While Aizawa sent out a message clearing up his last statement and letting everyone know that Izuku was in reasonable condition and Recovery Girl wasn't needed, Midnight was busy looking over Himiko. Much to the younger girl's annoyance, "Will you get off me already. I'm fin-ow! Hey!"
Himiko smacked Midnight's hand away from her leg, where it had just passed over a nasty bruise. A bruise that after all the time Recovery Girl had worked on her, should not be there, "Toga, what happened?"
Himiko just rolled her eyes and sat back down on her bed. Ochako sat next to her after wheeling Izuku over. Looks like they're closing ranks, Midnight thought to herself as she followed after Toga to continue looking her over, but came to a stop when she saw all the chains and straps dangling from the bed and the snapped open cuffs and the horrific muzzle that lay on the floor.
Himiko raised an eyebrow as she watched Midnight's face twist into an angry sneer. It was honestly a little fun to see the older woman getting so riled up. Plus, she had just beat the crap out of Gyges before gassing him. So that was cool.
Picking up the muzzle, Midnight showed it to Aizawa and her face alone made it clear she was not happy, "Someone's going to have to answer for this."
"I agree, Midnight," anew voice grabbed the group's attention as a tall lanky man with purple hair and dressed in a Tartarus uniform walked into the room, flanked by Briareos, "Someone does need to answer for what's happened here today."
Midnight eyed the man, not bothering to hide her disdain, "And you are?"
"You will call me Officer Shishikura. You also should watch your tone with me. With a word, I can have all of you thrown into a cell."
"Really? You think so?"
The contempt in the man's voice was practically dripping onto the floor, "You teachers have interfered with our attempts to enforce the law, clearly so that these lawless criminals could aid in the escape attempt of a dangerous villain," Izuku, Ochako, Shouto, and Tenya all glanced at each other while Himiko rolled her eyes, "And on top of that, one of my officers has been assaulted."
Izuku snapped, "He walked into the room and shot at Toga! He had no reason to do that!"
Shishikura looked down at Izuku, "No reason? My officer entered a room filled with dangerous individuals in the middle of a crime. Any perceived threat gave him ample justification to use whatever force he deemed necessary."
Ochako growled, "Yeah, because if there's anything that's justifiable it's opening fire on a group of kids."
"Vigilantes," Shishikura corrected pointedly, earning twin heated glares from Aizawa and Midnight and a few startled looks from everyone else. "Your actions last night made you all criminals. Or do I need to remind you of the laws in this country? That makes you dangerous. That makes you a threat to our society, and the public knows that it's my job to ensure that threats like you stay locked away. You say you're not a threat, I say you are. Who do you think is going to be the one the justice system listens to?"
"Maybe the group I vouch for? I have a way of swaying public opinion."
Everyone turned towards the door as All Might walked in with Principal Nezu riding on his shoulder and flanked by two police officers. One was Detective Tsukauchi and another was one a man dressed in a dark suit and he had a beagle's head.
"I'd be very careful going around making threats like that, Officer Shishikura. I don't think you, an organization that has a history of being investigated for human rights violations, wants to get into a 'he said' match against us." Nezu's cheerful voice was strangely out of place given the circumstances. Midnight and Aizawa though could read between the lines. The warning was clear.
While Shishikura frowned, Briareos walked up to Nezu and All Might, "Don't go around making threats you can't back up, mouse."
All Might took a step forward and glared down at the guard, "Don't. The fact that Young Midoriya wasn't hurt is the only reason I'm not throwing you all out of this building. As far as I'm concerned, your brother got off easy since he's being allowed to sleep in the hallway and you'll get to drag him home after this is done."
"Gentlemen, please," the dog headed man said, "We are all supposed to be on the same side. Let us remain calm and make sure we don't do anything else today that we might come to regret. We've been lucky that a tragedy hasn'ttaken place today. I want to ensure that no one else is at risk. We are professionals and we must set an example for those who look to us for safety."
Shishikura turned, "Chief Tsuragamae-"
Tsuragamae held up a hand, "Officer Shishikura, you brought up the law, if I heard you right. I would remind you that arrests and judgments are outside your jurisdiction. Tartarus's actions so far have been far too aggressive. Preventing legal guardians from seeing their charge is not your decision."
"Our job is to ensure the detention of dangerous individuals and to make sure that no one is able to facilitate their escape. Furthermore," Shishikura pointed towards the discarded restraints, "once those were removed we were well within our right to take action. But if you want to stand on principle then so be it. I am officially requesting the police arrest the villain 'Toga Himiko' and hand her over to us for transport."
Midnight opened her mouth to retort but was cut off when Ochako and Izuku did close ranks, putting themselves between everyone else and Himiko, "You're not taking Toga anywhere!" Izuku growled, body glowing green, while Ochako went a step further and raised her fists up.
"After what we saw you do to her, we'll never let you touch her again."
Himiko looked between the two, eyes wide, "Guys, hold on…"
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DEFENDING?!" Shishikura yelled, "If either of you knew anything about this villain, you'd be begging us to take-"
"We know."
The teachers and police all looked at Izuku. Midnight's eyes went wide, "You know… what exactly?"
"Toga told us. Everything."
Midnight looked at the two then over at Shouto and Tenya. Shouto nodded while Tenya just frowned. When she looked over at Himiko, the girl just shrugged.
Oh. Holy shit.
"Define 'everything,'" Aizawa pressed.
Ochako answered, "She told us about Saito, her time living with Stain, and how she was able to come to U.A."
The teachers all shared shocked looks while Nezu leaned forward as he looked over at Himiko, "You're full of surprises, aren't you Toga."
All Might looked over at Izuku and Ochako and, seeing the fire in their eyes - almost literally in Izuku's case with the green's of his irises shining brightly along with his aura - he couldn't help but be impressed.
And worried.
They both look ready to fight...This could get ugly fast and if Young Midoriya uses One for All again… Uh oh.
Before the situation could spiral out of control, Nezu coughed into his paw, "Before we go any further. Officer Shishikura, I do have a letter for you from the Hero Safety Commission."
Reaching into his waistcoat, Principal Nezu pulled out an envelope and held it out. Shishikura, who had been occupied staring down the two defiant students, turned to glare at the offered paper, "And how long have you had that?"
Principal Nezu just smiled back, "Oh, just recently. All Might had been kind enough to deliver it for me on his way back from the Commission's headquarters. My lawyers work fast but I wanted to make sure we were all here when the Commission sent in their ruling on this matter." Shishikura yanked the envelope out of his paw and opened it. He had only just started reading it when Nezu said, "I think you'll find this settles everything. Don't you?"
All eyes were on Shishikura as he read through it, muttering as he did, "We the Hero… With the statements of teachers Midnight and... The recommendations from All Might…" Shishikura's face went red and he ground his teeth together, "Toga Himiko is to remain in the custody of U.A."
Briareos sputtered, "But she was in Hosu City! She came in contact with Stain! How can-"
Shishikura shook his head, "Apparently, her being in Hosu was cleared by the school."
"But Stain-?"
A look from Shishikura silenced the guard. He then turned to Chief Tsuragamae, "I assume you will handle everything from here, then?"
"Correct."
"…For the record, that thing is a ticking time bomb. When it finally goes off, I just hope we can get it locked up where it belongs before too many innocent people get hurt."
"Stop calling her a thing! Use her name!" Ochako yelled in frustration.
