Tormented dreams filled his mind, and nonsense and fear ran rampant; he saw Mina fall, her turn from him. Vicious mocking laughter filled his ears as he called to her to stay. Unseen shadows pulled her from him into a twisted embrace. At his feet would lie his mother and uncles, his grandfather cradling his grandmother's lifeless form and asking why he did it. Why had he brought such ruin and destruction upon the world? He looked about the hellish post-apocalyptic hellscape, the throne of bone and skull he sat upon, a feeling of barely satiated bloodlust lurking in his chest.

He tried to ask for answers, but instead, cruel words tumbled from his lips as his heat vision reduced his grandfather to ash. Mina is thrown to the ground before him, dressed in rags and bound in chains, as he demands her obedience. Her tears, as she rebukes him, rebukes what he has become and the death of their love, that all affection in her has been burned away with his evil. She begs instead for death so that she may dream of the times when they danced in the sun, soared above the clouds, and she dared to believe that he was a good man.

He can feel, as his hand slips around her throat, the gentle application of pressure. She doesn't fight or claw at his hand. Instead, she smiles; as the light in her eyes fades, she thanks him for granting her this final gift. As she tumbles from his grasp, there is no sense of loss or remorse, a sense of the last shackle falling away and the last link in the chain being broken. Now there is nothing to stop him, nothing will hold him back, this world will struggle and fall in just a matter of days, then the next one, till there is nothing left but a place he has stepped upon and those who dared not to bend the knee.

A guttural scream erupts from his lips as he bolts upright in a hospital bed; it echoes off the walls and vibrates the windows. Everything is in a daze out of focus; something holds his arm, chains; he yanks them away, and the links clatter like explosions. He turns and can see the scraps of the bonds on the ground; with little strain, he pulls his other arm free; he tries to get out of bed but stumbles and falls. Tears begin to drop as he calls out, and the door bursts open as he staggers to his feet; stumbling, he tries to use his hand to brace himself, only for it to go through the wall. Shadows fill the room, curses and threats muffled and constantly bombard him.

He prepares to fight, to break free; his eyes glow red, and the shadows hesitate. He roars threats and promises of pain that they cannot keep him, that they will not hold him. A shadow leaps at him, grabbing his face; he is prepared to end this creature, then stops.

Soft, divine hands were on the side of his face, and there was a scent of violet and vanilla, little pokes of pressure against his forehead, and curly hair pressing against him. The red of his eyes fades, the shadow begins to clear, and a voice calls him back, one of love, tenderness, comfort, and longing. The gentle pressure against his lips, familiar sweetness, and shadows wash away as his mind clears. Mina is kneeling before him, holding his face and kissing him. Hesitantly, fearfully, he kisses her back; he can hear her whispered calls to return to her stop and turn to declarations of love. He returns her declaration, and as everything begins to come into focus, beyond Mina is his mother and hospital staff, as well as his uncles. As he and Mina break apart, he gives his mother a weak and tired smile, "Hi, Mom."

As the room's chaos settles, Mina helps Izuku to his feet and back to the hospital bed. "Are you all right?" she whispers.

"I am now," he replies, giving a tender brief kiss.

"Honey, what happened," his mother says, taking his hand.

"Nightmares, even when I woke up, they were still there. I couldn't see or hear anything; it was like everyone was wrapped in shadows," Izuku said. "They were horrible, so real, so…." Izuku takes a deep breath and does his best to recount the nightmares and their realistic nature.

Hizashi hands Mina a damp cloth so she can whip Izuku's brow and face as he is covered in sweat; she finishes this as Chiyo comes in; she tries in vain to get Nemi and Mina to step back before settling in on them, holding his hand as she exams him. "Well, the fever has finally broken," Chiyo says with a smile for her grandson. "We will need to run some tests back at U.A. before I feel comfortable releasing him. You gave us quite the scare there, young man; being asleep for three days is not normal."

"Three DAYS?" he said shocked. "Wait, are Akane and Reiko safe?"

"Yes, they are fine," Nemuri said. "There were some injuries during the attack, but everyone is fine."

"Can you tell us everything you can remember?" Aizawa said, getting his attention.

