U.A. had emerged unscathed by the devastation wrought in the wake of All for One's rampage. The grounds were lush as ever, the sidewalk still had that one bump Izuku always tripped over, and the doors were still comically large given the average size of the students using them.

And yet, despite nothing having changed in the few weeks since the summer camp, when the school finally reopened, everything felt different to Izuku. The atmosphere grew silent and tense as Izuku walked the halls and he had to use his Quirk to squeeze himself into the tiny desk he had once sat comfortably inside. Even his school uniform didn't fit.

Aizawa cleared his throat and addressed the class. "You've been through this before, so I'll spare you the lecture on how these events will happen on a regular basis in your chosen career and instead skip to apologizing for the unacceptable danger you have all been put in. We had opted for secrecy over security, believing it would prove more effective than patrols and static defenses the League could easily bypass. We were wrong. We are investigating the source of the information leak and will inform you of specific details once we have them."

Slapping a stack of papers on the desk, Aizawa continued, "Otherwise, it will be business as usual, and I expect you all to perform to meet the standards set for you. Should you have any problems, you may speak with Hound Dog any time or request a transfer."

Dead set on living up to Aizawa's words, Izuku took books and notes out of his bag. Aizawa's eyes snapped to him, and he said, "Nezu has asked for you." When Izuku went to stand, Aizawa added, "Take your things."

Feeling nervous, Izuku put his notes away and flung his backpack over his shoulder. Nezu had a cup waiting for him, pouring it out as Izuku opened the door.

"Have a seat. I daresay mine will fit you better than your old desk."

Izuku took a sip to brace himself. "Am I in trouble, sir?"

"On the contrary. Your hero career starts today."

"Today? I haven't even passed the licensing exam. Heck, I haven't even passed freshman year!"

Nezu passed a card across the desk. Izuku's stomach did backflips as he saw his face on a freshly minted hero license.

"In light of your battle against All for One and saving all of Japan, the HPSC has decided that testing you would be redundant. And while I believe there is still a lot that you could learn from U.A., the disparity between you and your classmates, and even your upper classmen, would make joint exercises impossible to balance properly. Not to mention, a high school diploma is technically not a job requirement in the hero industry."

Izuku fiddled with his hero license in his fingers. "So, what, I'm done? No more high school? Am I not going to graduate?"

"I can give you the option to test out of certain classes and take others remotely. You will have to study and take tests on your own time, around your hero work, but I will offer you my full support in getting your diploma. I will also set up time with our teachers to cover specific lessons you would have learned later in the year. Hostage situations, car chases, interacting with police and crime scenes, mental health awareness, we offer a lot of electives to upper classmen depending on their specific trajectory as heroes. Given your status as the new number one, I recommend taking all of them."

"Oh of course, that makes sense." Izuku's brain shorted out as the words caught up to him. "Number one. I'm the new number one?"

"It hasn't been announced yet. You'll have a press conference tomorrow. The HPSC wrote up a speech for you, and I took the liberty of passing it through my paper shredder after getting a good laugh out of it. I could always whip one up if you need it, but those kinds of things are better spoken from the heart."

Izuku took a deep breath and drank deeply from his mug. "Okay, slow down. I know number one was exactly what I wanted, but why? I haven't even started yet!"

"Technically, you started when you illegally confronted the single most dangerous villain in the world and fought him in a highly publicized battle." Izuku winced sheepishly at his words. Nezu amusedly shook his head and said, "The HPSC was kind enough to retroactively certify you as a hero to dodge any legal and PR issues. Between that one high-profile neutralization, all the other League members taken into custody after your capture, and the staggering support from the public, almost matching All Might's personal best, you're considered prominent enough to oust Endeavor from the top spot. Add in All Might's retirement, and it's only natural that they give you the ranking immediately."