Shishikura looked back at her, then at Izuku, "I'd be careful if I were you. Her parents, that poor boy Saito, and even Stain. People that trusted this thing seem to end up with a knife in them eventually. Directly or," looking at Tenya he finished with, "indirectly, I suppose."
"Out. Now." Midnight left no room for compromise.
When at last the Tartarus guards were gone, Izuku and his friends turned their attention to the police officers. Detective Tsukauchi was obviously deferring to Chief Tsuragamae, so the students now looked to him. He met their gazes, their expressions ranging from mistrust to concern. These were tired eyes, but there was no mistake there was still plenty of fight in them, "Well, this wasn't how I envisioned this meeting starting. You kids have had it ruff."
Himiko tilted her head to the side while Ochako blinked a few times. Izuku could hear them whisper to one another behind him.
"Did he just say 'ruff?'"
"Do you mind us asking what it is the police force wants with us? It sounded like the issue with Toga was settled by the Commission," Shouto asked respectfully, but guarded.
"That issue was in regards to Toga, her being in Hosu City, and her initial refusal to comply with orders to disarm and surrender to police," Chief Tsuragamae said, "As well as her alleged breaking of the plea deal by making contact with the Hero Killer Stain."
Himiko rolled her eyes while Tenya shifted on his feet uncomfortably.
"I am here for different reasons. Namely the alleged unauthorized use of Quirks in the field by you five. The reason the people in this country are willing to trust heroes is because even though they use their Quirks openly against others, they are trusted to follow the rules and laws we the police and government lay out and enforce. Heroes follow a strict code that allows them to do their jobs which makes them uniquely qualified to handle threats like villains. However, if those that aren't qualified attempt to take the same actions, the risk they pose to themselves, others, and potentially the very people they are trying to help is too great. What's worse, if something like this were to continue the people may begin to lose faith in the heroes and system as a whole. To prevent this, strict enforcement of the rules must be carried out for the public's reassurance. Even if the situation is extreme and the opponent is… say, the Hero Killer himself."
Before anyone else could react to this, Tenya moved off the wall and put himself between his friends and the police. While they were startled, Tenya bowed his head as he addressed Chief Tsuragamae, "Sir, I accept full responsibility for my actions and the actions of my classmates. If there are any punishments to be given, I ask that I alone be the one to receive them."
"Wait, what?"
"Iida?"
"Iida, what are you doing?"
While his friends gasped, the teachers watched the scene play out.
"Sir, it was my actions that set off the chain of events that led to everything happening. I came to Hosu City under false pretenses. While I signed up to intern under Manual, my true goal was to find Stain so that I could avenge my brother. If not for me, none of my classmates would have had to put themselves and others in danger. My actions caused this, so it should be me that bears the responsibility."
"Wait, Iida, that's not fair!" Izuku called out, "I knew exactly what I was doing when I went looking for you!"
Ochako nodded, "Exactly. When I got that SOS from Izuku, I was able to put it together that he was probably tangled up with Stain in some way."
"It's why I told her to go high as we got near. We were anticipating a fight," Shouto concluded.
Tenya looked back at everyone, "Wait, you all can't just-"
Himiko groaned in annoyance, "Oh my god, why is everyone in such a hurry to fall on their own swords right now. I've tried falling on a sword guys, it's not fun."
Everyone turned to look at Himiko, who just shrugged, "I got fucking stabbed with a sword and survived. You think I'm not going to milk a few jokes out of that while I can?"
Nezu covered his mouth and chuckled while Midnight covered her face with her hands, "God…"
"Also," Himiko continued, "if we're doing this shit, I knew exactly what I was doing. I could hear Tenya fighting, so I knew I was going to be fighting, too. Wasn't about to turn around and leave."
"She's right!" Izuku said loudly, "Are you going to tell us that we should have done nothing when something horrible is happening in front of us. It wasn't just Iida and Toga that were hurt in their fight. There was another hurt hero when I arrived. He would probably be dead if not for them. "
"Young Midoirya, please," All Might raised his hands to try and placate Izuku but he wasn't paying attention to him. His focus squarely on the Chief.
Chief Tsuragamae looked over at Izuku, "Are you saying the end results, as long as they are 'good' mean we should ignore the rules that form the foundation of our society? Very dangerous thinking. A popular belief among vigilantes back in the day. How many people were hurt from their actions just because the end result was 'good?'"
"Are you saying that the rules matter above people's lives? Those Tartarus guards put their rules above people and were so sure they were in the right, they treated a person as a thing and almost killed a student just because the 'law' was on their side," Ochako countered angrily.
Aizawa's eyes flashed red and his hair stood up on end, "Enough!" The students winced and looked over at their teacher, "Maybe you all should listen to everything Chief Tsuragamae has to say before you waste anymore time acting like a bunch of fools."
Chief Tsuragamae laughed softly to himself, "U.A. sure has a special lot of kids this year, don't they?"
Aizawa groaned.
"Everything I've said, well: that is my official opinion as the Chief of Police." The group blinked at that strange word, "As for what else I have to say, I would remind you that punishment would have been dealt out once an official statement and disclosure is made. As things stand, a public announcement would undoubtedly earn you all a great deal of praise from the public. After all, you are the ones that finally ended Stain's reign of terror. However, this would also mean that all involved parties would have to be punished. Not just you all," Chief Tsuragamae pointed at the students before shifting his finger over, "But All Might, Endeavor, Manual, Miruko and more than likely U.A. as well. They were in charge of you, after all, and it was under their guardianship that you committed these crimes. Not just using your Quirks to attack a person, but also the immense property damage that happened because of it."
The noise that came out of Izuku's throat was somewhere between a startled shriek and a whimper as he suddenly remembered what he had done.
"I was wondering when you would remember that part, Midoriya," Aizawa said dryly.
Chief Tsuragamae cut in as he saw the fear building up in Izuku, "Fortunately, no one was in the buildings you damaged, so there were no injuries, though that doesn't change that there could have been and the cost you all would be responsible for," Ochako choked at that, "As I said, a public statement would have to cover everythingthat happened and would have to have a punishment that fit the crime. This would have to happen to reassure the people that no one is above the law. However, if what happened was never made public, then a very different story could be given. The destruction of the area, the fire seen everywhere, and the injuries Stain sustained could lead to the conclusion that it was All Might and Endeavor together that took the killer down. If that's the story the public knows, then things like covering the damage can be taken care of easily enough by having All Might's agency and insurance pay for the damage. And your five, you would have just been a group of children caught in the crossfire. Victims of a mad man."
"So, we wouldn't get in trouble?" Izuku asked as he tried to catch up with everything that was happening.
"Correct. We would bury your violation like a bone in the yard. No one would know you five took the law into your own hands but no one would know of your courageous feats. Your accomplishment would never be known to the public."
The five looked at each other in shock. They were literally getting handed a get-out-of-jail-free-card.
"If you want my personal opinion, I really don't want to have the law barking at you. Whether you made a mistake or not, it shouldn't stop you now that it's obvious you all have such promise."
Himiko blinked and pointed at herself, "All?"
Chief Tsuragamae looked at her, "I don't think I stuttered."
Nezu then chimed in, "I'd also like to say that if there is no official statement, then the 'no punishment' will extend to our side as well."
A chorus of "eh's" filled the room as they looked at Nezu, who was pointing at Aizawa as he continued, "That means no unique punishments from your homeroom teacher… That, and no expulsion. Whichever one scares you more."