Izuku took a deep breath and recounted his day with Akane, including meeting Reiko and Ochaco, lunch and shopping, and then the sudden attack. Everyone was very interested as he described how all the attackers had a similar look with red eyes and claws and how the claws injured him so easily. Aizawa felt a sense of pride that Izuku hadn't relied on his invulnerability but was caught off guard by multiple attackers.

Izuku described the pain and how it threw him off momentarily as he had never experienced something like that and the shock of it being done so quickly; he even questioned if somehow his Invulnerability had been broken. His mother assured him that was not the case as they couldn't puncture his skin to administer any IV or antibiotics. They could only do so somewhat through the wound on his back, which seemed to resist his accelerated healing that had passed in the first 24 hours, but the fever did not.

The fever and fear of infection had brought Mina to his side; she worried he had not woken up. Nemuri had confirmed that aside from when he was just a baby, there was no record of him ever being sick. Coupled with the threat of an unknown infection, it had caused a bit of a panic. A quick reassurance of Brainiac managing his medical records eased the sudden panic Izuku expressed about being in an actual hospital.

Izuku was surprised when Hizashi and Aizawa chased the ladies out so Izuku could shower and get cleaned up. Aizawa helped him to the bathroom while Hizashi oversaw changing his linens and getting him a fresh gown. His uncle sat outside the shower, talking to Izuku to ensure his nephew didn't fall and hurt himself and asking questions about the encounter and his "play date."

Once he had freshened up, the girls returned with Mina and his mother fussing over him. Food was brought in so he could eat. Once he ate, he would be released to Chiyo, who would take him back to U.A. to run tests. Aside from being slightly dehydrated, she felt he was in decent shape without more tests. Izuku was surprised to see texts and concerns from Akane and Reiko once he checked his phone, and there was even one from Lex.

Lex: If you are dead, have someone tell me so I can plan the party.

Izuku: Sorry, still alive.

Lex: Well, at least Mina won't cry.

Mina was hesitant to leave him, but she had already missed a few days of school, and her parents were insistent that she return home now that Izuku was awake. The adults left the two teens alone to say their goodbyes as if it would be years and not a day or two before they would see each other again.

Of course, they said goodbye by kissing, not so much with words. Mina pouted as they broke apart for the third last time, but a knock from his mother and an announcement about her imminent entry ensured that it would be.

Once Mina and his uncles were gone, Nemuri sat and smiled as she watched her son almost be a typical teenager, sending miss-you texts to Mina and reaching out to new and old friends, letting them know he was better. She knew her son was destined for greatness; his powers screamed that he would be spoken of in the same breath as All-Might, Endeavor, Stars and Stripes, Marvel, Primal, King, and other top heroes across the world, yet she fretted, she worried. With his ability to rarely be hurt and his big heart, she knew he would be running headlong into things that no one should and that he may be the only one who could.

She looked at her son, the last rays of sunlight streaming in from the window, bathing him in a reddish glow. Izuku would fly higher and go farther than anyone could dream, and she knew she couldn't go with him. She wanted her boy to succeed and do better than her, but she may have wanted him to be closer for a while longer. He was running into tomorrow so quickly that she could barely keep up. She knew that one day, the sun would rise on the day when she had been left behind.

The Luthors

"You don't need to be here, son," Lionel said.

Lex sighed. His father was a bit disheveled and not quite mad scientist level, but the look in his eyes betrayed the unhealthy obsession. "That is where you are wrong, Dad," Lex said. "I do need to be here. You can't keep running this as black op without telling the board what you are doing here or giving them something that will not make you seem like a madman."

"Look, the board can go pound sand; they can't make me do anything," Lionel said, both hands resting on the desk as his eyes bore into his son. "What I am doing is the most critical thing in the world. You don't understand."

"Then help me to understand," Lex said, mirroring his father's posture. "The board is going to move for a vote of no confidence and remove you as the head of Luthor Corp; I will have to step in at that point, cut your funding, and start getting you declared incapable of making financial decisions and take conservatorship over you."

Lionel glared at Lex, and Lex could feel his father's tenuous hold on rational thought. 'I don't want to, but I can't have you burning your fortune trying to invent the better mouse trap. Dad, I know that you are doing this for a reason; I know that it scared you and is dangerous. Let me help. I will handle the board, but we must do this together!'

Lionel began to pace, muttering to himself; he ran his hands through his hair several times before stopping and taking a deep breath.

