Chapter Text
I was back in the same place. Right in the middle of that moment ten years ago, when we decided to start our training despite everything.
Our four-year-old selves were holding hands; Izumi and I were trying to make sense of what was happening, our eyes darting between the doctor and my mother. I walked toward them slowly and stood right in front of them. I looked at the youthful faces of my mother and twin with a smile. Feeling peaceful for being able to see them one last time before I died, the door knocked.
When Dr. Ackerman gave the command to enter in her elegant voice, my father walked in, wearing a sharp suit.
Seeing my father arrive, my sister let go of my small hand and ran toward him as she jumped off her chair. My father immediately knelt to her height and hugged Izumi tightly. I smiled as I watched my sister, who looked like a porcelain doll in his powerful arms. Seeing my father—whom I hadn't seen for three months—even in this dream, was enough for me.
Just like my sister, I jumped off my chair and moved toward him. When my father heard my voice, he opened one arm and embraced my small body too. Then he stood up, carrying both of us effortlessly, and sat in the chair I had just vacated. He rested us on his knees and looked at my mother.
"I'm sorry, honey, there was traffic. And my apologies to you, Doctor."
When he directed his last sentence respectfully to the doctor, my mother placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it as if to say, "It's okay."
"Don't worry, sir. We were already talking."
I watched them as the doctor repeated what she had told my mother and us, this time for my father. Three months... We hadn't been together for three long months. Right after we turned five, my father had accepted a job offer in America and moved there, solely so we could live in better conditions and receive better training. Even though he visited every chance he got and we talked on the phone for hours, it didn't stop us from missing him. We really missed him so much.
"My mother's Quirk is Telekinesis, but my grandmother's Quirk is similar to my husband's father's," my mother said. "My grandmother’s Quirk is 'Angel.' Just like his father, she has wings and a halo that appear at will. She has a much stronger telekinesis than ours; she can also control air and light. I’ve even heard she can heal people, but I don't know much else about her."
My mother was speaking rapidly, leaning on my father's arm for support, while Dr. Ackerman took notes.
"I see. Are your lineages related?"
My father was the one to answer the doctor's question this time.
"Yes. Our ancestors during the first emergence of Quirks were twins, just like our children. But over the years, through various marriages and growing families, our lineages drifted apart at some point. Currently, my wife and I are quite distant in terms of our bloodlines."
"I understand."
With Dr. Ackerman’s voice, I snapped my eyes open as a sudden pain pierced through my body. Although I could barely make out the red-eyed man with hair floating in the air standing over me, the agony burning through my body could only escape through my screams.
I was still in the same place. The unbearable pain in my back and head was causing my screams to intensify; I was hitting my head against the concrete beneath me without realizing it. The sharp pain had brought me to the breaking point. As my movements became more violent, I felt someone slide their hand under my head, preventing me from hurting myself.
As I writhed in pain, I heard someone else approach. Then, with the cold sting of a needle in my arm, I realized I was being given a sedative. My consciousness slowly faded as I drifted back into the darkness.
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Aizawa sighed as he rushed toward All Might’s last known location. It had surprised him when the old man insisted there was an emergency and asked him to bring medical teams and the police, but the sheer urgency in the man’s voice made him act without question. He was already exhausted from dealing with him due to the UA Principal’s eccentric requests.
In less than a minute, he arrived at the spot All Might had designated and froze in shock at the scene before him.
All Might was hunched over a child, performing chest compressions. Aizawa moved quickly, pulling him back.
"Move before you crush his ribs. I’ve got this."
Once All Might stepped away, Aizawa checked for a pulse and immediately took over the compressions.
"What happened?!" Aizawa asked sharply, casting a brief glance at the blonde man watching him. All Might sighed, holding up a bottle containing a strange, sludge-like liquid.
"This—"
The blonde man was about to explain when he was silenced by a moan from the boy. Aizawa checked the boy's pulse again, feeling a surge of relief as the wailing sirens of the medical teams drew closer.
First came a muffled cough, then a sharp, desperate gasp for air as if his lungs were being torn apart... Izuku’s heart had started beating again. But this was no ordinary awakening.
"What is happening?" All Might whispered, recoiling in horror.
The boy’s body began to contort in unnatural ways, as if something inside him was clawing its way out. His shoulder blades arched outward as if they were about to rip through his skin, and the sound of joints cracking filled the air.