One look at Aizawa and the group all agreed that anything he could cook up was far, far worse than getting expelled. One after the other, they agreed to the terms. And with that, the deal was done.
"Then we have an agreement. From this moment onward, Stain was taken into custody after a hard fought battle between him, All Might and Endeavor. All the responsibilities and praise this action would have are theirs, now. But before I leave I would like to say one last thing," Chief Tsuragamae bowed his head towards the five, "From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your actions. It's because of you that a monster will never roam the streets. As a fellow keeper of the peace, thank you."
When the police left, Tenya soon moved to follow.
"Iida? What about..." Izuku asked after him. With everything that had happened, he remembered that Tenya had never given them his thoughts on Himiko's story.
Tenya turned to look back, "I… I would like some time to think this over. A lot has happened and I…" Looking at Himiko as he finished, "I need time to decide what I want to say to you."
Not waiting for a response from anyone, Tenya left.
Shouto then followed after saying that he should probably give his family a call to make sure they knew he was alright.
"Toga."
"Hmm?"
"I'm glad you are alright, and I hope you will continue to get better. I'm… aware that your journey will be a long one. Just know you have friends that will help you."
Ochako blinked a few times, "You know, coming from Todoroki, that's pretty much a declaration of friendship right there."
Izuku laughed, "Yeah no kid-ack!"
Izuku was cut off as Himiko dove between the two, wrapping her arms around Izuku's neck, and planted a kiss right on his cheek. Then she pulled back and made sure her lips made an audible pop when she broke away. Izuku was left a red, stuttering mess, but Himiko didn't wait around.
Letting Izuku go, she turned her eyes over towards Ochako, who was still shocked at what she had just seen. She was even more shocked when Himiko lunged for her and kissed her on the cheek, putting just as much effort into that one as she did with Izuku. Giggling as she popped off and sat back into her bed and licked her lips, "You two are just amazing, you know that? Standing up to Tartarus like that, willing to fight and take a bullet for me; it's enough to drive a girl like me wild with ideas."
"I-I-I," Izuku was still in shock while Ochako had a hand on her cheek and a blush that could put Ejirou's hair to shame.
"We- we were just, um… you're our um… there's a word I need-"
"F-friend!" Izuku cut in quickly.
"Yes, that! Of course we'd, um…"
"Protect!"
"Yes, protect you."
Himiko shook her head in disbelief, "Even after everything I said?"
Izuku nodded, "You deserve to get help. You deserve a chance to be whole. We're here for you, no matter what."
Himiko blushed, "Izuku…"
Ochako stepped in, "It's like Deku said. We're here for you. Now and always."
Himiko's face went neon and she lunged for them with a squeal, "MORE KISSES FOR YOU TWO!"
Midnight yanked Himiko back, "Okay, get a hold of yourself."
"Awwww!"
Nezu coughed, "I think you two should be alright to go back to your rooms. It hasn't even been a full day after your fight so I would imagine you two still need some time to recover and rest. Especially after everything that just happened to you here. And especially you, Midoriya. You're re-injured now."
Izuku looked down at his bruised chest, "It's not that big a deal, really. I've had way worse injuries."
The groans of displeasure from Ochako and Himiko let him know that while his statement was true, they were not happy about the way he was just blowing it off, "Er… maybe I should take it easy for a bit."
"A good idea," Nezu agreed, "Uraraka, if you would be so kind as to take Midoriya with you."
Ochako nodded and grabbed Izuku's wheelchair. The two looked over at Himiko but Midnight waved them on, "You don't have to worry about her. Myself and some of the other teachers will be staying here while she recovers. We'll make sure she's safe. No one is taking her anywhere."
Himiko sighed, "And I can't leave."
Midnight smiled, "You're learning. When we get back I'll get you a nice gold star."
"Oh my god, I hate you."
"Um, Uraraka? Isn't our room that way?" Izuku asked, pointing down the hallway they had just come from.
Ochako kept pushing Izuku's chair, "That's your guy's room, yeah. I have my own room. That's where we're going."
"You have your own room?"
Ochako rolled her eyes with a smile, "Deku. We couldn't all be shoved into the same room. You don't put a pretty lady into a room full of boys. What'll you do when I have to get examined without my gown to make sure I'm in good health or something?"
Ochako expected a sputting response. Or an apology.
Instead she got sass.
"You're a lady? Could've fooled me- ow ow ow that's my ear!"
Izuku cried as Ochako pinched his earlobe, "What was that? I couldn't hear you. You said I'm a very pretty lady. Right?"
"Uraraka, you're incredibly beautiful so of course I wouldn't be able to take my eye off you," Izuku said while trying to shake his head enough to free his ear. When she let go he rubbed the poor lobe. While he nursed his horrific new injury, he didn't notice the change in Ochako. Her face was red, her eyes were spinning and her mouth was stuck repeating nonsensical gibberish. "So why are we going to your room? ...Uraraka?"
When Ochako didn't respond right away, Izuku looked over his shoulder and was startled to see her so flushed, "Uraraka, are you okay?"
Ochako looked down and focused on the inquisitive eyes looking up at her. Realizing that she was a mess but Izuku wasn't snapped her back to reality. If Izuku wasn't giving his own words a second thought, then she couldn't, either. It had obviously been a spur of the moment thing, something to appease her to let him go, "Huh? Oh yeah, fine. I was just… Nevermind. Um, where was I? Oh right, we're going to my room so we can talk privately."
"Privately? Oh!" It hit Izuku as to why Ochako would want to talk with him alone, "Oh yeah, I guess there are some things you need to know."
Nodding, Ochako wheeled Izuku into her room and shut the door behind her. Moving him over to the room's window, Ochako grabbed a chair for herself and sat down in front of him. Once she was comfortable and mentaly prepared, she asked, "So. You have it now don't you."
Izuku nodded, "I have One for All."
Izuku watched Ochako carefully as she absorbed that. So many emotions flashed over her.
Shock. Not that he had the Quirk. He was always going to get it. She was just shocked that the moment was finally here.
Joy. Ochako knew Izuku had worked hard for this. He had trained tirelessly over the past year and had thrown himself into his studies at U.A to show All Might he was ready.
Fear. Ochako had seen the power Izuku had now and she also saw what that power had done to him. In a matter of seconds, Izuku had hurt himself just as badly as the Nomu had.
Pride. Even with all the emotions boiling inside her, nothing would take away how proud she was of Izuku. This was his moment. Her best friend had taken a step into the world of legends. Soon, the name 'Deku' would be on everyone's lips, just like the name 'All Might.'
Reaching out, Ochako clasped Izuku's hands with her own and squeezed them, "Deku, this is incredible. You did it."
Hearing Ochako say it, hearing her say 'you did it,' filled Izuku was a strange feeling. It wasn't that it made his accomplishment real. Eating the hair did that. Feeling the power he had now did that. He never doubted he had taken this important step. But hearing Ochako say those words made him feel he had finally completed this part of his journey. She had been there when he started it, so she should be there when he ended it.
'Complete,' that was a good word to describe Izuku at that moment.
"I did it, Uraraka," Izuku said with the biggest, softest smile he had in him. A smile that Ochako mirrored as they both started to laugh. The events of the previous night and the day melted away as they shared a moment of victory and joy.
Leaning back, Ochako eyed Izuku with obvious curiosity, "So, how'd it all happen? You must have been pretty busy these past few days."
Izuku groaned, mashing his hands against his face, "That's an understatement. It was busy even before yesterday."
