Chapter Text
Gone.
Izuku was gone.
And Toshinori was left alone again. Again.
Deja vu slammed into him. He was 17 years old, standing amid the wreckage of an entire city, his master's body ripped and scattered across the toppled buildings and craters of earth. Blood dripped from injuries that he couldn't feel because he had lost the one person who cared about him.
He could simply stand here. Listen to the wails of dying people and the screams of oncoming sirens. Like when Toshionri was a teenager, the Hero Commission would come and whisk Toshinori away.
They would most likely kill him this time; no need to train him until he felt like dying. No, they would take him to one of those underground bunkers and shoot him until blood sprayed from his body and the last breath of oxygen left his lungs.
That would be easy.
Keigo, Dabi, and Lady Nagant should have accomplished their mission. Within hours, the commission's misdeeds would be plastered across the internet for the whole world to read…including Toshinori's
There would be no more Symbol of Peace—if there ever was one.
Peace.
Toshinori wanted to scream. There was no peace. He had never felt peace. All the maneuvering of the hero commission and the years, tears, and blood he poured into protecting others--what was it all for?!
He looked up from the puddle of Izuku's blood and glanced around his surroundings. Death clung to the air even as heroes poured into the scene. There was no saving everyone. There was no peace for them.
"H-help."
A desperate, quiet voice cut through the pounding in his head. Toshinori turned and saw a woman pinned underneath a collapsed building. Tears streaked down her face, and she lifted her arm in a wordless plead. Her hair was dark brown, but it looked black, maybe even green in the dim light.
All Might! Izuku's voice cried in his ear.
Toshinori! The ghost of Nana's voice called.
Both of them, their eyes wide and shining with hope. Without thinking, Toshinori's body moved, pressing towards the woman, who gasped in gratitude. With a single heave, he ripped the crumbling building off of her and pulled her to her feet.
"Thank you," she cried. She clutched Toshinori's hand. "Thank you, All Might."
He blinked at the woman. Blood dripped from a gash on her forehead, but she was managing a smile.
Hope.
Izuku always had that look in his eyes. He had when Toshinori revealed the truth that first night and nearly killed him. Even as Izuku's eyes bulged and he flailed from strangulation, hope had remained in his eyes.
Toshinori hadn't felt hope in years. Despair, anger, spite, sadness, but not hope. Not since Nana had died. However, that wasn't true, was it?
M g'nna be aheero an' sa've you.
Izuku had spoken those words while drugged and handcuffed, but they had been honest and sincere.
Toshinori glanced at the puddle of Izuku's blood. The kid had fulfilled his promise. He had saved Toshinori.
Toshinori would help these people, and then he would return the favor.
When Aizawa saw that familiar green hair streaking across the TV screen, he hadn't even bothered saying goodbye before sprinting out the door.
He recognized that kid, the one who had been haunting his dreams and resting on Aizawa's heart like a weight. The kid that had saved him only to disappear.
As he raced across the city, using his capture weapon to fling him closer to his destination, he knew it was in vain. Kamino was several towns away, and even taking the fastest train there and then using his hero license to bypass roadblocks, there was no way he would make it in time.
However, once he arrived, it didn't stop him from grabbing the nearest police officer and demanding, "Where is he?!"
The officer looked too exhausted to deal with someone yelling in his face, but he managed to ask, "Who?"
"The kid! The one with green hair. He was on TV. Izuku."
"Look, sir, this is an active rescue site. If you have family members who were in the area during the attack, I'm afraid that we don't know who was hurt or not yet. You'll have to wait behind the police tape like everyone else," the officer said, gesturing to the fluttering yellow tape.
"He's not my kid, but I need to know where he is. You had to have seen him! Green hair, green eyes—"
"Excuse me," a deep voice interrupted.
Aizawa turned to give the owner of the voice a dirty glare but faltered when he saw it was All Might. The number one hero hadn't been seen for months, only to appear for the brawl of the century.
"You are looking for Izuku?" All Might asked.
"Yes. Do you know the kid? Where is he?"
All Might's eyes were darkened by shadows, but a hint of blue flickered in its depths. "I suppose you could say that I know the boy, yes. As to where he is, I don't know. Not yet, that is." It sounded like a grim promise, like no matter what, All Might would find the boy and drag him back into the light.
A hint of relief lightened Aizawa's shoulders. He wasn't the only one looking for the kid. "Okay," he said. "If you find out anything, let me know, please," he added, surprisingly polite for himself.
"Of course," All Might turned to leave but paused. "If I might ask, what's your interest in the boy?"
Aizawa's guard rose, wary of sharing such information. However, All Might had shared information, and by rights, Aizawa should do the same. "He saved my life once, and then he disappeared. I intend to make sure he's safe."