Izuku took a deep breath to calm his frayed nerves. "Okay. Press conference, then what? Do I have a patrol route? An agency? Employees?" Izuku's brain kicked into gear as countless hours poring over the logistics of the hero industry dredged themselves out of his memory. "A PR team to handle the press, legal team for damages and lawsuits, marketing for an income so I can pay for all those employees, and accounting to manage the money. HR, manage the employees. Also costume designers and technicians, maintenance and janitorial staff, and-"

"As heartening as it is to hear you're taking so much into consideration," Nezu said, "You won't be expected to manage that on your own. If nothing else, the HPSC, and Japan as a whole, would rather you focus on fighting villains than set up an agency from scratch. So, you have a few options."

Nezu slid over a few stacks of manila folders. One was noticeably thicker than the rest. "The HPSC has graciously offered their resources and personnel, provided you attach yourself to their organization-"

"Pass," Izuku cut in.

"If you're truly determined to forge your own path, I can put you in touch with U.A. alumni who specialize in management and finances. However, I think there's a more elegant solution.

Nezu slid aside two folders to expose the final option. "With All Might's retirement, Might Tower could use a new professional hero to lead them."

Izuku opened the folder. Even if his reverence for All Might had withered over the years, Izuku still felt a chill at seeing the title deed for Might Tower sitting in his hands. Flipping through the pages, he found dossiers on employees, tax forms, utility bills, maintenance records, patrol schedules, and all the other documents that laid out exactly how the most prestigious agency in Japan operated.

"All Might has sold the rights and deed to Might Tower, under the condition that you take up his mantle and maintain his charity work. If you accept, you'll have an experienced team ready to support you. Just be warned that taking this will tie your image to All Might's. People will have the same expectations of you, and there will be fierce backlash if you fall short."

A fiercer part of Izuku's soul burned at the idea of being lesser. He tossed the two smaller folders in the trash and said, "I won't just meet his standard. I'll be better than him."

"Bold words. In any case, that's all for today. I suggest you go home and get some rest. You're going to be very busy for the next few months."

As Izuku went to leave the room, he faltered. "Could I say goodbye first?"

Nezu looked a bit startled, but he recovered quickly. "Of course. Do keep it quick, Aizawa gets testy if something distracts his students for too long."

Knocking on the door to his old classroom and walking inside, Izuku realized he had no idea what to say to his former classmates. It always felt like a massive gulf rested between him and them, a barrier built of wariness that Izuku had no idea how to cross. It felt all the wider from the tense glances and shifty expressions of classmates remembering his fight against All for One.

Izuku shouldered his bag and said, "Today is my last day in this class. I wanted to say goodbye and wish you all luck."

He saw a mix of reactions from his classmates. Confusion, mostly, though some hid smiles while others, like Kirishima and Tokoyami, frowned in disappointment.

"Finally!" Mineta said under his breath, loudly enough that it carried through the dead silence in the room.

One of Bakugo's hands crackled. "What did you just fucking say?" he growled.

"What? We're all thinking it!""

"Detention, both of you," Aizawa said in a bored voice.

Everyone instantly went ramrod straight and faced the front of the room. Everyone, that is, except Kirishima. Giving the teacher a wary look, he walked over to Izuku and clapped both arms around his back.

"Don't be a stranger, dude. You'll be alright, won't you?"

Izuku still had the folder in his hand. Giving Kirishima a tap on his arm, Izuku tilted the folder until the first page inside just barely poked out. Kirishima's eyes widened when he saw a picture of Might tower.

"No way, dude, that's awesome! Congratulations!"

Smiling, Izuku put a finger over his lips. Kirishima sheepishly clamped his mouth shut and gave him a huge thumbs up.

"You have five seconds," Aizawa said dryly.

Kirishima clapped his shoulder one last time and sprinted into his desk. As he left, Izuku saw Kaminari and Hagakure pester him, but Kirishima mimed locking his lips.

Inko had been in the middle of dusting beef in cornstarch and spices when Izuku opened the door. Her hands stilled. "Izuku? Is everything alright?"

Izuku had no idea. Instead, he said, "I'm the new number one hero."