"I was contacted by an old friend who brought us on to a top-secret project," Lionel began. "Now listen to me, Lex, this is why I haven't talked to the board; if I did, I would violate the contract, and the penalty would be stiff. But we were researching a vessel that had crashed landed in Fukushima." Lex took a seat. This hint of madness in his father's voice made Lex want to dismiss what his father was saying, but the pleading in Lionel's eyes made Lex, for now, at least, agree to listen.

"According to the reports and data, this vessel had crashed through a forest and buried itself in the mountains. The amazing part is that it seemed completely undamaged, not even a dent," Lionel said, his pace quickening. "We immediately went to work, believing that maybe this was a secret aircraft of a foreign government, but no one had come forward to claim the vessel. Then it resisted everything we tried to put, even a scratch on it. Nothing, we couldn't even get a chip off of it analyze it."

Lex's eyes widened. "Diamond Drill?" Lionel shook his head. "Heated Deep Sea Coring Laser?" again, Lionel shook his head. Freezing? Malphor penetration?" Lex kept rattling off things, and his father told him no to everything.

"The only thing that had elicited any response from the vessel was when the XR-28 series was used on it." Lex's eyes widened; those were military-grade weapons. He sat down on the stool, slightly dumbfounded. "What did it do?"

"It destroyed the weapon," Lionel said. "It didn't leave a mark on the vessel, but it was the first time we had gotten a response. We believed for a time that I was some drone, a remote vessel designed to observe as we had the vessel under constant surveillance for years, and to the best of our knowledge, no one had come out."

"But if the drone reacted in a way to defend itself, why would it let itself sit in containment and not fulfill its mission?" Lex said, his father motioned for him to keep going. "Nothing on earth that we are aware of could resist all those attempts without leaving some evidence behind, and if this were something created in a lab somewhere, then the cost would not be something any corporation could just write off." Lex stood and started to pace. "For the onboard systems to react to a hostile threat means having unheard-of battery or power capabilities."

"Again, nothing some could just let go without attempting to get it back," Lex stopped. "So if the logical reason is that this can't be Earth-made, then it has to be extraterrestrial. It couldn't be a drone; it had to be a form of transport."

"EXACTLY!" Lionel said. "Then suddenly, the thing powered up. We detected a very faint signal that wasn't being sent anywhere on Earth; it was being beamed into space! It broke free of confinement and escaped!"

"It must have emitted a minimal, trace amount of an unknown radiation," Lex said as he punched his hand. "That is why you took that satellite and pointed towards the earth; you want to see if that thing is still here, and if the ship carried that radiation, then maybe who or whatever it brought here does as well!"

"Yes, son, YES!" Lionel jumped for joy. "You see, son, there are aliens here; I think with the advent of quirks, they have started to mingle among us as they can blend in easier if they had some physical mutation. They are here, and I believe that signal was some distress call, and I believe more are on the way. That is why I built this Island; I am looking for a way not only for us to defend ourselves but protect us as well."

"You believe their intentions hostile?" Lex asked.

"What happens when one race encounters another of inferior technology or what they deem inferior species?" Lionel replied.

"Enslavement or extinction," Lex said quietly. "And if they are peaceful?"

"Then we are about to make contact with a peaceful race, but we cannot assume that all we encounter will be as such. The question of whether we are alone in the galaxy has been answered, but we do not know their intentions," Lionel said. "Now, do you understand why I need to keep working?"

Lex nodded, "Yes, but we need to give the board something. We need a trickle of inventions from this place, something we can sell and market. As long as revenue is generated, that will keep them quiet."

"I think we have a few things we can give them," Lionel said with a smile.

"What do you want me to do?" Lex said.

"You have done enough by coming here, listening, and believing," Lionel said as he placed his hand on Lex's shoulder. "Go to I-Island, finish your education, make connections. If you come across anyone promising to send them our way, I hope that these are things that we are working on that we never have to use."

"It's better to have it than not need it," Lex said. "I will do what you ask; keep me in the loop and get rest."

"I will, son, I will," Lionel said.

Melissa Marvel

All Might was still in recovery; after dozens of surgeries, he had hopefully completed his last one. It would be a few days before he could even try and see if he could still be a hero. He could still fill One for All coursing through his body, but it was different and weaker, as the damage he had sustained had damaged his body so severely that he may not be able to wield the quirk as he once did.

