togata said, getting Izuku's attention. "Why would you do this? Why would you give up so much power? A chance to be All Might's successor?"

Izuku pondered for a moment. "Because I wasn't worthy," he said simply.

"I think we all know that's not true," said Batman.

Izuku chuckled slightly. "Because of what Sir Nighteye said," said Izuku. "He said that you were going to be the finest hero the world has ever seen, and this is a future that should not change. Well, I plan on seeing that it doesn't."

"But…" Togata began.

"Besides," Izuku interrupted, looking up at Bruce. "I already have a legacy to live up to." He looked back at Togata, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Carrying on All Might's legacy, as well as Nighteye's, is yours to do."

Togata couldn't help but smile as he wiped a tear from his eye. "But everyone thinks that I lost my quirk. How am I going to explain all this?" He asked.

"Well, the quirk-erasing cartridges were lost en route to police headquarters," said Batman. "Most likely taken by the League of Villains, considering what happened to Chisaki. We still don't know a lot about them, and we can conceivably say that this is a side-effect of the drug."

"In the meantime, you will need some time to adjust to these powers," said All Might. "I have arranged to have you continue the semester here at the Watchtower."

"Seriously?!" Asked Togata, beaming with excitement. "But who's going to teach me?"

"I will be here every few days to help show you the ropes of this quirk," said All Might. "Also, several heroes here have volunteered to help you along the way."

"I'll be here as well," said Izuku. "All Might and Batman convinced the school to allow me to continue my Work Studies here with the Justice League. I was the one who gave you this quirk, and I will see it through until you master it."

"Thank you, Midoriya," said Togata, embracing Izuku. He was a little taken aback by this forward show of affection, but let it slide as Togata has always been more touchy-feely than the rest of his peers.

"Now then, perhaps we should–" J'onn began before he was interrupted by the sound of an alarm. He immediately took flight towards the command deck of the Watchtower, with the rest of the group following in tow. Once they had all reached the command deck, they saw Superman was already there, with several other superheroes working the various controls.

"What's going on?" Asked J'onn.

"We just got an emergency alert from the Green Lantern Corps," said Superman. "We're trying to patch it through now."

"Green Lantern…..-atchtower…..Green Lanter to Wat—ower!"

"Green Lantern, this is the Watchtower," said Superman into the conn. "Please boost your signal and repeat."

"This is John Stewart of the Green Lantern Corp, trying to contact the Watchtower," a gruff voice through the communications conn came through.

"John, this is Superman, we read you loud and clear," said Superman into the conn. "What is happening?"

"We have an Omega-level emergency," said John Stewart. "The line has been broken. They are heading for Earth space now!"

"Who?" Said J'onn. "Repeat, who is coming?"

The response became jumbled, and J'onn tried to boost the signal. "Repeat, Green Lantern," he said. "Who is coming?"

"Apokolips."

Author's note: Okay, everyone, I know I have a lot of explaining to do. Honestly, this was my plan for One For All for a while now. I toyed with the idea of Izuku having it, but in all honesty, I thought that it would be better for Togata to have it. The main reason is because I felt that, in this story, Togata was a better choice to continue All Might's legacy, and it would honor his fallen mentor, Sir Nighteye, to do so. Additionally, I also wanted to establish a Batman/Superman-like friendship dynamic between Izuku and Togata in the future, and I felt that this would be the best way to do so.

I hope you all forgive me and are satisfied, at least somewhat, with this outcome. But now we are heading into the next arch, which will focus on a battle with Darksied and Apokolips. I hope that you will enjoy what is coming up, and I thank you for reading and all of your comments.