So, after next week's chapter, I'll be taking a break for the first full week of March.

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

It had been a month and a half since Ochako had gotten the Omnitrix. While she had told Izuku and Iida, everyone else was kept in the dark. The reason for this was that Ochako was worried about how everyone would react. Would they be mad that she didn't tell them? Would they be disappointed in her? Would they think she was weird?

Ochako was so lost in thought that she didn't even hear Iida and Izuku calling her name.

"Uraraka!"

Ochako finally snapped out of her thoughts and turned to her friends. "What is it?" she asked, looking up from her notes.

"Are you okay?" Iida asked. "You've been really quiet lately."

"I'm fine," Ochako lied. "Just have a lot on my mind."

"Finals will do that." Izuku laughed.

Ochako smiled and went back to her notes, but her mind was still focused on how others would react.

Out of everyone, who would be the most receptive to the news? Momo seemed like a good bet. She probably wouldn't react too badly to the news...but what if she did? Would it be better to tell Mina? Or would she accidentally let the secret slip?

There was only one way to find out.

Ochako took a deep breath and decided to take the plunge. "Actually," she began, "there is something on my mind."

"What is it?" Iida asked.

"Well..." Ochako hesitated. "I wanna kinda tell other people about...y'know." Ochako held up her wrist.

"The Omnitrix?" Izuku guessed, in hushed tones.

"Yeah."

"I see." Iida hummed.

"Problem is...I don't know who to tell. I always think maybe someone's good, but then mind decides to ask 'but what if they react the other way?'" Ochako explained.

"Well," Izuku began, "I think you should tell Momo. She always seems level-headed and she's really nice."

"Good candidate." Iida nodded. "But maybe you should tell Tsu as well. You two are pretty close, aren't you?"

"All right." Ochako agreed. She was definitely going to have to tell her friends about the Omnitrix soon. But for now, she had to focus on finals.

But she didn't realize a few other people were aware of her secret.

Communication.

It wasn't Todoroki's strong suit.

He was never the one to start conversations and he always found it difficult to find the right words to say. More often then not, he would just stay quiet and let other people do the talking. But he was trying to change that. He had made a promise to himself that he would try to be more open and communicative with the people around him, especially after the sports festival. It was a difficult task, but he was determined to see it through.

And now, we are going to see him attempt a conversation with Ochako.

"Uraraka." Todoroki said. She turned around, looking a bit confused.

"Yeah? What's up?"

The next words that left his mouth shocked Ochako.

"How's the Omnitrix been treating you?"

Ochako's eyes widened. "H-How did you know about that?!"

"I put things together after your internship, and your recent absences."

Ochako was silent for a moment before she finally spoke up. "It's been...treating me well, I guess."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that."

There was an awkward silence between the two of them before Todoroki finally spoke up again.

"So, um, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime."

Ochako's eyes widened in surprise. "Hang out? With me?"

"Yeah. I mean, we're classmates and we get along pretty well, we share some friends…I thought it might be fun."

Ochako hesitated for a moment before she finally spoke up.

"Sure. I'd love to." Ochako said.

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow then."

And with that, Todoroki walked away, leaving a stunned Ochako behind.

That was so awkward and casual.

All Might had known from the start.

The Omnitrix was a potent tool that could endow its user with great power. It was also a potentially harmful weapon that was simple to misuse. Ben's choice was welcomed by All Might. But there was another reason All Might had wanted to speak with Ochako.

He had been watching Ochako closely, ever since she had first joined UA. He had seen her potential, her determination, her compassion. He had seen how she had grown, how she had become a strong young hero, determined to see things through. She had a reason for working so hard. All Might was confident that Ochako was more than capable of understanding the risks and responsibilities that came with using the Omnitrix. She was a hero, through and through.

And since Midoryia had told her about One for All...

It was time she heard his side of the story.

After Todoroki gently questioned her about the Omnitrix, Ochako was still pacing the hallways, quite shell-shocked. Unaware of what had already occurred, All Might thought that now was a suitable moment to chat with her.

"Hello there, Young Uraraka!" His bombastic personality broke through her daze.