Inko watched in open dumbfoundment as Izuku laid out the manila folder on the table. Pictures of Might Tower spilled out in front of her. Without even washing her hands, Inko ran over and wrapped Izuku up in a big hug.

"Oh, Izuku, I'm so proud of you! Number One? But what about school?"

"They're offering night courses on the important stuff."

Inko patted Izuku's back, then noticed the mess she was making of her shirt. She rushed for a towel and hastily scrubbed his back. "Oh, that's wonderful! But are you sure you're ready for it? You're so young yet, and with everything that happened… isn't it too soon?"

It was too soon. Izuku thought he had an entire climb to find, only for Nezu to pluck him from the base and stick him on the summit like a flag. Number one had been his entire goal, and the way he had achieved it left him feeling hollow.

"I'll be fine. Nezu, the HPSC, everyone at Might Tower, other heroes, they'll all be there to help out." Izuku flexed a muscle and grinned. "Besides, I beat the strongest villain in the world. It's not like I'll face anyone worse."

Not even a day later, Izuku decided that he had been very wrong. He had been blind. Arrogant. Foolish. He knew not what horrors heroes faced on the battlefield of cameras and microphones on a daily basis.

"Viridian! Is it true that you lost your Quirk?"

"Well, I-"

"Was it one of those Quirk-erasing bullets that were briefly in circulation?"

Clutching at that convenient excuse like a life raft, Izuku said, "Yes it was! Good thing it was entirely temporary."

"How did a bullet even hit you when your Quirk makes you permeable?"

"Er, well-"

"Do you think yourself capable of filling All Might's shoes?"

"I-"

"How do you plan to respond to the tweet Endeavor made criticizing your meteoric rise in the rankings?"

"What tweet?"

That got gasps and surprised laughter out of the crowd. Izuku had no idea why.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Which professional hero do you think is the hottest?"

"Any chance there'll be a Mrs. Midoriya anytime soon?"

Izuku felt his face burning as he silently pleaded with them to bring back the questions about his Quirk.

In the defense of the people organizing the press conference, they made a valiant effort to organize the publicity mob howling for answers. Yet, every time they restored some semblance of order, a few bolder reporters shoved their questions forward, and the bloodbath began anew.

"What are your thoughts on legalizing public Quirk usage?"

"I mean, the laws are very restrictive, but-"

"Do you think heroes need to be more involved in combating organized crime given the rise in Trigger usage among villains?"

"I have no idea how you even expect me to have an answer-"

"You interned with Mirko, correct? Is there any chemistry between you and her? Any spicy moments between patrols?"

Before Izuku could slam his face into the podium in hopes of the sweet release of unconsciousness, Midnight arrived, gassed the more troublesome reporters, and wrangled the event into something that more closely resembled the relaxed explanation of Izuku's new status he had expected. While she was telling off the organizers for letting the press so far, a HPSC agent gave him his hero pager.

"Anytime there's a crime reported in your designated area, it'll get flagged on the pager. Accept the commission, and report promptly to the area to subdue the criminals or rescue civilians. Once done, report the commission completed, and select which personnel are required. Police officers and your agency will handle the rest."

A shiver of excitement ran through Izuku's chest as he pocketed the sleek, shiny device. He could feel its electric hum in his pocket as he was driven home in an HPSC limousine.

They hadn't even made it ten blocks when the device went off. Izuku checked the map. A glowing blip marked a robbery south of the vehicle. Izuku flung the door open, not even bothering to wait for the car to stop, and flashed over. Sensing a man shoving electronics into a massive sack, Izuku darted through the building's wiring, popped out a lightbulb, and slammed feet-first onto the villain's shoulders. One electric shock left him a smoking unconscious lump on the floor.

With the villain neutralized and a loud thunderclap announcing his presence, Izuku found himself surrounded by an adoring crowd demanding signatures. One even held up a baby for him to sign. Izuku warily backed away, giving his best nervous smile and politely nudging pens away, but he felt himself getting literally backed into a wall.

He almost sighed with relief when the pager went off. He barely glanced at it before accepting it, shouting out "Gotta go, duty calls!" and darting out through the ceiling.

