So uh... Small update. I figured out who I'm going to give One For All to... and with apologies to Kokiri hero, it's not going to be Kendo. You did bring up some good points that will make her a bigger character moving forward, but she won't be getting One For All.

That being said, the way I'm planning to do this might be a little... controversial?

Ah, you know what? Fuck it, you guys will probably flame me in the reviews if you don't like it, so I might as well talk about it and get it out of the way.

For those of you who have read Twin Heroes, you'll know that a major part of that story is my OC, Lucas Knight. What you guys don't know is that Lucas is actually my biggest character, and I intended to put him here in this story, along with Fastest Man Alive to maintain that idea of the Omniverse and that each story I make is basically all connected in this Omniverse.

Anyway, I'm getting off track. My initial plan was to introduce Lucas as the 6th ranger and use how he gets his Morpher, which was going to be different from Izuku's Master Morpher, as a sort of backdoor teaser for a straight up Power Rangers fic called Legacy Force that would've ended up leading into the story that we are in now. That plan however, has changed.

As you guys have no doubt guessed, my plan is now to have Lucas inherit One For All. This would happen right after the I-Island arc, because my plan currently is to establish Lucas as Melissa's boyfriend, where he takes this opportunity to fight by her side once Melissa takes her role beside Izuku as a Power Ranger.

Now I can hear you guys asking: but why not make Lucas a Power Ranger too?

Well the simple answer is... timing. I'm purposefully dragging out adding more Rangers because, simply put, it gives us more time with each individual Ranger. Taking on these powers is a massive responsibility, and its something any of these characters would struggle with carrying. The unfortunate part about Power Rangers being a kids show is that it never really addresses this because it really can't, at least not in a way that children would understand. I feel like offering the power of the Morphin Grid to both Melissa and Lucas would force me to sacrifice spending time with one over the other.

Which leads me to the more... cryptic part of the conversation I want to have this chapter: Who will be the 6th Ranger?

Well... I'm not sure yet. I have some ideas, but I'm going to hold off until probably after Kamino Ward to start setting it up.

Which, speaking of Kamino Ward, that is going to be the point where the story starts heavily deviating from canon, especially for what I have planned. After that fight, nothing will be the same.

Well, with that cryptic statement out of the way, enjoy the chapter. It's a bit on the heavier side, but it's something that needs to be heard.

That night, the first thing that Izuku did was head to Shoto's room to check on him.

"You doing alright? I know you felt kind of guilty about what happened to Tsu." he asked, leaning in the doorway as Shoto looked out the window.

Shoto didn't say anything for a brief moment, as though he was choosing his words very carefully. "...Am I just like my father? Am I destined to become him?" He asked, looking at Izuku, and the verdette could see it in the heterochomatic eyes of the teen before him: This was a cry for help, a plea for someone, anyone to understand him. Unfortunately, Izuku wasn't that person. He didn't know his father in the slightest.

But maybe he had someone who could help the youngest Todoroki.

"Shoto, I can't answer that question because I don't even know what it's like to have a dad." Izuku said honestly, feeling his heart break at Shoto's crestfallen gaze. "But, I think some of my vestiges do, if you feel comfortable talking to them."

Shoto only gave a small nod in response. He'd take anything he could get at this point. He was tired. He was tired of bottling up these emotions. He needed to vent... even if it was to someone who was technically dead. He noticed Izuku about to put on some noise cancelling headphones, clearly not wanting to eavesdrop, but Shoto motioned for him to stop. "It's okay. I'm going to need to talk to someone about this. It might as well be you, too."

Izuku nodded in understanding, pressing his Morpher as the vestiges of Wes Collins and Eric Myers appeared. The two looked at each other, clearly having a silent conversation about who wanted to talk first. Ultimately, it was Wes who sat down on Shoto's bed.

"You don't have to tell me everything, but I'm guessing your dad has tried to lay out your entire future for you, am I right?" Wes asked, leading Shoto to nod bitterly. "Yeah, I thought so. You're a lot like me in that regard. My dad had my whole life planned out for me, but he failed to realize that the life he wanted for me and the life I wanted for me were two very different things. Now, I have a feeling it's not as simple as that in your regards but-"

"I'm the byproduct of an arranged marriage." Shoto quietly said. He turned to Izuku. "I'm guessing you know what a Quirk marriage is."