He had talked to David and even his niece Melissa; the lies had flown as there were reports that All-Might was missing. A carefully crafted press release had quieted those fears across the nation. Questions had been circulating about who the villain he had battled with, along with the blur of a hero that aided him in securing victory. All-Might had used his considerable influence and power to keep Young Kayama's name out of the press, citing that a civilian came to his aid, and they wished to remain that way.

This boy was extraordinary; his powers and abilities were growing, and he was stronger every time they clashed. He had battled All for One, and he was sure that the villain had attempted to steal Izuku's quirk and failed. That never happened; the only time it happened was with One for All, and that was because of the quirk's nature. All-Might sat back and stared at the ceiling; if he couldn't still be a hero, he would need to find a successor; thankfully, this one would not be burdened by the specter of All for One. His successor would be able to live their lives in relative peace.

He thought I should find a successor even if I could still be a hero. Young Kayama seems ideal, but there are questions I need answered. Melissa maybe? I don't think David would do well with that. There is Young Ashido, who puts herself between her friends and One For All, a very brave and also very dangerous. The following symbol of peace with a physical mutation could go a long way to closing that gap. He had his eyes closed as the thoughts of the future consumed him. He felt a sudden rush of wind, and immediately, he knew someone was in his room; he bolted upright, grimacing in pain. He heard a gasp and whispered words spoken in worry and horror, "Uncle Might!"

"Melissa?" he stammered out; he clicked on the lights, and at the foot of his bed was his niece, Melissa Shield. But it wasn't her at the same time. She was donning a white top with a thick gold lightning bolt on the front, which perfectly fit around her more developed figure. A white cape with the same metallic gold trim hung off one shoulder, falling just below her knees. Her eyes were drawn towards the white skirt and gold boots. She was taller; he could see muscles she didn't have before. "Melissa, what happened to you?"

"No…my god…" Melissa's hands went to her mouth. "Uncle Might…are you…oh my god," he could see the tears welling and beginning to fall. He would have assumed some villain, but why would they go through all this trouble of impersonating his adopted niece? Her voice stripped that thought from his mind. Slowly, she walked to the side of the bed, and hesitantly, she reached out and touched his arm.

He did his best to smile for her, opening his arms for a hug. He could feel her trepidation as she hugged him. He broke a sob as she began to cry on his shoulder. "It will be okay, Little Melissa," he repeated as he soothed her. Finally, she calmed down and stepped back. She pulled a chair over and sat at his bedside, holding his hand.

"How did this happen?" she whispered.

"I did battle with an ancient enemy," he said. "My greatest enemy, and though it nearly cost me my life, I was able to win. But Melissa, please explain this to me. How did this happen? Why are you here? How is it that you look the way you do?"

"I knew you were lying and hiding something when we talked," Melissa said. I tracked your phone and flew here to check on you. I saw you lying in this bed through the window, and before I knew it, I was in the room."

"And this transformation? What outfit are you wearing? These powers you are demonstrating?" he squeezed her hand.

"Okay, having to say this out loud will sound crazy…but I swear I am not crazy, Uncle Might." Melissa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I met a wizard, and they gave me these powers to help save the world from possible demonic and experiential threats that will one day threaten the planet." She opened one eye to peek at him, wincing.

"You are correct. That does sound crazy," he responded; he could see her shoulders slump. "But you would never lie to me, so tell me everything?"

Melissa smiled at his words, and slowly, she began to recant the story of how she had been transported to the cave where the wizard sat, the place she called the rock of eternity. The vision she had been shown was that the wizard was dying and desperately searching for a successor, someone to take up the mantle and help protect the world. "I saw someone standing over you, Uncle Might; I wanted to come see you right away. That is why I messaged you, but you said you were all right. And I kept feeling you were lying to me, but I knew you were when we talked. So I had to come see you." Melissa sighed. "I was going to come to you immediately, but then I saw the news report that you were hospitalized…"

"So you now have these abilities, and it isn't a quirk?" he said, trying to make sense of everything. "I am sorry for lying to you, Little Melissa, but I didn't want to scare you. And I did not have many answers myself; I still don't."