At the new address, Izuku almost missed what was happening. He went to double-check the commission when he smelled smoke in the air. Tendrils of fire flickered in the windows, and a thin plume trailed into the sky.

Izuku cast his senses into the building. He got the elderly woman first, who shouted at him for touching her wheelchair without permission, then the woman passed out next to a busted CO2 extinguisher and a pan of extra crispy eggs, and finally an unconscious man halfway down the stairs with six puppies wriggling in his coat.

Arms full of puppies, Izuku stepped out into camera flashes and microphones. Pretending to check his pager, he shouted, "More work to do!", shoved the puppies at a fireman, and darted back home.

Inko asked how he was feeling after the press conference. The alert went off, three villains were hauling televisions out of a smashed store front. He swiped leftover katsudon from the fridge, and a call came out about an out-of-control car before the microwave finished cooking it. He made it back in time to take five bites and get three calls at once. One suicide jumper yoinked off a bridge and two armed robberies later, Izuku came back to cold katsudon. He shoved the entire plate in his mouth, got another call, and zipped off with a mouth full of food.

Purse snatching, car theft, breaking and entering, bank robbery, vandalism and arson, villains poured out of the woodworks at the announcement of All Might's retirement, only to get ruthlessly smacked like moles with Izuku's oversized, supercharged hammer. By the time the sun set, Izuku had stopped punching villains, instead knocking them out with a burst of Conqueror's Haki from the nearest wire. By midnight, Izuku wasn't even bringing his whole body to the scene, instead shoving an arm through his bedroom outlet, navigating it through Musutafu's electrical grid to the commission's address. A bit of Observation Haki helped him find whoever was in distress and move them somewhere safe.

Once the sun rose, Izuku blearily took the nearest power line to Might Tower and popped into the lobby. He barely had time to look for a coffee machine when the secretary at the front desk ambushed him.

"Viridian, sir, please stop taking so many commissions. We are drowning in paperwork and complaints from other agencies."

Izuku blinked sleepily at her as his hand accepted a commission on impulse, zipped off, and returned to snag an unattended mug from across the room. Izuku drained it, shook himself, and said, "Aren't I supposed to take them all?"

The secretary pinched the bridge of her nose. "What did they tell you when they gave you your pager?"

"To accept commissions?"

With a sigh, the secretary swiped the pager from him. She opened the settings and said, "This has to be a setup. Nobody has an entire region and all emergencies active by default."

"Wait, you can filter what it sends you?"

"Yep. That's why you haven't been getting notifications from all of Japan."

"Oh. Do you think we should turn those on?"

The secretary gave him a withering glare. Even as he cringed, Izuku felt impressed. It reminded him of Nami when people wasted her money.

"This worked out in the short run. They're already running news reports about your war on crime. Over three hundred accepted commissions within eighteen hours shatters the weekly record, never mind the daily one. Approval ratings are up another percent, which put you just past All Might's personal best, and the crime rate is already projected to hit a five year low. But if you keep taking commissions at this rate, you're going to starve the other agencies in the area, swamp us with all the after-action reports and insurance claims, and burn yourself out."

The pager buzzed again. Izuku went to grab it, but the secretary held it out of his reach. "Give it ten seconds. Someone else will get it." The flashing commission button lingered on the screen before it grayed out. "See? It's generally polite to leave commissions for whoever is on patrol in that area."

"Why didn't that happen earlier?"

"I checked your usage stats. You averaged half a second between the alert popping up and accepting it."

Izuku sheepishly grinned. "Oops."

"Yeah, oops. Now, if you get a summons or urgent request, that's either specific to your skill set or an all hands on deck kind of situation. For example, someone might summon you if there's an emergency at an electrical plant, and something like the Hosu disaster would be an urgent request. Those pop up independently of whatever filters and timeframes you select."

"So wait, I can tell this thing not to call me when I'm sleeping?"

"Yes."

Izuku furrowed his brow as the secretary walked him through how to change his settings. "Why didn't they tell me all this?"