"O-oh, All Might. Hey," Ochako said. "Sorry, just...finals."

"Oh, I've been there. My grades weren't that great, you know." He laughed at his own joke. "Have a moment to chat, actually?"

"I...I think so. Why, what's it about?"

All Might looked around, making sure no one else was around. He leaned in close, and said in a hushed tone-

"It's about One for All."

Ochako's expression changed, as she nodded. "I have time to talk, then."

"Follow me." All Might said, motioning for her to come along. All Might and Ochako walked into one of the many UA conference rooms. All Might shut the door behind them, before sitting down in some chairs.

"Before we start this conversation, there's something you should know." All Might said. All Might took a deep breath...and exhaled. Ochako watched in confusion as All Might's form started to deflate, like a balloon. His muscles became thinner, his bones became less defined, and his hair started to become unkempt. In seconds, the muscular and imposing figure of All Might was replaced by a frailer and gaunt man.

"All Might...?" Ochako said, in disbelief. She'd seen this form before, but she just didn't realize it. When Izuku was injured at the Sports Festival, she and a few others visited him in the infirmary. She never knew who the man in there before them was- figured it was a professional doctor or something. Never in a million years did she think he was really All Might...

"Have you ever visited a public swimming pool?"

Ochako blinked. "...yeah." Even though she had no idea where this was headed, All Might had one hell of a hook.

"My muscular form is like a guy holding in his gut at the pool." All Might explained.

"Makes sense, I guess." Ochako shrugged.

"So...you know about One for All." All Might said.

"Yeah. Izuku told me around the same time I told him about the Omnitrix," Ochako explained.

"Is that so? Well, I'm glad he had someone to confide in," All Might said.

"You chose a good successor," Ochako said. "Just like Ben did."

"I'm sure he will too. He has the potential to be even greater than I am." All Might said.

"If he can control his quirk. That stockpiling thing sounds really complicated." Ochako frowned.

"He'll figure it out. He's a smart kid." All Might chuckled. "Now...did Midoryia ever tell you how I ended up like this?" His hands motioned towards his thinner frame. All Might didn't look sickly, but he certainly did seem 'below average' for a normal human.

"No...he just said that you had to retire soon because of an injury." Ochako said.

"That's partly true." All Might nodded. "The injuries came from my greatest enemy, but we'll get to him in a bit. One of Ben's closest friends patched me up after the battle. She used a bunch of alien meds on me- if my operation was done by a normal human doctor, I don't think I'd look this way."

"How long can you maintain your power now?" Ochako asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm slowly losing my power, even with the help of the meds. Can only operate for only a few hours- used to be five, but after that battle with the Nomu, it's gone down to three. I have a feeling it's going to keep going down..." All Might said. "But I'm not ready to give up yet. I'm going to train Midoryia to be the best he can be, so he can take on my mantle when I'm gone."

"You're not going to die anytime soon, are you?" Ochako sounded worried. "You're the symbol of peace, the world needs you! I can't even picture 'peace' without you in it."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not going to be around forever." All Might said. "Kind of harsh, but it's necessary to know."

"Did Ben ever tell you about..." Ochako revealed the Omnitrix by raising her wrist.

"I was one of the first people he told." All Might said.

"He must have a lot of trust in you," Ochako replied.

"He ought to." All Might said. "We've been through a lot, after all. I found his choice interesting. I thought Ben would be searching for a long time, but imagine my shock when he chose you. Glad he did- I can't imagine the 'champ' of the Sports Festival with the Omnitrix."

Ochako imagined a very, very angry Grey Matter wearing Bakugou's costume. "DIE! DIE! DIE!" The tiny bastard yelled.

"...I can."

"The Omnitrix is no toy, I've seen Ben use it to his fullest potential. The man's fought gods and monsters, and came out unscathed." All Might paused. "Mostly."

Ochako shuddered. "I don't think I could take on a God. Some of the foes I've fought already are stronger than I thought they'd be."

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Uraraka." All Might said with a smile, "I have faith in you."

"Thank you, All Might." Ochako smiled. She then looked more at his body- it was strange to see All Might 'deflated'. "So, your greatest enemy did this..."