"Oof. So tell me about it, I want to know everything." The shine in Ochako's eyes made Izuku laugh, though as he thought about everything he went through and everything he learned, his smile dimmed. Ochako noticed right away, "Hey… If this isn't a good time…"
Izuku shook his head, "No, it's okay. I want to tell you… I think I actually need to tell you about," Izuku motioned at himself though he felt weird doing it, "what's in me now. It's just been a rough couple of days. So I guess I'll just start from the beginning, then," Izuku said while Ochako nodded and readied herself, "All Might took me to the man that helped train him when he was going to U.A."
"That old man that was in the alley right? You had said he was All Might's teacher or something. He had those cool little booster rockets in his feet."
Izuku groaned again, "'Cool' is not the word I'd use… Okay, yes, they are a cool Quirk but I had to deal with him beating me up all day with them so there's a little resentment there."
"…You fought an old man? What? Did he smack you with his cane? Bite you with his spare dentures?" Ochako teased, though she still remembered how the man moved through the air. She knew he wasn't some weak old guy. That didn't mean she wasn't going to tease Izuku over it, though.
"Urarakaaaa," Izuku whined
"Pfft, sorry, sorry," Ochako said as she waved apologetically.
"We're also getting ahead of things. That was stuff that happened on the second day. My first day I got… I got to deal with Sir Nighteye."
Ochako's eyes went wide, "That's All Might's old sidekick. That must have been so cool to have him there to help you… train…" Ochako trailed off when she noticed Izuku's face twist sourly, "or not?"
"He was not there to help me. He wasn't even supposed to be at Gran Torino's place."
Ochako blinked at that, "He wasn't? Then what was he doing there?"
"He was there to convince All Might that it would be a mistake to give me One for All. So, you know. Good times." Izuku tried to play it off with a laugh, but when he looked at Ochako it was pretty clear she did not find this bit of news to be very amusing. In fact, the look in her eyes was enough to send a shiver up Izuku's spin. Okay, she looks really angry.
Waving his hands around, Izuku tried to move on as quickly as he could, "It's okay! All Might and Gran Torino kicked him out after he tried to use his Quirk on me to see my future so he could see me fail and-"
"WHAT?!"
Oooooooh, she's mad. Actually she looks a lot like All Might did… Note to self, do not tell Uraraka she looks like All Might. That might get me killed.
"Oh all the lousy, horrible, disgusting things to do. What is wrong with him? I can see why All Might doesn't let him be his sidekick anymore… Grrr, that is so horrible!"
While Ochako ranted and raved, Izuku covered his mouth as he tried not to break out laughing, or to let himself get distracted by the fantasy playing out in his head of Ochako using Sir Nighteye as a bat to break down a wall, "So yeah, day one was quite a tone setter. Then the next day All Might, sicced Gran Torino on me. And after I dealt with…" Izuku paused before shaking his head, "After that, the next morning All Might passed One for All to me."
Ochako leaned forward, anger gone and replaced with excited curiosity, "And how'd he do that? Was there like, some kind of ceremony? Was it flashy? I bet it was flashy."
"Um," Izuku scratched the back of his head, "No, not really. I had to… eat a strand of his hair."
Silence.
Dead absolute silence.
"Eh?"
The look on Ochako's face was a sight to behold. Izuku swore he could hear the thoughts whizzing about in Ochako's head because her face was just so expressive. It just screamed, 'the fuck what now?' which almost made Izuku break because the very idea that Ochako was even capable of swearing was just too absurd.
"Yeah, to transfer it to me, I had to take in some of All Might's DNA. That's how it's passed down. Apparently before it was done with sharing blood or something. But All Might's predecessor used her hair, so that's what All Might did."
"Oh man, that's so gross." Ochako shuddered.
"Yeah."
"Hair?"
"Yeah."
"…Ew ew ew ew," Ochako shuddered at the thought.
"He even made sure to pull one of the long hairs from his head too."
Ochako's covered her ears, "Nooooo. Stop, I don't want to hear it anymore. It's all ruined. One for All is ruined for me."
"It got all tangled up in my teeth when I tried to swallow it."
"AHHHH!" Ochako started to dry heave, "Stop it right now or I'm throwing you out the window!"
Izuku broke into a laughing fit while Ochako glowered at him before she also started to laugh. When they both settled down, Ochako asked, "So you got it yesterday morning, then? That's… that's a short turn around, all things considered."
Izuku shrugged, "I mean, technically I wasn't really supposed to do anything, since he was worried about how One for All would react to me he told me not to use my Quirk. I was just supposed to watch him work yesterday and give the Quirk time to absorb into my body."
Ochako blinked a few times before her face got very stern, "You weren't supposed to use your Quirk?"
"Um…"
Ooooh, that was a mistake. That was a BIG mistake.
"I mean… Uh oh."
"Deku," Ochako growled out while Izuku worked fast to cut off the tongue lashing he was about to get.
"Can we just agree that yesterday was an extreme situation and that normal rules and common sense did not apply?"
Ochako glared at him with a sigh, "I swear you come up with excuses to get out of trouble too easily."
"I mean, are they excuses when I'm right?"
"…You're lucky I like you enough to put up with you."
Izuku smiled brightly, laying on the cuteness really thick. Ochako rolled her eyes and decided to move on, though she wasn't going to forget this and filed it away as an excuse to get back at him later, "So what's it like?"
"Hmm?"
"One for All. Do you feel any different? Like when you use your Psychokinesis, is it different now then it was before?"
"It's," Izuku began before pausing as he tried to think of the right words, "There's just so much… more now. It's like everything is bigger. I had a pool of power I pulled from and now it's an ocean… but that's not the best way to describe it either. It's weird. It's more than just having more power, it's the way the power feels. All Might said he was passing on the torch. How one person takes the power, adds to it, then passes it on to the next right. Remember?"
Ochako nodded. All Might used the torch metaphor a lot.
"Well it's not a torch for me. It's like this great big inferno. Like I'm trying to hold a forest fire or something. It's not that it's just so massive, it's that it's so alive. It's big and wild and… it's affecting everything. That ocean of power for my psychokinesis? Well it's not a calm ocean. That fire is making it boil and writhe. It's just… it's a lot."
Ochako's eyes were wide, "That sounds terrifying Deku."
Izuku shook his head, "It's not. Maybe to be a vessel for One for All you have to be a little crazy or have taken one too many hits to the head," Izuku smirked at that while Ochako rolled her eyes, "But I don't feel afraid of it. It's raw power but it's not going to hurt me."
"Except when it did."
"That's… less to do with One for All itself and me not using it right I think. I kinda wasn't really thinking about what I was doing. I just had all this new power and decided to use it all to make Stain go away. Or at least, all that I could."
Ochako leaned forward, catching onto that last bit, "All that you could?"
"I wasn't consciously holding back or anything but I feel like maybe I was subconsciously making sure I wasn't using enough power to really hurt me. It's weird but looking back, it felt like I could have done a lot more damage if I wanted. But if I had, maybe my body would have exploded."
"But shouldn't your body be able to handle One for All now? That's what all that training was for. Heck, even All Might said he didn't even have to train to be able to use it right away."
Izuku rubbed his chin, "Yeah. And if he was Quirkless before he got it-" Ochako's head snapped up at that.
"Wait what?"
"Oh! Yeah um… All Might was born Quirkless… Maybe I should have waited for him to tell you that. Whoops. But as I was saying, if he was Quirkless then when he said his body was ready for it, he must just be talking about a normal person's physical fitness and not something he got from a Quirk. Which just makes it weird that my body broke like it did when I tried to use it… Maybe I'm just defective."