"Either they're idiots, or they were trying to sabotage you. Hard to tell with the HPSC."

Shaking his head and hunting for more coffee, Izuku said, "I thought they would've stopped that now that I'm the Number One."

"You think they didn't give All Might any grief? I always got the impression that they never liked how popular he was, and more to the point, how much he resisted their suggestions. But never mind that. We've got a couple thousand forms we need you to sign, and most of them are due by the end of the day."

To Izuku's trepidation, they took the elevator to All Might's office. The room showed signs of redecoration, pale spots on the walls, matted carpet and a bare desk. The computer still had a protective film over the screen, and the keyboard wasn't plugged in. In one corner sat entire reams of paper, marked with high lighter wherever they needed his signature.

It wasn't All Might's chair Izuku sat in, but sitting atop Might Tower, in All Might's old office, made Izuku realize that he had reached the top. There wasn't a higher floor in this tower, no spot in the hero rankings above his own, nowhere to go but down and nothing to do but stop two-bit villains that couldn't even stay conscious within a hundred feet of him, sign endless piles of forms, and smile for the cameras.

Izuku grabbed a pen, scribbled until ink came out, and zipped through signature after signature, shoving papers aside at lightning speed. As the secretary turned to leave, Izuku asked, "Did All Might ever feel bored with being the Number One?".

The secretary frowned at the messy pile steadily accumulating at their feet. "I don't think so. He was always active about planning new charity events, or changing up his patrol routes, even as his health declined."

"What about the villains? The fights? Did he ever feel like it was too easy?"

"I don't think he was ever looking for a challenge. He was looking to make a difference. Make the world safer, help those who needed it."

And that, Izuku realized, was the problem. He craved a challenge, craved the heart-thumping thrill of fighting for his life, craved the freedom to go where he pleased, fight whoever he wished, and triumph over satisfying challenges.

All Might's desk was just as cramped as his own was at U.A.

"Having second doubts already?" the secretary asked.

"Was I that obvious?"

"Can't say that I blame you. You got yanked out of high school and skipped everything that would've made you ready for the workload you'll have. So, if you want out, just say so. Anytime."

"If I do that, wouldn't the villain attacks get worse?"

"They would, for a bit. But another number one would step up, and life will go back to normal. It doesn't have to be you. You're just the number one everyone wants to have."

"Which is why I can't leave."

"No one can force you here. By the end of the day, this is just a job. No one can force you to work more hours or accept more PR conferences. You could set your patrol to a single block for thirty minutes, and the most they could do is kick you down the ratings and dock your pay.

Izuku set the last signed page aside and asked, "Why are you telling me all this? Wouldn't you lose your job if I quit?"

The secretary smirked. "I worked for All Might. There isn't a company in the country I couldn't land a job at. As for why, I'm telling you this because it's my duty to give you whatever assistance you need. If you're feeling overwhelmed or unhappy with your job, that will be to everybody's detriment. So, give it some thought, decide if you really want this job, and remember that your decision isn't final. You can leave anytime you want to."

Pager blessedly silent for once, Izuku turned to look out the window. He couldn't see the sea from his viewpoint, but he could imagine it, the rolling waves, a wooden deck beneath his feet and sails catching the wind overhead. He had money now, lots of it. He could buy himself a wooden ship, take it for a ride, but it wouldn't be the same.

"I think, one day, I will leave," Izuku said. "There's somewhere I want to go back to. But I said I would be the number one hero someday. It'd be a shame if I quit so soon."

"And I will help you for as long as you stay."

Once the secretary left, Izuku's pager gave another beep. Izuku downed another mug of coffee, considered the request, and hopped out of the tower.

A/N: I'm alive! I mean, if you're also following Deku Ex, you would've known that, but still. This chapter did not want to be written, and even now I'm not completely satisfied, but at some point, you gotta put down the brush and let the paint dry.

As for life stuff, boy howdy has it been a trip. I'd been planning to replace my fence since I moved in. It was rotten and leaning in places so much the previous owners had it tied down.