All Might nodded in approval. "That's good. He needs people who will look after him."
All for One knew that the blonde oaf would find him. Call it an extra sense from years of living and surviving numerous assassinations. It didn't matter that All for One had secluded himself and Izuku in a secret bunker a city away; All Might would come eventually.
The trembling of the room was the only warning before a fist-shaped indent appeared in the steel door, sending it falling to the ground.
The failed hero was dusty and bloody, still wearing the clothes from their fight only hours prior. All for One tugged at the quirks simmering under his skin, ready to pull on them and attack, but All Might spoke first. "Is Izuku okay?"
All for One's arms tightened around his son, asleep in his arms. He should have secured Izuku somewhere safer, but he hadn't been able to let go of his son. Couldn't bear to part from the boy resting in his arms.
"Is Izuku hurt?!" All Might demanded, taking a step closer. "Did you heal him?"
That All Might even asked was an insult worthy of a fist through his head. As if All for One wouldn't heal the bullet wound the moment they left the line of fire.
"Since you were the reason he was hurt in the first place, I don't see why I need to answer you." All for One spat.
All Might's gaze darkened. "The bullet could have been for either of us."
It made All for One fume inwardly, but unfortunately, that was likely true. The hero commission wouldn't miss an opportunity to kill two threats in one go, alliance or not. All for One would enjoy wreaking vengeance tenfold on the commission. No one crossed All for One and lived to speak of it.
"Who was the one who dragged him into the commission's line of fire?" All for One retorted. It didn't matter that he had helped create the trap with the commission. That wasn't relevant. All Might was the one to blame.
"You!" All Might roared, pointing an accusing finger. "I was the one who stopped them from killing him or worse. Like they did to his mother."
All for One's support equipment must have failed because he couldn't breathe for a moment. The hero commission wasn't supposed to know about her.
Inko–kind, soft, gentle Inko with a secret spine of steel and a glare that could stop most villains in their tracks. Inko, who had stolen All for One's heart and filled a gap within his heart. Learning of her death had shattered him in a way he hadn't felt since Yoichi died so many years ago. She was supposed to be safe. Hidden away from any enemies, allowed to raise their precious son.
All Might's bosses, the hero commission, had been responsible for her death, and All for One had brokered a deal with them.
"I should have ripped you to shreds the first time," All for One growled.
All Might stepped forward. "Is. Izuku. Okay? I won't ask again."
"Or what? Will you try to fight me with the pathetic strength you have left?"
All for One would obliterate All Might before All for One let the failed hero touch a single hair of Izuku's head. Izuku was all he had left. His safety was the top priority.
Quirks flitted through his mind, There were plenty of quirks that All for One could use to destroy All Might, perhaps steel skin or air barrier, but steel spikes could properly slice All Might in half this time like All for One didn't do last time—
"Please."
If All for One had eyes, he would have blinked. "Excuse me?"
All Might's throat bobbed, and his face contorted as if tasting something sour. "Please." All Might's eyes glanced towards Izuku, and All for One's grip tightened. "I don't want to fight, and you don't want to fight either—"
"I have no issues killing you right now."
"—Because Izuku is here. Izuku is more important."
The sincerity was infuriating. All Might wasn't allowed to care for Izuku.
All for One shifted the conversation. "How did you find us?" He had expected All Might's arrival but figured it would take the hero days, not hours, to find them. Retreating would be useless if All Might could find them again so quickly.
"I didn't find you," All Might said. "They did."
All for One couldn't see, but he could feel the soft ripple of energy and the consciousness of other minds. Seven of them flickered into existence around All Might, cocooning him in their power.
"Hello, brother."
The sound of his brother's voice, one of the few people All for One ever cared about, nearly brought All for One to his knees. His precious little brother, gone too soon, taken from the world. One of the energies flickered, and for a moment, All for One swore his brother was there, the same as he had been before he died, white bangs falling in his face.
"Yoichi."
"It's been a while, Hisashi."
The voice was more of an echo in his mind, a lingering sensation of hope and regret and sorrow.
"We came for our ninth, to see that he is safe."
All for One knew Izuku had One for All. He had felt its power deep inside his son but having it confirmed stung. This power contained the remnant of his brother and had almost been All for One's demise.
"He shouldn't have gotten this power," All for One snapped.
All Might interrupted. "He deserved it more than me. He needed to be able to protect himself."
"And how much good did that do him? I had to heal him. I had to stop him from bleeding out."
"So he's okay?"
"No thanks to you."
The tension between them crackled, and for a brief moment, All for One fantasied over watching All Might die, that stupid, insipid smile fading into a pained death mask. But then Izuku shifted in his arms and weakly mumbled, "All Migh'?"