"Deku!" Ochako scolded, "Don't say that about yourself."
Izuku laughed, "Sorry. It's just weird, is all… and concerning."
"What about when you used One for All with your Psychokinesis? That was way, way beyond your limits before. Heck, I'm pretty sure if you had tried that before your head would have cracked open. Though," Ochako shuddered at the memory, "you were bleeding from more than just your nose last night. Your eyes and your ears were bleeding, Deku. That's never happened before."
Izuku scratched his chin, "When I first started my fight with Stain, I was using my Quirk like normal. But when I tried to do a Delaware Smash, I think that's when my body fully absorbed One for All and it kicked it. That hurt. It knocked me out, it was so painful. Afterward, when I tried again it still hurt but it was manageable. I guess because I was ready for it."
"So you think when One for All boosted your Quirks power it also boosted the limits you're able to handle before you're out of commission, too?"
"I think? At least I was coherent after everything… Mostly."
"So your limit is bigger but so are your kickbacks? If all that bleeding is anything to go by," Ochako said, frowning at that idea. She didn't like that Izuku now had so many new ways to hurt himself.
Izuku shrugged, a move Ochako didn't exactly like, "Maybe. Like I said I wasn't exactly trying to control it. That was me just throwing my everything to beat Stain."
"Yeah, how about we make sure you don't do that again. 'Kay?"
The tone in Ochako's voice made it very clear to Izuku that there was only one answer she was going to accept from him, "Yup. Got it."
Satisfied, at least for now, Ochako pivoted to another topic, "So why were you glowing red?"
"No idea. Maybe it's something to do with the two Quirks mixing together? But I'm back to normal now." Izuku proved this by letting his green glow envelop him.
Ochako looked him over and added, "Your eyes glow now, too."
"Wait, really?"
"Yup, your irises match your aura. They were red last night, too."
"Weird."
The simple response made Ochako laugh, "Pfft! Okay, we'll put a tab in that. So lets recap, your Quirk is stronger and so is the limit you can use it but so is the kickback it seems," Izuku nodded, "You also have All Might's strength but it turns your body into meat jelly," Ochako immediately regretted using that analogy even if it was accurate and even Izuku winced, "So we'll need to talk to All Might about why that is. Because I do not want to see you so messed up like that again for a third time." Ochako wasn't angry at Izuku, of course, but she couldn't help the heat that entered her voice towards the end. She was angry at the idea that Izuku kept getting hurt, not at him.
Mostly.
Like ninety five percent not at him.
"So I guess that just leaves the last big mystery: why can you breathe fire?"
Izuku groaned into his hands, "I don't know! I don't know why I suddenly have my father's Quirk."
Ochako winced, "Sorry. I won't bring it up again."
Shaking his head, Izuku lowered his hands but kept his face down, "No, no, it's okay. I bet you aren't going to be the only person to ask me about that. And it would be weird if no one asked me about it, or anything else for that matter. I honestly don't have the slightest idea why I was able to do that last night."
"Well, just remember Deku, you used that fire to save my life, alright?"
When Izuku looked up, he saw Ochako smiling at him. A warm caring smile. The kind that would make Izuku smile back no matter how he felt, "Thank you, Uraraka."
With the mood in the room back to normal, Ochako sighed and leaned back into her chair, "Man you sure have had a fun few days, haven't you, Deku?"
"Ha! Yeah, that's one way to put it."
"You met a jerk, got beat up by an old man," Izuku groaned while Ochako kept going, her warm smile turning toothy as she started to poke fun, "got the super Quirk, fought a serial killer, exploded your body again and then almost got kidnapped by a Nomu. Am I missing anything?"
Izuku was in the middle of coming up with a very snarky and cutting comeback but stopped as his mind ground to a halt. An invisible hand gripped his heart as he realized that hadn't been everything that had happened over the past few days. There was something else, something truly horrible that he had learned: the history of One for All and the monster known as All for One.
"Deku?"
Izuku looked at Ochako and saw she looked worried, "Deku, you've gone pale. What's wrong?"
Izuku chewed on his words as he hesitated but not for too long. While the words he was about to say were horrible and terrifying, there was no way he was going to hide them from Ochako. He just hadn't been ready to talk about this so soon after learning about it.
"Uraraka that's… that's not the only thing that happened to me."
Ochako blinked, "Huh? What else happened?"
"Do you… Do you remember what Toga said earlier? About All Might, bright lights and dark shadows?"
"I believe Uraraka took Midoriya with her," Shouto said as he looked up from his phone towards All Might.
All Might, after the police and students had left Toga's room, had a brief conversation with the teachers where it was decided that Midnight would be staying with Toga during her time at the hospital. With that decided, All Might went in search of Izuku and his first stop had brought him to the boy's hospital room. He was a little shocked to find Shouto by himself when he knocked and opened the door.
"I see."
"I think she wanted a chance to talk with him privately. You should probably check her room."
"I will do just that. Thank you, Young Todoroki." All Might started to turn to leave, then he stopped, "Oh, before I forget, how are you feeling today?"
"I'm well. I'm the only one that didn't directly fight Stain so I was uninjured."
All Might nodded, "Good, good. So I imagine your stay here will be brief. Where is Young Iida? Did he not come back with you?"
"He… said he needed some time to think."
"Ah… Yes, I suppose he would."
All Might did feel for Tenya, and while he may not know where he was going to land regarding everything he had learned about Himiko, All Might was grateful that he was taking his time to come to a conclusion. It would be easy, and in some ways understandable, if he had acted purely on his emotions, given his unique connection to the whole situation.
Waving goodbye to Shouto, All Might headed down the hall towards Ochako's room. As he walked up to the door, he realized that he probably should have checked here first. After a night like last night, of course Ochako and Izuku would take the first chance they had to spend some time together for reassurance.
All Might's hand hovered over the door as he was about to knock.
Unless a second near death experience was enough to get one of them to finally take the next step and I'm about to interrupt a confession… Or a make out session… Uh oh.
All Might shook his head, Nah, I'm overthinking this.
Knocking on the door, All Might announced himself, "Young Uraraka, do you have a second to talk?"
"All Might?"
And I have found Young Midoriya.
Opening the door, All Might stepped in and let out a sigh when he saw the two were sitting by the window, Izuku in his wheelchair and Ochako in her seat.
Looks like the bet is still on. Doesn't look like they were doing any… thing…?
All Might's thoughts trailed off when he got a good look at the two. Izuku appeared solemn and serious, while Ochako, still looking at Izuku, was pale. The pink in her cheeks was gone and there was something in her face that was very unsettling.
Ochako looked afraid.
While All Might tried to think what could have happened to make the two of them look like this, considering how well they had looked leaving Himiko's room, Ochako turned to look at him. Then she got out of her chair and walked past All Might and into the room's bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Both Izuku and All Might could hear the faucet get turned on, followed by splashing water and some very haggard breathing.
All Might looked away and towards Izuku at a complete loss, "What's going on?"
"I told her about All for One."
"Oh. So you decided to tell her, then."
Izuku frowned, "I mean, I wasn't going to keep this a secret from her."
All Might quickly waved his hands up, "I didn't mean it like that. Young Uraraka has every right to know about it. I was just thinking this would be a topic I would bring up after internships were over."
"Oh, yeah, I guess that would be less distracting for her. She was asking about One for All and one thing led to another."