I took a week of vacation, got my dad over, arranged deliveries of the new fence, rented equipment, and got the permit taken care of. We got the siding down just fine. Basically hacked it off the posts with a saws-all and stacked it next to the garage. While cutting, we found termites in one section, and wasn't that a fun revelation. We also got two posts out, which were poured into the front sidewalk without proper footings. All we had to do was cut and jackhammer around the posts, dig a bit deeper, then pry them out with a lever.

After that, though, was when the problems began in earnest.

The other posts did have footings. Most could stay in the ground if we cut the posts deep enough, but the ones on the corners had to go. We found out how to remove them, got a farm jack and chain, and tried pulling one out that didn't need to go. It almost worked, but the post snapped, and we figured we couldn't risk that happening to a corner post. If that happened, we'd have to dig deep enough to wrap the chain on the footing itself.

On top of that, the power company was supposed to mark the yard for when I was going to dig the post holes. They didn't. Got a receipt saying they did, I called, and they said no they didn't, so, eh. Whatever. And on top of that, the fence I ordered to arrive on the 17th, part way through my vacation, was delayed all the way to the 23rd, according to the tracking system. That was the final nail in the coffin, I cancelled the delivery and returned what I already got and had no use for.

Got some quotes from fencing companies, found one that said they would use the concrete I had bought and had some old bufftech fence lying around from a cancelled project (vinyl, after what I saw I'm never getting a wooden fence) – high end stuff they needed to get rid of due to them moving offices. I jumped on that discount, and they just installed it today. Looks good, though the gate doesn't lock, which isn't ideal but I'm sure I can mount something to it, and they didn't use my concrete. So now, I have 2400 pounds of concrete sitting in my garage that I need to get rid of. Can't return it, so I guess I gotta put it on Craigslist or become the pothole fixer the city needs.

Also also, while doing laundry, I came down to find the rug by my washer absolutely drenched. Thought it was a ceiling leak at first, but turns out it was the outtake for the wash machine, which was loosely tied to a pipe and pointed at the sink. Got a plumber over for advice, and they noticed my 1950 original concrete sink was leaking, and they couldn't fix it because the metal piping was rusted through. Got a new plastic sink, and they securely clamped the outtake to it so it wouldn't flail around again.

And guess what? The new sink also leaks. Admittedly, very slowly, but enough to leave a trail all the way to the floor drain. So, guess who I'll be calling tomorrow?

As for other things, I made a couple hundred cookies last week. The rhubarb ones didn't turn out so well, the rhubarb was previously frozen and dried out too much in the oven, but the chocolate chip and chocolate crinkle turned out perfectly. I'll also be making stuff for my sister's b-day this week, date-based energy bars and chocolate pudding jars from scratch as presents, and chocolate cake with Italian meringue buttercream frosting for the family.

Here's to hoping I don't screw up the frosting again.

Delphinous: "okay, this is an interesting way to re-engage the pirate world with the MHA world, but i have to admit that i really didn't understand the final bits about the toy truck. how is putting a toy truck inside the delorean a sabotage? especially given that it clearly worked anyways?"

Bardothren: the truck punted Doctor Garaki into another universe instead of the past as intended.

Mim: "First, for your excess abundance of tomatoes, might I suggest making them into jams, sauces, and preserves"

Bardothren: I have vanquished my tomatoes the old fashioned way, by eating them every day for six weeks straight. My blood is now ketchup and I'm on the run from Heinz.

Mim: "Fourth, shower thoughts pointed out to me that if I were Nedzu, and I wanted to hide a time traveling machine, then I would make a fake flux capacitor, or even just a fake DeLorian, stick a bomb inside it, and laugh at the explosions while relaxing with some tea and my feet up on my newly upholstered flux capacitor/DeLorian footstool."

Bardothren: Nezu did do that. Sadly, the fake DeLorean is sitting in the storage room at U.A. But yeah, that was a bit of villain plot armor, I'll own up to that.