All for One tucked him up into the crook of his neck. "Shhh, you're okay."
But Izuku shifted and moaned, his fingers stretching out for something, for someone. A tear slipped past his closed eyes, sorrow following him even in unconsciousness. “All Migh?’” he sobbed, “Yoichi?”
"You're okay, my boy," All Might called, his voice gentle. "Don't worry, you're safe now."
Izuku's brow scrunched but then relaxed with a sigh, and he fell deeper into slumber.
"I hate you." All Might said, and if All for One could, he would roll his eyes and the stupidity of the statement, but All Might continued. "I will always hate you, but I do not want Izuku to be hurt. The commission had ordered me to kill him, and I refused to."
"And I'm supposed to thank you for this?"
"No," All Might ground out. "You're going to listen to me."
All for One wanted to laugh in the hero's face, but then Yoichi's presence was against him, pressing gently on his arm. "Please, brother. Listen to him, for Izuku."
If it was anyone else, All for One would have murdered them that instant, but he hadn't heard Yoichi's voice for so many, many years. Since Yoichi asked, All for One would listen and then kill All Might afterward.
Seeing that All for One was allowing him to speak, All Might opened his stupid mouth and said. "You can't keep him."
If All for One could, he would have vaporized All Might in that instant, but he would need his arms to do that, and he refused to let go of Izuku.
"You can't keep him because if you do, he will die."
"What?"
"The world saw what you did at Kamino. You have lived a long time and made many enemies, and all of them saw you drop everything to grab Izuku. It doesn't take much to understand that Izuku is important. If you keep him, there will always be those hunting him down to hurt and kill him."
"He's my son! I will guard him and destroy anyone that comes close."
All Might barked a laugh. "You think I didn't try that? Look how well that turned out. For you to keep him safe, he would have to be hidden in the darkest, most secluded portion of the world where no one could possibly find him, and he would be miserable."
All for One started to snap back, "No, he won't!" but there was a faint sensation on his shoulder.
"You know the truth, brother. Don't repeat the mistakes of the past. If you try to save him like you did for me, he will come to hate you."
Emotion clogged All for One's throat, and he brushed a thumb against the soft skin of Izuku's cheek. His little child, his only family. He didn't want to see his son's beautiful eyes narrowed in anger at him, to lose the only relationship that mattered to him. All for One did that with Yoichi; he didn't want to do it again, but he had already lost his brother and wife, and he would not lose another family member.
"If it's a matter of my son hating me and him being safe, I know which decision I will make every time."
All Might took a hesitant step forward. "It doesn't have to be one or the other. I know a place and a person who can keep him safe and happy. He'll be surrounded by the best security in the world, and you'll–" All Might swallowed like the words pained him. "Still be able to see Izuku."
There had to be some catch or trick. All for One wanted to refuse it out of hand.
"Please, Hisashi."
However, if Izuku could be safe and happy, and All for One could still see his son, could he really dismiss this without listening?
Izuku groaned slightly in his sleep and turned closer, nuzzling his head against All for One's chest, and All for One knew what his following words would have to be.
"Tell me more."
Aizawa wanted to find a quiet corner, curl up in his sleeping bag, and pass out for the rest of the year. Instead, he slumped against his couch and nursed a warm cup of tea. He breathed in its steam, focusing on its warmth, not the thoughts swirling in his head.
Kamino was a wreck. The death tolls had risen to the hundreds, and the number of missing was even higher. Aizawa hadn't actually been assigned to the rescue site since as an underground hero he wasn't as useful in the efforts, but he stayed hours after he should have.
Aizawa had seen the footage. He had kept it pulled up on his phone in hand while he raced to Kamino. Leaping across buildings, he had seen the shot fired, and the spray of blood, and the boy fall to the ground.
That hadn't stopped him from searching the wreckage and demanding answers from every police officer and hero he encountered.
But there was nothing.
The tea was beginning to cool, and Aizawa forced himself to take a drink. Upon returning, he had forced himself to shower and choke down food; basic self-care he lectured his students but struggled to do himself.
Across the room, his phone vibrated as it had been for the past several hours. None of it mattered. All news reports were freaking out about the attack and some massive leak from the hero commission. Served the bastards right, but Aizawa didn't have the mental energy to read about whatever atrocities the commission committed. That could wait for morning.
With a groan, he got up and set his tea on the side table. He needed to get to bed. He had classes to teach tomorrow. He didn't need to rewatch the video of Midoriya Izuku being shot for the tenth time. Aizawa had gleaned any new information from it, and watching it again would be like rubbing salt in his wounds.