Startled, Aizawa stood up and activated his Quirk to look at the boy. When the child began slamming his head against the ground in agony, Aizawa quickly slid his hand underneath to protect him. The paramedics rushed in and administered a sedative; within seconds, the boy went still.
As All Might and Aizawa looked at each other, Aizawa was almost certain they were thinking the same thing.
This was anything but normal.
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My eyes slowly fluttered open, but I immediately squeezed them shut against the sudden influx of bright light. After keeping them closed for a few seconds, I tried again, slowly scanning my surroundings. It took a moment to realize I was in a hospital room, but as soon as I saw my twin lying in the bed to my left, I bolted upright. The sudden movement sent a sharp pain through my back, so I sat still for a moment, letting the ache subside as I looked over Izumi. Seeing her in a deep sleep without any visible injuries brought me a sense of relief, though her presence here alone was enough to make me worry.
Just then, I heard the sound of the door. I lifted my head to see who was entering and froze. My eyes widened to their limit, and I felt my jaw drop. Shock and excitement surged through my entire body as I took in the figure standing before me.
"All Might!"
To my silent scream, All Might chuckled softly and walked toward me.
The reality of the man in front of me excited me to my very core; I felt the same urge to jump up and down as I did when I was four years old. I watched him approach with pure admiration.
"Wh... what are you doing here? I mean, why are you here with me?"
My face flushed with embarrassment as I stuttered through the question. I cursed myself for making such a fool of myself in front of the world's greatest hero, but the blonde man just laughed again.
"Young Midoriya. I was the one who rescued you from the villain. I came by to check on you. How are you feeling?"
His eyes flickered to my twin in the bed to my left for a split second before focusing back on me. I beamed. My favorite hero, the man I had admired for years, was standing right here in the flesh, asking me how I was.
"You... you were the one who saved me! Oh my God, I can't believe it! And—yes, yes, I'm fine!"
I tried not to shout so I wouldn't wake my sister, but my voice rose in excitement anyway. Seeing this, All Might’s smile remained unchanged as he reached out and lightly ruffled my hair.
As I looked at him in awe, wondering what I had done to deserve such a moment, the door opened again. I looked toward the newcomer reluctantly, but my brow furrowed as his face seemed familiar. Memories filled my mind, and I pointed an index finger at him, posing a question.
"You... you were the person who was with me while I was in pain, weren't you?"
I knew it was pointless to hide what was already obvious; I was well aware that I had been screaming in agony. If I hadn't shown my pain so clearly, perhaps I wouldn't have been so blunt. But the sedatives were already clouding my judgment and making it hard to think straight, so asking directly seemed like the most logical thing to do.
The man, whose hair fell to his shoulders and who looked exhausted and sleep-deprived in every way, seemed surprised by my directness. However, he hid it professionally and gave me a slight, affirming nod.
When it became clear he wasn't going to speak further, All Might’s booming voice filled the room.
"That is the Pro Hero, Eraser Head. He arrived just as you lost consciousness and was a tremendous help to me."
Eraser Head. The most well-known thing about him was how he stayed completely away from the media. Because of my obsession with heroes, I had managed to find some combat videos and basic information about him on certain niche websites. Even though the videos were only a few seconds long, his fighting style had always fascinated me.
I bowed as respectfully as my condition allowed from the bed and offered my thanks. Eraser Head seemed visibly taken aback by the gesture. At that moment, my mother entered the room. The hero dressed in black moved toward All Might with unhurried steps, while in stark contrast, my mother rushed to my side and cupped my cheeks.
"Izuku! Honey, are you okay?"
My mother, with tear-filled eyes, was performing a frantic damage control, turning my head from side to side. I watched her like this for a few seconds with a slight smile, but since I couldn't bear to see her worry any longer, I took her hands from my cheeks and moved them down to my lap.
"Mom, I'm perfectly fine. It was just a brief moment of pain anyway."
I didn't mention the lingering ache in my back or the headache that was starting to set in. I didn't want to make her worry even more. Just then, I heard Dr. Ackerman's voice.
"Mrs. Midoriya, Izuku, and Izumi."
After a few seconds of silence, we looked over toward my sister and saw Izumi watching us with a small smile.
"Izumi, baby."
My mother left my side and rushed over to her to check for any injuries as well. When she realized there was nothing visibly wrong, she gently helped her sit up. As she did, Izumi’s eyes drifted toward my right; the moment she saw All Might and Eraser Head, her slow movements came to a sudden halt, and she stared at them in utter shock.
"Y-you... Oh my God!"