All Might nodded, "Having someone to talk to about it can be very freeing in a way. I can recall many conversations with Gran Torino and Detective Tsukauchi that helped me throughout my career."
"Just them?" Izuku said, more to himself
All Might tilted his head to the side at the strange question, "Well, there are a few others. Recovery Girl, of course, but she was working with Nana and Torino already so I'm not sure that counts. Principal Nezu, I spoke with long ago after he figured everything out himself and then there's… Sir Nighteye."
"Sir Nighteye is a fu-freaking jerk," The door to the bathroom opened and Ochako walked out. She dabbed at her face and neck with a paper towel, then dried off a few clumps of hair that had gotten wet while she splashed her face.
"You'll hear no argument from me, Young Uraraka… How are you?"
Ochako looked up and for a second, All Might could see a little anger in her eyes before she sighed and went to her seat, "Better. Just… needed a chance to catch my breath after everything Deku told me."
Izuku smiled, "You're taking it better than I did… though I didn't say… Nevermind!" Izuku quickly changed course.
All Might looked between the two, "Something I'm missing?"
"No, nothing like-"
"Deku, it's okay," Ochako cut in before looking at All Might, "I might have gotten a little angry with you and said some things in the heat of the moment."
"Such as?"
Ochako frowned, some shame coming across her face, "I… I might have called you a coward that pawned off One for All onto Deku so you wouldn't have to deal with All for One."
"Ah."
"I don't really think that, of course! I'm sure you have your reasons for throwing Deku at an immortal monster that's killed all the previous wielders of One for All… oops," Ochako covered her mouth, "I didn't mean that! No, really! I'm sorry I don't-"
All Might laughed while Izuku started fretting, "Wait, Uraraka, I told you it's not like that at all!"
"If we're being honest, it's a little like Young Uraraka says." All Might said as he pulled out a chair and sat with the two, "When I originally chose Young Midoriya, I had hoped that the threat of All for One was gone. Once I learned he was not, and after my fight with the Nomu, I had to evaluate my plans. I knew I could no longer hold One for All and in my weakened state the risk that I…"All Might paused as he realized he was getting uncomfortably close talking about Sir Nighteye's vision of his death.
"You needed to pass it on in case something happened to you," Ochako finished, frowning at the grim idea.
All Might nodded, "Yes. No matter what, Young Midoriya was going to be my successor. I just ended up handing him more responsibility than I had wanted."
Izuku gripped the armrests of his wheelchair, "All Might, I won't let you down"
"I know you won't. But there's no reason to think about All for One too much right now. I still hold the embers of One for All, so I may very well get the chance to settle the score with him before the full responsibility is yours, Young Midoriya. Right now, your responsibility is to begin mastering One for All and to continue your hero studies."
Ochako visibly relaxed at that, "Deku did say you still could use One for All, I guess that's the embers you mention. I'm glad you're still going to be around All Might. Makes me feel better."
Izuku smiled, glad that Ochako was back to normal, "Like I said, it's not like he gave me One for All and then told me everything. So you don't need to be mad or worried."
Ochako rolled her eyes, "I'm your friend, and considering your track record I'm going to be in a constant state of worry. Also him telling you all this the night before isn't really that much better… Oh…"
"'Oh?' 'Oh' what?" Izuku blinked when Ochako covered her face with her hands and groaned, "What is it, Uraraka?"
"I just realized something. You called me after hearing about all this, didn't you?"
Izuku laughed, "Yeah. I was kinda in the middle of a freak out."
Ochako groaned louder, "I should have realized something else was up. I thought it was just regular nervousness."
"I mean, it's not like you could have known that I was freaking out that I was going to have to potentially have to face off against an immortal Quirk stealing monster… Maybe that wasn't the best way to phrase that."
While Ochako got herself back under control, Izuku turned to look over at All Might, "So, did you want to talk to us about something, All Might?"
"I wanted to check up on you. Both of you. You've both been through a lot and I wanted to see how you were holding up."
Izuku frowned and rubbed his bruised chest, then simply said, "I don't think I like Tartarus very much now."
"That's an understatement. What the heck is wrong with those guys?!" Ochako vented, and All Might could almost see steam coming out of her ear.
"They're… a necessary part of our society," All Might nodded when he saw the sour faces Izuku and Ochako made, "That's not an excuse for their horrific behavior. Opening fire like that, it's something I can't even fathom."
"And how they treated Toga," Izuku added while Ochako nodded angrily.
"If anyone deserves to be locked up, it's them! What they did to her, it's inhumane."
"I agree completely. Unfortunately, the same skills and mindset they have that makes them so excellent at imprisoning villains leads to them seeing everything as a threat."
"But All Might, they weren't even treating her like a person anymore. They were calling her an 'it!'"
All Might sighed, "They are an extreme organization tasked with an extreme responsibility. I'm not excusing their actions, but they aren't a group you can just attack. They are part of heroics. When you're heroes, odds are you'll be running into them again."
Both Izuku and Ochako's faces twisted in revulsion, something that All Might could not blame them for, "There may be times when you're asked to help transport a villain to their prison. But those are things you shouldn't have to think about right now."
Izuku responded quickly and surprisingly harshly. There was a heat to his voice that sent a chill through the others, "Tying up my friend, calling her an 'it' and a 'monster,' trying to shoot her - I feel like I should be doing more than thinking about them."
Ochako wasn't sure, but she swore she saw a green light flicker inside Izuku's mouth as he spoke. There were definitely little whiffs of smoke escaping from his lips with each word.
"Young Midoriya, you are a student. You just got lucky today with Chief Tsuragamae, so let's not push that luck by going after a government organization. Understand?"
Izuku lowered his head and sighed, "Yes, sir."
All Might turned to Ochako, "And that goes double for you."
"Wait, I didn't say anything!"
"You're going to sit there and tell me you weren't thinking of ways to toss those Tartarus guards into orbit?"
Ochako scratched the back of her head, "I was thinking more 'into the sun,' actually."
Izuku snorted while Ochako reached over and shoved him. All Might raised his hand up in a show of exasperation, "I swear, you two share a brain cell."
"A brain cell you spent a year teaching. So all of this is your fault," Ochako countered with a smirk.
The three laughed, which All Might was glad for. After everything, they two could have easily come out of the fight much more traumatized. That the two seemed to be alright was a small miracle.
"Anyway, since you two seem to be up to it, I wanted to take the chance to talk about what happened last night."
"You mean with One for All?" Ochako asked.
All Might nodded, "Since it was your first time using it, I'm sure you have questions. I have a few myself if I'm honest."
"Why'd my body break like it did?" Izuku asked. He looked over himself with a frown, "After all that training I did, I thought I'd be ready for it. You were worried about what One for All would do with my Quirk, but you didn't mention being worried about my body. I know you said that when you got it, you could use One for All right away. I don't think..." Izuku recalled the feeling of his broken body, his bones shattering as he punched the ground, "I don't think I can."
All Might contemplated his answer in silence. He figured this would be one of the first things Izuku asked that he might have an answer for, "Let me make sure I know for sure what happened. The alley was destroyed from you using your Psychokinesis correct," Izuku nodded, "and the street was from a punch?"
"Yeah I… I missed Stain and hit the spot in the street where he had been," Izuku rubbed the knuckles on his right hand, "Looking back, if I had hit him… I might have…"
All Might could tell the line of thought Izuku was starting to go down and he put a stop to it as fast as he could, "That's not something you need to focus on. I chose to give you One for All and then take you into a live operation. I might have thought there was no way for anything to happen to you but it was still a foolish mistake to do it. Anything that did or may have happened would not have been your responsibility. So don't focus on what could have happened, alright?"