"This is gonna require a bit of a history lesson." All Might said, taking a deep breath. "The introduction of Quirks to the world led to a period of societal collapse and an age of upheaval. The age of heroes began when people with Quirks started using them to help others, and society began to recover. However, there was always a small group of people who used their Quirks for evil. There was one man who was always a step ahead of all the heroes. His name...was All For One, and he was the most powerful villain the world had ever seen."

Ochako felt a shiver go down her spine.

"All For One had a Quirk that allowed him to take other people's Quirks." All Might went on. "He used this as leverage- take from those who hated their powers, and give to those who needed power. He indulged himself on Quirks that seemed useful to him. All for One used this Quirk to amass an army of followers, people he could puppet and manipulate from afar. He never liked the spotlight."

"I've always heard stories about a 'Shadow King' who once ruled Japan. I first thought it was a lame urban joke." Ochako commented.

"I was the only one who could stop him." All Might said. "I was the only one who could stand up to him and his army. I fought him again and again, but I could never beat him. Then, one day, I finally caught him off guard. I was able to land a powerful punch that...should have killed him. That was years ago, before you were born. After that, the age of heroes really began. With All For One out of the picture, society started changing for the better..."

All Might inflated himself for emphasis.

"With me, headlining as the symbol of peace!" All Might grinned.

Ochako smiled back at him. "I can't believe you were able to take down someone as powerful as All For One. But...that doesn't tell me about where your quirk came from."

"Right, right- knew I was forgetting something." All Might's face turned serious again, as he deflated. "All for One had a sibling, whom he regarded as quirkless. He could only stand there and watch his brother commit atrocities. When his brother decided to forcibly implant a Quirk into him, it was revealed that he did, in fact, have a Quirk, although one with no additional abilities except the ability to transfer it to others. "One For All" was born by the union of the two Quirks. It was passed down from generation to generation, growing stronger with each passing of the torch."

Ochako's eyes widened. "So...you're saying that your power...is the result of All For One's evil?"

"His arrogance cost him dearly." All Might said.

And now Izuku had that same power, the same power for truly bringing about the world she and every other student knew today. That fact alone made it all the more impressive that Izuku was able to keep it secret for this long. A responsibility like that must have made keeping the Omnitrix a secret feel light in comparison.

"If...you don't mind me asking...how many people have used One for All?" Ochako asked, thinking that might be a stretch.

"Izuku is the ninth person to have it."

"Nine people...you're the 8th holder, then."

"Indeed I am. And by far, the longest holder of it." All Might said.

"The longest?" Ochako asked. For some reason, that...didn't exactly sit well with her.

"From what the person who gave me One for All said, holders of One for All usually passed it on after a few years or so. The weight of holding such a power...wears on the mind." All Might frowned.

"Wears on the mind..." Ochako muttered to herself. That didn't exactly inspire the greatest confidence.

"Don't worry," All Might said. "I'm sure Midoryia will be able to handle it."

"But...what if he can't?" Ochako asked quietly. "What if he's not strong enough?"

"When I handed him the power, I had no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't be strong enough to carry on the torch." All Might said. "Like a large boulder tossed into a lake, every smart decision causes waves. Unpredictable combinations of waves come together and bounce off the banks. I can't see where Izuku's future is heading, but...I know it'll be fantastic."

"I see..." Ochako said. She still sounded worried, but All Might's confidence was reassuring.

"And you, Uraraka? Where do you think your future will head? Somewhere similar?" All Might asked.

"I just see myself as a hero in the future, one that can repay everything my parents did to raise me, to send me to this school. Same as I did two months ago. There's...now just an Omnitrix in that fantasy," Ochako said.

"Nothing so grand as...say the top pro-hero in Japan? Or any of the top spots?" All Might asked. Considering how many people were gunning for that position in Class 1A alone it was honestly kind of refreshing to hear someone go for something a little less grandiose.

"If I was going to end up as a top hero, fine. I never really cared much about the rankings- I just want to be a good hero, someone that can save the day." Ochako said.

"I see," All Might said with an obvious smirk. Yep, definitely refreshing to hear a goal that down to earth. No offense to Izuku or Todoroki, of course.