Melissa sighed and lowered her head to his hand. Then she muttered something quietly, and there was a flash of light and rumble from outside. Before him was the Melissa he had seen on the phone. "See, it is a magic transformation kind of thing. I have to speak a special word, and boom, lightning, and I transform." She smiled, "I did do the test, and I still show up as quirkless, pinky joint, no quirk factor…but now I can be a hero, Uncle Might; I don't have to just sit on the sidelines and wait; I can be by your side."

"Little Melissa, I don't…it is not my place to say what you can and cannot do, but I will say that if you plan on becoming a hero, then you need to tell your father about this, and I would like you to enroll at U.A. so you can learn from the best," He took her hand, he couldn't help but smile as her face brightened. "I will do my best to train and guide you, and after I get out of here, you can come and show me what you can do."

"I will, I promise Uncle Might," she wiped a stray tear. "I promise to talk to my dad," she kissed his forehead. "But no more lying; I told you the truth. I want you to do the same with me," she said. "I know you are holding something back, but I have faith that you will tell me when it is right." She smiled, got to her feet, and ran towards the window with a devilish smirk. He saw her leap out and sat up to rush to her, but he froze; he heard her say something. Then, a great lightning bolt came out of the sky and struck her; she was powered up in a flash. "Love you, Uncle Might."

"I love you too, Little Melissa," he said as she zoomed off.

Izuku out the window, "I wonder if it will rain soon?"

Not Everything Goes to Plan

"But…" Izuku stuttered. "I don't want to move."

"I understand Izuku, but I have decided to take the teaching position at U.A.," his mother said, her hand on his knee. "I won't be home enough to allow you to stay here alone. Your Uncles already teach there, and I feel this is the right move for us."

"But Mina…my friends…" Izuku lamented. "Mom, this isn't fair; I don't want to leave Mina."

"Izuku, you are not breaking up; you are just moving to a different city," Nemuri said. "It isn't like you won't be able to come see her, or she can come see you."

"It isn't the same, and you know that," Izuku said, sitting back and staring at the ceiling. "Mom, why are you doing this? Everything was going so well. Now I have to start over."

"It won't be starting over," Nemuri countered. "I looked into it, and I can enroll you in the same school as Akane."

"Great, I get to go to school with someone I just met," Izuku rolled his eyes. "Hey, can I follow you around like a lost puppy? This is bullshit!"

"Izuku Kayama!" Nemuri said.

"What? You say all the time? I hear you and my uncles say much worse at night," he protested. "And I am sorry, but this isn't fair. Why do I have to give up my life because you want to be a teacher at U.A.?"

"Because this isn't some anime where I am going to leave my teenage son alone in some city while I go somewhere for work?" Nemuri said, feeling irritated. She wasn't used to this level of defiance or pushback from Izuku. She took a deep breath, "Izuku, I know that this won't be easy, and I know that you will miss Mina, but this won't be for forever; she will apply to U.A. as well. What would you do if she didn't get in? Are you not going to go to U.A. and go wherever she does? Do you think she would like that you are giving up on U.A. for her?"

"She would appreciate the gesture, but she would want me to go to U.A.," he said after a pause.

"I have no problem with you flying up to see her; we can even get you licensed to do so," Nemuri said; she loved her son and knew how much he cared for Mina and vice versa. But this would allow them to grow some without the other right there next to them.

"Promise?" he said finally.

"Do I ever lie to you?" Nemuri said, hugging him.

"You used to tell me that if I ate my spinach, I would get super strength," he countered, snuggling into the hug.

"Well, you did, didn't you," Nemuri laughed.

"That had nothing to do with the spinach, and you know that," Izuku countered. "I have to tell Mina."

"Go ahead, but be home by curfew," Nemuri said as he was gone, blown away by a gust of wind.

Of course, Mina cried, which upset him. Her parents let the two teens wallow in their angst about the cruelties of life. They both promised they would stay together and talk every day. Mina brightened up when he told her about being able to fly up and see her whenever he wanted. Ultimately, her parents were surprised when Mina told Izuku that it wouldn't be that bad and that it was just a few miles away. A long train ride for her or a short flight for him, but she did promise that she would get into U.A. with him no matter what.

"You would think they were moving to different countries," Max whispered to his wife.