Izuku nodded, though he was still a little shaken at how close he had come to killing someone. Still, he listened to All Might and focused on the question, "Um, so yeah, after I threw Stain away, I leapt after him and tried to punch him. That's how I broke my legs and arm."
"I see. One punch and you did all that to the street and to yourself. Yup, I can see the problem here."
"Which is?"
"You are much much stronger than I was at your age."
Izuku froze on the spot while his head tried to wrap itself around that idea. Ochako stepped in while Izuku restarted, "Wait? Deku's stronger? And that's the problem? That doesn't explain why his body got destroyed using One for All."
"Let me explain. Young Midoriya mentioned that I was able to use One for All without issue when I first got it. Which is true, however, One for All wasn't nearly as powerful as it is now then it was back then. When I first got it, there is no way I'd be able to do the kind of damage you did, Young Midoriya."
"Oh… wow," Izuku said as his brain finally got his mouth to work, "But what about all the training I did?"
All Might winced and wrung his hands together, "Sooo I might have been assuming you'd be closer to how I was. I knew you'd be stronger but I was still going off my own experience, which clearly isn't going to work now."
"Wait," Ochako cut in, "How much stronger is Deku than you were?"
"He's closer to how I am now than how I was."
Ochako's eyes went wide while Izuku's jaw dropped.
"Deku's like you are now and he's only going to get stronger, right?"
All Might nodded with a smile, "That's right. Though, right now he needs to continue to strengthen his body, which will come naturally as he gets used to using One for All."
"So it's just like what I did with my Psyckinises then?" Izuku said to himself, "All that training was just enough to get me to the starting line to hold this power."
Ochako and All Might looked at Izuku, both worried he might be disillusioned or upset that things hadn't gone like All Might had originally planned. What they saw, however, was Izuku looking down at his body with the fire of determination in his eyes.
"So I'll need to figure out how One for All works, first. Then I can work on slowly getting my body used to the power. Maybe some kind of increments, like I did with… but it feels like it's an all or nothing power, so how can I..." Izuku was lost in his own world now, mumbling and muttering as he began to work out what he was going to have to do going forward. It was a welcomed sight to the two. The small puffs of smoke that started to whiff out of Izuku's mouth as he kept muttering, though, that was another story.
Ochako pointed at them, "Okay, so why can Deku breathe fire like his father now?"
"Errrr... Yeah, I have no idea. Still working on that one."
"Seriously?!" Ochako groaned and slid down into her chair.
After making sure Izuku didn't accidentally set off a fire alarm and letting him know that Recovery Girl would be in to see him tomorrow after she spent the day recovering from healing him and Himiko, All Might stood up to leave. His time was getting close to being up and it would be better if Toshinori wasn't seen walking around in All Might's oversized costume.
"All Might, before you go," Izuku called out as All Might neared the door, "I wanted to ask you something else."
All Might glanced over at a clock hanging on the wall before nodding, "Okay, I should have enough time for one last question. Anything else will probably need to wait till tomorrow, or maybe when we're back at school so we can talk privately in my office."
"You've only told two people about One for All, right? Detective Tsukauchi and Sir Nighteye," Ochako sat up straight as she heard Izuku talk while All Might nodded slowly. "Why so few? How did you know who to tell and who not to? I can't imagine they were you're only friends you could trust. Weren't they others you felt you could confide in, others you felt you didn't have to hide the truth from?"
Ochako recalled a conversation she and Izuku had a long while back about lying and what that made him feel, Guess that never went away if he's already bringing it up right after getting One for All.
All Might sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck, "That's… a loaded question."
"If you want to answer it later, that's alright…" All Might could tell that wasn't really the case. There was something in Izuku's eyes that told him needed an answer. "I know your time is probably getting pretty short."
All Might and Ochako both thought of the same person right away while Izuku sat in silence, probably the one person Izuku had been waiting for a chance to talk to since this whole adventure began.
"In my time as a hero I've met many people, including people I would gladly call allies and comrades. Friends, though, that's a rarer thing. I was never the most… open person, despite what you see on the internet and T.V. This was a choice I made because I felt it would keep me, and others, safe."
"From All for One?"
"Mostly, yes. But there are other threats out in the world. I told you that One for All can't be stolen, but you could be coerced into giving it up, maybe because a friend is taken hostage, for example. Either because of their connection to you or because they wanted to help you and got involved in something they weren't prepared for... Well, I tried to make sure that never happened."
"I… I see."
"I have a friend who has been with me almost since the start of my career. His name is David Shield, and while I was in America he was always by my side. I've known that man for years, longer than even Tsukauchi. His daughter even calls me uncle," All Might chuckled at that, "But I never told him about One for All."
Izuku blinked in confusion, "Wait… You never told him, even though you're so close, but you told Detective Tsukauchi?"
"When you decide to tell someone about One for All, you are entrusting them with a great responsibility while at the same time dragging them into a world they didn't know about. If you are going to do that, you need to be sure they'll not only be able to survive in this new world but also be able to help you. Tsukauchi is a member of the police force. His connection to that agency and his understanding of criminals and villains has helped me a great deal over the years. David… is a brilliant inventor, but even during my early years as a hero he stayed on the sidelines. Then he went and had a family as well... The risk of what could happen to him or his daughter was too great. So I chose to keep my secret from him. It was not an easy decision to make, but one I felt was for the best," All Might took a deep breath. It was clear that this decision and probably many more like it weighed heavily on him, "I feel that I am alive because of who I chose to tell and who I didn't, Young Midoriya. Telling someone about One for All justbecause they are close to you would be cruel. Because they may want to help you and end up getting you or themselves hurt."
All Might looked over at Ochako for a moment. She blinked, confused by his look, "Young Midoriya, when I told Young Uraraka about One for All, I weighed the benefits of you having a companion with you for your journey. The two of you were already fiercely loyal to each other and I was imagining what that bond could look like later on in your careers. In fact, you two reminded me of my master, Nana, and Gran Torino." Izuku and Ochako jumped a little at that and All Might nodded, "Those two fought together for so long. They held a friendship and bond that helped them through so much. As things were, not telling Young Uraraka would have done you more harm than good. However, if I had known that All for One was still alive… I don't believe I would have told her anything."
Ochako winced while Izuku frowned, the briefest hints of anger forming in his eyes. All Might raised his hands up, "Let me be clear: I do not regret my decision. Telling her was and still is the right thing to do. In fact, I can unequivocally say that not telling Young Uraraka would have been the worst possible decision I could have made that day at the beach."
All Might watched Izuku closely after that as he finished, "Who and when you tell someone will be one of the most important decisions you make as the newest bearer of One for All, because you will be turning them into an ally against All for One. And that is not something to do lightly. Do you understand?"
Izuku nodded, "I… I do. I suppose when I think about someone I should discuss it with you first, then. Get your permission, since-"
"No."
Izuku almost bit his tongue as he came to a stop, "Sorry, what?"