"If I can use the Omnitrix to save more lives, to go beyond my limits- I'll be absolutely fine with it." Ochako said. "After all this is a gadget, not a weapon. I should be more than it."

"I wish more people out there would see it that way," All Might said, "A few times, me and Ben have had to team up to stop someone from trying to steal it."

"Was one of them named Vilgax, by any chance?" Ochako asked. She remembered some of the achievements that Tini listed off after the Galactic Enforcers helped stop the Xenocyte infestation in Alaska, and Vilgax stuck out for some reason.

"Vilgax...oh, that's a name I haven't thought about in years." All Might sighed. "It used to scare the daylights out of me, but..."

"But what?"

"Let's just say Ben took care of him after he crossed a line." All Might said.

"Would...it be fair to say that Vilgax was Ben's 'All for One' then?" Ochako asked.

"Without a doubt," All Might replied. "Ben's had many enemies through the years, but his foes have never been as powerful as Vilgax. The last time Vilgax was here was one of the most harrowing moments of my life..."

"I can only imagine," Ochako said. "But you stopped him, right?"

"Ben had to pull out the big guns for this one." All Might said. "Vilgax...found a way to make his own Omnitrix."

"What?!" Ochako exclaimed.

"It was a close call, but Ben was able to defeat him. Chances are, he disassembled the device...might be some pieces from that bootleg in your own Omnitrix." All Might said. "Vilgax was a powerful foe, but he was no match for Ben."

Someone managed to replicate the Omnitrix. Ochako thought this device was one of a kind, only able to made by one or two of the best minds in the galaxy, at least if the stories of Azmuth was anything to go by. For Ben's nemesis to have his own Omnitrix...

"I still remember a lot of that battle- many pro heroes were there." All Might hummed. "Me, Endeavor, Team RWBY, the Zeta Squad, the New Atlas army...all that firepower, against one man. I still ache just thinking about the blows I traded from his Vaxasaurian form."

Ochako shivered. "I'm curious to ask how Ben stopped Vilgax."

"It's better if you hear that from him, not me." All Might said.

"But you must have some idea!" Ochako insisted. All Might had to lie here- what really happened that day was too intense to tell the heroine in training for now.

"I think...I think it had something to do with his friends. The people who believed in him, even when he didn't believe in himself." All Might mused. "That's what it takes to be a true hero- not just power, but heart."

Ochako decided to take that one. She had a feeling there was more to it than that, but it was like Al Might said. Ben would have to be the one to tell her all the details. But the lesson the Number One used as a cover was still a good one.

"It was hard for someone like me to contend with Potential and the DNAlien Queen. I dunno how I'd fare against Vilgax." Ochako sighed.

"Worry not, you shouldn't have to." All Might said. "Ben made quick work of Vilgax. Locked away somewhere...awful."

"Tartarus? Or something similar?"

"Tartarus...Tartarus is relatively tame when compared to this place's security," All Might said, but that was all he would say on the matter.

"Well, that was a lot to take in. I kind of wish you told me towards the end of the day." Ochako said.

"That's on me. I just saw you and thought, 'hey, why not do it now'?" All Might said. "But I should probably be getting back to the office- I have to prep for my next class. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine." Ochako said. "I think I need some time to process all this information."

"If you need to talk, don't hesitate to find me." All Might said, as he walked away. "I'm always happy to help out one of my students."

"Thank you," Ochako smiled. With that, and some more questions she could ask Ben next time they met, Ochako went about the rest of her day.

Though, All Might also had some worries of his own when it came to that story of his, and all of them were aimed at the League. Ever since the Hosu Incident, not a word had reached the pros about the League. Even when a villain syndicate had to build up their strength again, rumors circulated in the underworld. Not here.

"What are you planning...Shigaraki? Waiting for your master's next command?" the Number One pro muttered to himself.

Bakugo was grumpy, like usual. He didn't seem the type to get stressed from finals, but he was more agitated than usual. He chewed out Midoriya for simply existing, as always, and Iida was trying to keep the peace. It was a typical day.

But he did have something on his mind.

And he had an opportunity to talk about it.