"Oh, you be quiet," Kara said. "I remember someone freaking out when I changed my major, and we wouldn't be in the same classes anymore."

"That was different!" he protested.

"How was that different? We still went to the same school," she raised an eyebrow.

"Because it was!' he mumbled.

"Let them be; I think it's sweet," she said, grabbing and leading him to the kitchen.

The Interrogation

"Hey, Akane, you have a second?" Cami called out.

"Sure, Cami, what's up?" Akane slowed her pace on the way to her locker.

"I want to ask about your date the other day?" Cami smirked.

"I…I don't know what you are talking about?" Akane deflected, resuming her pace.

"You don't hum," Cami said as she put her phone in front of Akane to see the photo of her and Izuku eating lunch. "We saw you. You were laughing, playing with your hair. So who is he?"

Akane grabbed Cami's hand and yanked her into the bathroom. "Okay, okay, it wasn't a date. His mom is a pro hero, and my mom met him at the hospital. They set it up like we were five."

"Your mother set you up on…a playdate?" Cami said in shock.

"Yes, exactly," Akane said quickly. "I didn't want to do it, but then she told me he was a kid of a pro…"

"And you couldn't resist because of that?" Cami said, nodding her head. "Who is the pro?"

"I can't tell you sorry," Akane said. "He asked me to keep to myself. So, I didn't know if it would be weird or creepy, but he is a nice guy. He has a girlfriend for whom he is head over heels, so it was cool. He wants to be a hero, so we just talked about stuff. Then we got attacked, and he got messed up. He is fine now. I have been messaging him and this girl with us at the attack, and we met this other one while in line for some space store."

"Why were you in line for a space store?" Cami wondered. "And he went down to those freaks?"

"His girlfriend is super into aliens and stuff. It was a grand opening, and he wanted to get her something and some swag, so we stood in line," Akane said, looking around to make sure someone wasn't listening. "And one got him across the back with those claws; I think they were poisoned because he started to run a fever and passed out."

"That makes sense then. I'm glad that he is okay, at least. But are you saying you didn't think he was cute?" Cami said, looking at the picture.

"Okay, I am not blind. He is cute, but he has a girlfriend, and he is cool. He wants to be a hero, of course, and it isn't all about beating people up, and not everything is a freaking competition," Akane said. "Besides, we are just texting a bit, and it is unlikely that I will see him again."

"So what you are saying is that you are into him," Cami's smile came out in full force.

"See, this is why I didn't want to tell you," Akane threw up her hands and went to walk away.

"Sorry, Aka, I was just teasing you," Cami said. "Well, I am glad that you made some friends."

"Thank you. Besides, one of the girls I met already knows Daliah," Akane said as they exited.

"Oh, who was that?"

"She said her name was Reiko," Akane replied.

"Hey, I thought you had a thing for Bakugo," Cami said as Akane made a gagging noise.

"No…Hell No," Akane rolled her eyes. "I don't want everything to be a competition, and we don't see eye to eye on stuff. He is cool to hang out with, and he is my friend, but that is it."

"Cool…cool, coo, coo, cool," Cami said.

"Do you like him?"

"I think he's pretty cute. I didn't want to step on my girls' toes, that is all," Cami said, blushing just ever so slightly.

"All yours, girl, all yours," Akane said with a smile.

The Truth

After two months, All-Might was finally released from the hospital. Thankfully, he could still call upon One for All, but maintaining his battle form was not what it once was; he was forced out of his "Buff" form against his will. He couldn't just turn it on and off at will; his time as a hero was not limited. After what Chiyo had told him, she expected his time limit to get shorter; if he pushed himself or went too hard, it would only hasten the decline.

He stopped in front of the door to Nezu's office; he needed to get some answers regarding Izuku Kayama. After a brief delay, he entered and took a seat. "Had Chiyo told you what is going on?"

"No, my friend," Nezu said, setting two cups of tea on the table as he sat in the chair next to All-Might. "She sent the report, but I destroyed it. I figured if you wanted to tell me, then you would."

"I appreciate that, Nezu," All-Might sighed. I fear that my time as the symbol of peace is now not only numbered but limited. The more I use it, the worse it will get before there will be no other choice but for me to step aside."

"Who knows?" Nezu said sympathetically.

"Chiyo, you," All-Might said. "I plan on telling the others, including Nighteye."