All Might just shook his head before kneeling down next to Izuku, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder, "One for All is yours now, Young Midoriya. The final decision on who you tell is yours and yours alone. It is not your allies' place to tell you who you bring into the fold. Not even former wielders like me. The power is yours and so are all the responsibilities. You don't ask us for permission. You make your decision and we," All Might glanced over at Ochako, "will support you anyway we can." Getting up, All Might added light heartedly, "Now, that doesn't mean you can't ask our opinions on things or ask for our advice, of course. I'd hope that you'd still want to rely on my decades of experience. And I'm sure Young Uraraka would become very cross if you started to ignore her."
"Pfft, I'd like to see him try," Ochako said with a smile.
"Just remember, Young Midoriya, you are your own man and whatever you decide, we'll make sure any newcomers," All Might and Ochako glanced at each other as they thought about a certain mother that might have a few words for them, "are welcomed and brought up to speed. If that's what you really want."
Soon after All Might left and after a couple more words of reassurance, Izuku decided to return to his room. After such an exhausting morning after everything else that had happened, he was ready for a nap. Ochako had offered to push him back but Izuku had waved her off with a smile. He would be fine.
So now Ochako sat in her room, alone with only her thoughts and a pillow she was using to muffle the screams she felt she needed to get out of her system. Fear, rage and horror ripped out of her throat as she worked to expel everything and bring herself to some sense of normalcy. She had been able to hold herself together pretty well after hearing everything for the first time from Izuku and her first freakout. Splashing herself with some ice cold water had also shocked her out of her state for a bit.
After one last good scream, she pulled the pillow off her face and sat up from her bed. That was enough feeling scared and angry at the situation. Now she needed to figure out what she was going to do. First and foremost, she needed to decide if she was going to give All Might a good punch in the face for this whole mess. The idea swirled in her head a bit but was soon jettisoned. He had explained the situation well enough and he was a victim of the circumstances, too. When it came down to it, he just didn't have the time to wait anymore. He had to give Izuku One for All now. So she wasn't going to stay mad at him for that. It wouldn't accomplish anything.
Plus, she wasn't sure she wouldn't break her hand on his jaw. She could get to him while he was shrunk but she doubted she'd feel good about dropping a tiny All Might like a sack of potatoes. So that whole line of thought was out the window. Now it was time to focus on what was important:
Izuku and All for One.
Sooner or later Izuku was going to have to face this monster, and she would be damned if he had to do it alone.
Getting off her bed, Ochako pulled off her gown and walked into the bathroom again to look at herself in the mirror. Her muscles tensed as she examined herself and thought about how she used to be. She had come a long way from the round and soft little girl a year ago. She might not be on Miruko's level just yet, but when she tensed up, there wasn't that much of a difference.
Yes, she had come a long way but her fight with Stain made it clear she hadn't come far enough. Grabbing her forearm, she looked down at it, remembering how not that long ago a huge knife was sticking out of the bracer she wore. Only a little more pressure and that knife would have been in her arm. Only a little longer in that fight and Ochako knew she would be dead. Using what Miruko had taught her had let her hold her own against Stain for a few seconds, but even with Shouto helping her, it was obvious that she would have lost. Stain was just too fast. Too skilled. Too powerful.
And power was the key.
In the blink of an eye, Izuku now eclipsed her in power. Up until now, she felt the two were on pretty equal footing. They were more or less even in all their spars afterall. So she knew that when they worked together they didn't have to worry about slowing the other down.
That wasn't the case anymore. The power Izuku had, once he was able to control it, put him in a whole other league, and that twisted her up inside. She wasn't jealous or angry. She would never feel that way towards Izuku. Ever. She also didn't feel shocked at what had happened. Izuku was always going to become like this. No, what had her all messed up now was that she now understood what Izuku was going to have to do with his new power: he would have to face All for One, a monster that was on par with All Might.
In her mind, she could see herself walking down a path until she came to a great chasm, so deep and dark she couldn't see the bottom. On the other side, where the path continued, she could see Izuku. For so long they had been walking the path together, but now he was so far away. And to her horror he was walking right into an approaching darkness.
And what in the hell am I supposed to do when that day comes?!
Ochako slammed her fist into the wall. She had only justsurvived against a villain that didn't have Quirks that boosted his power. The gap between her and Stain was already scary. Now she was thinking about the power gap between her and All for One, and it was horrifying. It hurt to know that there was nothing she'd be able to do the day Izuku had to fight All for One. At least, nothing she could do now.
In her mind, she was back at that chasm but she wasn't standing around watching Izuku walk into darkness. She was pulling stones from the ground and laying planks out so she could bridge the gap, building her own path to cross the chasm.
Pulling her fist off the wall, she felt her knuckles crack and pop as she tightened it. She knew what she had to do. She had to shorten that power gap between herself and Izuku. She had to get stronger. It was going to take time for Izuku to master his new Quirk. While he did that, Ochako had to get stronger.
Body.
Technique.
Mind.
Quirk.
She had to strengthen everything to make sure that when the day came, she would be there by Izuku's side. She wasgoing to be there, "He is not going to face that monster alone. I won't allow it."
As Izuku wheeled himself back to his room, he couldn't help but think over everything that All Might had said to him about how he had kept One for All a secret for so long and from so many people. On one hand, it made perfect sense. There were so many villains that would want to get their hands on a power like this, so the less people know, the less of a chance the secret gets out. But Izuku found himself thinking back more and more to how All Might didn't tell even his closest friends. David Shield sounded like a very important person to All Might, if he was that close to the family that the man's daughter saw All Might as her uncle.
And yet, All Might's worry - maybe even fear - had kept him from sharing his secret. It was almost like his worry of others, his fear for them, had kept All Might isolated.
Izuku frowned at that thought but he couldn't shake it. Gran Torino, Recovery Girl, Principal Nezu, Detective Tsukauchi and Sir Nighteye; of that list only the last two were people All Might deliberately told about One for All.
That must have been so lonely, Izuku thought.
Then he remembered what All Might had said about Ochako and how he wouldn't have told her. Izuku couldn't even imagine what that would have been like, having that kind of secret between the two of them. The damage it could have done to their friendship was sickening to think about.
But All Might did say that it would have been the wrong thing to do, keeping it from Uraraka…
That last bit - that last admission - stuck in Izuku's head. And the more he thought about it, the more he came to the conclusion that All Might, his perfect hero, had been wrongabout something. All Might had let his fear of what couldhappen lead him to a life of isolation. Izuku frowned and shook his head. Maybe 'isolation' was the wrong word but the feeling was right. It seemed like All Might cut himself off from others in his desire to protect them and himself.
Reaching his room, Izuku paused as he looked at the door. Izuku understood the need to keep the number of people who knew about One for All small. That was important, but maybe All Might had kept it too small. He had limited the help he could have received. And that was a key thing, All Might had said it was important that whoever he told would be able to help him.
Izuku reached up to open the door, and as he did, he made up his mind. The idea had worked its way up to the forefront of his mind and after his talk with All Might he felt he knew what he had to do. Like All Might said, they need to be able to help him.
All Might, Gran Torino, Principal Nezu and Recover Girl. They'll help me get stronger and help me master One for All. Uraraka, she's my friend and she'll be with me to help me, too, and make sure I don't do anything stupid, though I've only messed that up a couple of time. If there's a anything I need help with more than ever now, it's-
Izuku nodded to himself and opened the door to his room. His mind was made up. All Might was right, he couldn't just go telling others about One for All. So there would not be some mass text to his friends. No, that wouldn't be right. It would be too much too fast. But as he rolled into his room, Izuku knew he had to do one thing better than All Might did: he had to trust the people he was close to. And if it was a matter of trust, then the answer was simple.
He trusted her with his life.