"Alright!" All Might said, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. Today's hero work activity was sure to be exciting. "Let's talk about hostage situations!"

The class oohed. Such a serious task- this was typically a topic for year 2 students.

"Now, in a hostage situation, what is the FIRST thing you should do to evaluate the situation?" All Might asked. A few hands went up immediately. All Might pointed at Tsu.

"You should try to get as much information as possible." Tsu said. "Find out what you can about the kidnapper, what they want, and if you can bargain with them."

"Correct!" All Might boomed. "Now, who can tell me what the second thing you should do is?"

This time, Iida's hand shot up. "You should always prioritize the safety of the hostages above your own!"

"Yes!" All Might said. "And that is why I've chosen you, Midoriya, to be our 'hostage' in this activity!"

All eyes went on Midoriya. He gulped.

"Now, the rest of you will be the heroes in this activity. I want you to try to rescue Midoriya from me, using whatever means necessary." All Might said. "That includes talking me down, pincer attacks, whatever you want!"

"But All Might... what if we can't rescue him?" Kirishima asked.

"Then the activity is a failure." All Might said. "But I have faith in you all!"

"Great..." Bakugou grumbled to himself, "Gotta save this idiot..." This was definitely one of the times he was only doing this because a grade was on the line.

The class quickly formulated a plan. Iida would be the one to talk to All Might, while Momo, Kirishima and Kaminari provided support. They would try to rescue Midoriya while keeping as many people safe as possible.

Bakugou, on the other hand, had other plans. He was going to go in, rescue Midoriya and get out as quickly as possible. He didn't care about the rest of the 'hostages', or about talking All Might down. All he cared about was getting this over with so he could go back to...Bakugou things.

"Alright," Iida said, "Make your way to your positions. I'll try and keep him focused on negotiations as long as possible."

"Understood," Momo nodded.

"Count on us!" Kaminari gave a double thumbs-up as the trio made their way to the flank All Might from the right. Iida emerged from their planning spot and addressed All Might directly.

"Attention villain! You are surrounded and will be taken into custody soon! However, we are aware that you have several hostages in your custody! Name your terms to ensure their safe release!" the speedster yelled.

All Might put on his best villainous grin. "My terms? Heh, I'm glad you asked! My demands are VERY specific! FIRST! I want...a pizza with everything on it, and a gallon of chocolate milk!"

"What?" the class gasped. They all looked to Iida for guidance. He was their leader after all, and he would know what to do in this situation.

"O-of course!" Iida said.

All Might laughed, as Izuku gave him a weird look. "Why would you ask for that?" Izuku asked.

"Personal inside joke with the Zeta Squad. You wouldn't get it." All Might said.

"O-oh...okay then." Izuku said. This was a very weird day for him.

Momo and the others, while still taken by surprise at such an odd demand, let Iida keep distracting All Might as they got into position. Momo peeked in through a window and looked around for Izuku. Sure enough, she was able to spot the "hostage".

"I have eyes on. All Might's got his back to Izuku. If we're smart, we should be able to-" Momo tried to explain, only to be interrupted.

"Keep him talking." Bakugou said, grabbing Ochako. "You extras will be the decoys, and we'll be doing the extraction."

"W-what!?" Tooru gasped. "Bakugou, we have a plan already!"

"And he has a tactical advantage of knowing all your quirks beforehand. He knows the invisible girl is gonna show up, and she has no means of defending herself. You're all sitting ducks. But with me, he won't see it coming."

"W-why am I even being included?" Ochako asked.

"Because you can float. You can get in there, and get him out." Bakugou explained. "Now let's move." The others tried to argue, but Bakugou had already taken off. They had no choice but to follow his...plan.

"This isn't gonna go well...is it?" Mina asked.

"With Bakugou, it's always a...mixed bag." Iida said, shaking his head.

"Things have gotten rather quiet out there!" All Might called from inside, "Don't tell me such a simple demand is too big a task for heroes such as yourselves!"

Bakugou and Ochako crept behind the other way of the hideout, remaining as quiet as they could. Ochako looked up at Bakugou, who looked over at her a few times.