"I understand. Do you plan on passing on One for All?" Nezu inquired.

"I do. I hadn't given it much thought before, at least not seriously. But now I feel that I have to," All-Might said, sipping his tea and smiling. They will be the first not to live with the specter of All for One; they can live a full and safe life."

"Do you have any candidates?" Nezu said. All-Might shook his head.

"No, I just barely began to consider it; I wanted to talk with you about that," All-Might said.

"Me?" Nezu said, confused. "I wouldn't presume to tell you whom to pass it to; it would be your choice."

"It is my choice, but I want to talk to you about Izuku Kayama, your grandson," Nezu nodded. The boy is talented, and his quirk is strong. Adding All for One would push him beyond, I think, anything that has ever been seen." All-Might noticed a slight twitch for just a second by Nezu. But there is something that is bothering me."

"And what is that?" Nezu said calmly.

"I saw All for One touch him and try to take his quirk, which failed. I have sparred a few times with Young Kayama and know how formidable he is at such a young age. It is uncanny, especially the growth between the first and second time we fought. He also was able to not only catch All-for-One off guard, but he was able to land a blow," All-Might paused. "Now I have never seen All for One not be able to take someone's quirk, except One for All as it must be given freely. Also, I have never seen one with a quirk like his; he displays multiple quirks."

"It all stems from…" Nezu began to say.

"I have fought many villains, and I am fairly familiar with how quirks work," All-Might cut him off. "Except for All For One's henchmen who have shown an adverse effect to housing multiple quirks, and a rare breed of people who have two quirks, I have not seen one or even two quirks that could account for all of his abilities."

Nezu stood quiet, "Super Strength, Invulnerability, Flight, Heighten Senses, X-Ray Vision, Heat Vision. Super Strength could carry a measure of Invulnerability; heightened senses could maybe explain the X-ray vision. That leaves flight and heat vision, so four possible quirks." All-Might set his tea down. "Now I know in my heart that this boy has no connection to All for One, and I know that he is a good kid with a strong sense of right and wrong, but I believe I am owed an explanation."

Nezu paused. All-Might, for the first time, saw his friend at a loss for words as he seemed to be struggling with his answer. "Please excuse me for a minute. I need to make a phone call," Nezu said as he left the room.

All-Might waited for about twenty minutes before Nezu came walking back in. "Who did you need to call?" he asked.

"I had to talk with the boy's mother," Nezu said. "I want to preference what I am about to tell you: with as much trust you have put in me to keep your secret, she and I are asking for that same level of trust. Just as if the truth about your quirk came to light, it would shake the world as we know it; if the truth about my grandson came to life, I could do more than shake the world; I could very well rock it to its core. The safety of those he cares about would be at great risk."

"Do you not mean his safety?" All-Might said.

"No, I fear for his mother, girlfriend, and all those who care about him," Nezu said. "I would then fear for those who drove him over the edge because I am not sure that anyone could stop him."

"Are you saying he is dangerous?" All-Might said, his tone is taking a slight edge.

"No, he is everything you believe he is," Nezu said. But that is predicated on his love for his family and those he holds dear. If they were to be attacked or harmed because of what I am about to share with you, then I believe that in his anger, his rage, and his sorrow, he can be broken. And like all people, when broken, they can be dangerous, but with his abilities, that is even more so."

"My grandson does not possess a quirk," Nezu said. All-Might's immediate reaction was to tell Nezu he was lying, but then he thought of Melissa. His abilities result from his unique DNA, which absorbs solar radiation, empowering him with all the abilities you listed."

"So his quirk is solar radiation absorption?" All-Might said, confused. " Is it some type of mutation quirk?"

"It is a mutation but not in the traditional sense that we have come to think of it," Nezu paused. "This solar absorption is not unique to just Izuku but to his entire race."

"His race…" All-Might's eyes widened. "Are you saying…"

"Yes, All-Might, Izuku is not human, nor did he originate from this planet," Nezu said. "Izuku is living proof that we are not alone in the galaxy. It is terrifying, wonderful, and unsettling."

"How many others are there?" All-Might asked. "Are there more of him here on Earth? Are more of them coming? What is their purpose?"

"None that we know of, and we don't know for sure," Nezu said. "Izuku is the last son of the planet Krypton."