Izuku's face paled. "You don't mean-"

Shoto nodded.

"Sorry, we're not from this universe." Eric interrupted, not unkindly. "What's a Quirk marriage?"

Izuku sighed sadly. "The best way to describe it is a mix between an arranged marriage and selective breeding. Back in the early days of Quirks, people would arrange marriages in the hopes that the resulting child would get a fusion of the parent's Quirks, making the child that much more powerful. It was deemed unethical and was all but outlawed here in Japan and is actually illegal in the US. Shoto, are you saying...?"

"Yes." Shoto sighed, happy to finally get all of this off of his chest. "Endeavor came to my mother and practically bought her from her parents all so he could one day make a child that had eliminated his weakness and could surpass All Might." He looked at his hands as ice cubes formed in his right hand. "That child was me. And once I was born... He cast my siblings to the side like they were nothing." Tears started to form in his heterochromatic eyes as he let everything he was holding out. All the anger, the frustration, the pain... He let it out for Izuku to see. "To the point where my oldest brother pushed himself to death just to get my fathers attention." He wiped the tears away and looked Izuku dead in the eye. "I want to be the best, but not for him. For me. Hell, by the time we're pros, All Might will probably be retired anyway. But I don't want to be a hero just to be the best. I want to do it for my mom. None of this" He motioned to himself. "Was her fault, and I am terrified that she thinks it is. Hell, I blame myself sometimes. Maybe if I had pushed back more, tried to be more like her than like him I would've-"

His words died in his throat as Izuku rushed forward like a green missile and hugged the taller boy. "Listen to me, Shoto." Izuku said firmly. "You are not broken, and you can't change the past. All you can do is be the best you that you can be. The fact that you are bothered about all this shows that you are a better man than Endeavor will ever be. I understand that you are scared of becoming him, but you know what? You don't just have me in your corner. If you open up to everyone out there, they will listen. Hell, I was and still legally am Quirkless, and yet, nobody in there judged me for it, did they? Don't be Endeavor, be Shoto. You're Quirk isn't Hellflame, it's Half Cold Half Hot. It's not his Quirk, it's yours. You are not him, you are not going to become him."

"If I can interrupt." Eric said politely as both boys stepped away from the embrace. "I know my fair share of rivalries." Eric chuckled, glancing at Wes. "Actually, I was a lot like you, Shoto. I was constantly angry at the world. Me and Wes went to the same school and I constantly hated him for the simple fact that he came from money, and I didn't. I thought that everything came easy to him because he was rich and he had his dad to come bail him out while I came from nothing and had to work tooth and nail to get where I was. I didn't realize how wrong I was until me and Wes became Power Rangers. It took me so many years to realize that Wes was so much more than a rival." Eric gave the two students a rare smile. "He was my friend."

"It's not a bad thing to have a rivalry, Shoto." Wes said, putting a ghostly hand on his shoulder. "Just know when it's a friendly rivalry, and not a petty one. A friendly rivalry pushes both of you to be better because you both genuinely want to see the other thrive. A petty one-"

"You just want to see them as beneath you so they can know their place in the world." Shoto finished, looking at the vestige with a small smile. "I understand, and thank you." He turned to Izuku. "All of you, for listening. I... didn't realize how much I was holding in until tonight."

"Hey." Izuku said with a smile. "What are friends for?"

This chapter... wasn't meant to be entirely about Izuku and Shoto. However, I decided to dedicate this to them because I believe it's a message that everyone needs to hear sometimes. We all have our struggles, and we all have our issues. But that doesn't make us broken. I wrote this chapter to reiterate something extremely important to everyone reading this: You do not have to shoulder your burdens alone. There are people that love you that will help lift that weight off of your shoulders.

Therapy isn't for everyone, I get that. It can be expensive, or you just don't feel comfortable talking to an absolute stranger, that is perfectly okay. But if nothing else, talking to someone, anyone will make you feel better. It could be a parent, a sibling, a close friend, anyone. They will be there for you if you ask. Don't bottle up your emotions, and don't feel like you aren't deserving of love or happiness.

I know I kind of let this chapter get away from me, but to be completely honest, I don't regret it in the slightest.

Next chapter should be a little bit lighter, though.

Thank you all so much for reading, and as always, Drive The Speed Limit, Drink Some Water, and most importantly of all, Love One Another.