"Noticed you gained a spine after working with Tennyson." Bakugou noted.

"I...guess I just realized that I need to be able to protect myself." Ochako said. Bakugou was never the chatterbox.

"Hmmph. You still need a lot of work." Bakugou said. "Especially if you're wearing...that." He motioned to his wrist.

Ochako's face turned red underneath her helmet. "H-how!?"

"Common sense, dumbass! Aliens start popping up AFTER some extra starts working with him? You'd have to be an idiot not to realize he gave you an Omnitrix." Bakugou scoffed.

"W-well...yeah! And I'm not some lame extra!" Ochako said, getting angry. "And you RECOMMENDED me to him!"

"Most of you are just extras to me," Bakgou scoffed, "But you're not useless extras. I go in there by myself, I'm getting my ass handed to me. Something loud's gotta get his attention, while something quiet gets that idiot outta there. Can't get much louder than explosion."

"You want me to grab Izuku." Ochako said.

"Yeah, he should be easy for you to carry after you make him light." Bakugou said.

The plan...wasn't as shaky as Ochako was expecting. Admittedly, Bakugou's plan were neve overly complex, usually reaching"rush in, blow stuff up," and no further. But this had some merit to it.

"I trust you on this." Ochako said, tapping Bakugou's arm. He started to float upwards.

Bakugou floated upwards, getting Izuku's attention. With All Might focused on the negotiators outside, he didn't notice the look of surprise on his protege's face. Said surprise then turned to a hint of fear when Izuku saw Bakugou level his hands behind him, ready to propel him forward.

Ochako released her quirk's hold on him, just as Bakugou exploded into the room. "DIE!" Bakugou yelled, slamming into All Might at full force.

All Might was actually caught by surprise from the attack, and Bakugou actually managed to stagger him. And by stagger, I mean All Might lost balance for a moment. He quickly recovered and looked to Bakugou.

"So this was your plan! Bold!" All Might smirked.

Bakugou roared, as his hands began to spark. Outside, Iida and the others could hear the loud sounds of Bakugou's rage.

"...we're screwed." Mineta bemoaned, already giving up.

"Have some faith! Momo's team and Ochako are still primed to succeed! After all, considering I only hear explosions, it sounds like Bakugou's taking him on alone," Iida said, trying to inspire the rest of his classmates.

Everyone stared at Iida like he was crazy.

"Repeat that. Slowly." Sato said. "Bakugou is taking him on...by himself."

Iida blinked.

"NOW I see the problem."

"Guess we have to go in now, huh?" Toru asked.

"It...seems we have no other choice!" Iida said, "You had your chance, villain!"

Bakugou began bombarding the pro hero with explosions- All Might was overwhelmed, but well aware of his plan. Bakugou was going to distract him, grab Midoryia and run. A basic plan...

But too basic for him.

"I appreciate the simple approach, young Bakugou! But you're much smarter than this! I fully expect Mr. Tenya to race through that door in a few moments!" All Might beamed, turning to the door after grabbing the explosion hero-in-training by the arm. He was planning to throw the loudmouth student at the speedster and while All Might did throw Bakugou...he just met air.

"No? No Iida? Curious..." the Number One pro rubbed his chin in thought, "then who were you covering for?"

At this point, Ochako had snuck in and nabbed Izuku, using her new 'weight removal' technique. Figured now would be a good time to show it off. She carried Izuku out of the room, and jumped out of the window.

"Nice strategy." Izuku commented, as he and Ochako floated to the ground.

"I'm shocked Bakugou was the distraction. I thought I'd be the fodder." Ochako admitted.

All Might turned around, feeling something was off and saw that Izuku was gone. He blinked a few times in surprise before he just started to laugh.

"I knew it! You were covering for someone, but you knew that Mr. Tenya would be the first person I suspected!" the Number One grinned, "So you chose someone else!"

"Maybe I was. But it doesn't matter now. Extraction's complete." Bakugou grit his teeth, as he prepared to blast himself out of the room.

"Ha ha! Indeed it is!" the pro beamed, "Very well done!"

Bakugou exploded out of the room, as All Might beamed. He actually worked with someone today. Progress!