Grabbing his eye drops, he tilted his head back and administered their soothing relief when there was a knock at the door.
Irritation and resignation warred within him as the knock came again. Aizawa had been ignoring all text messages and calls except to briefly tell Hizashi and Nemuri that he was alright. Evidently, that hadn't been enough.
Stomping to the door, he flung it open, ready to chide his friends, but no one was there. He glanced down the hallways, but they were empty. However, at his feet was a long, wrapped object.
Clutching his capture weapon, Aizawa crouched down to examine the object and nearly activated his quirk out of shock.
A boy lay neatly swaddled in a blanket, his eyes closed in sleep, and his mouth pulled in a slight frown. Freckles dotted his cheeks, and curly green hair fell in his face, but it was unmistakably Midoriya Izuku.
Aizawa fell into hero mode, checking the boy's pulse and tearing the blanket open to check for injuries, but nothing was wrong. He only found a simple note that read: Take care of him. He is more precious than you know.
3 Months Later
"As a reminder, your reports on proper rescue aid procedures are due in one week, and I will not be taking late work." Aizawa grounded out from the front of the room.
Class 1A groaned collectively but immediately shut up when Aizawa's eyes flashed red.
Izuku wasn't too worried, he had completed about half of that assignment already, and he would easily be able to get help if he needed it. One of the perks of living with your teacher.
The morning Izuku woke up on Aizawa's couch, Izuku wasn't sure which of them was more surprised, Izuku or Aizawa. According to the scruffy underground hero, Aizawa had been searching for Izuku ever since Izuku saved his life at the attack on the USJ, but without any luck. He hadn't expected to find Izuku dumped on his doorstep.
On the other hand, Izuku's last memory had been of getting shot after trying to protect All Might (and maybe his father). His last memory was hands gripping him and a downturned mouth. He certainly hadn't been expecting to wake up in the care of a hero.
However, Izuku couldn't complain about living with Aizawa. The underground hero seemed to legitimately care about Izuku and had used his connections with UA and Nezu to protect Izuku from any nefarious parties. Aizawa seemed to think that meant Yagi, although Izuku was more concerned about the Hero Commission.
Thankfully, the surprise raid during the attack on Kamino appeared to go well. For the last several months, the newspapers had screamed about the corruption that was revealed during the leak, and several heroes, including Hawks and Lady Nagant, had come clean about the commission's interference in their lives. Izuku was happy for them. They deserved to live their own lives free from interference.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class and the beginning of lunch. Izuku stood up and began gathering his things when a sharp, "Midoriya, a word," caught his attention.
Izuku perked up and almost tripped over his feet as he scurried through the desk aisles to Aizawa.
"Yes, Aizawa?"
"Your father has requested another dinner with you, and Nezu has agreed to respect this request. You're meeting tonight at 6 pm at the restaurant Demon Dynasty. There will be several heroes patrolling in the area in case something goes wrong, and you are to have your emergency button on you at all times, am I understood?"
"Yes, Aizawa."
Aizawa nodded approvingly at him and ruffled Izuku's hair. "If anything goes wrong, don't hesitate to call."
Izuku smiled. Aizawa had made no pretense in his dislike of Izuku's long-lost father returning from America, and his sulky protectiveness left Izuku feeling warm.
He didn't blame Aizawa for not trusting Izuku's father. Heck, if he even knew a quarter of the things Izuku's father had done, Aizawa would keel over dead. But these regular meetings and dinners were the only reason Izuku was permitted to live with Aizawa and attend UA, so he tolerated them.
"It'll be fine, and I'll make sure to have my emergency button on me like you said."
Aizawa grunted but made no further remark other than to ruffle Izuku's hair again.
The car was waiting outside UA when Izuku finished with classes. Giving a final wave to Aizawa and his friends, Izuku slipped inside, where his father was already waiting.
"Hello, little one," his father murmured, pulling Izuku into a hug before he could even fasten his seat belt.
"Hi, Dad," Izuku mumbled into his dad's suit jacket.
His father pulled away, his face stretched into a broad smile and his eyes shining with pleasure. Izuku swore his father had been injured before and that only a disguise quirk had hidden the severity of it. His father's face typically had a shimmering quality from quirk use, and his breath was raspy from using oxygen. However, there was none of that today.
"You didn't steal a quirk, did you?"
His father reared back, clasping a hand to his chest in hyperbolic offense. "Izuku, why would you say such a thing? You made your stance very clear when we first reunited."
Yes, Izuku supposed the screaming match he got into with his father did make his stance very clear. Getting to rage about his mother's death and how his father abandoned them for crime had been very therapeutic. Izuku was honestly surprised that the villain king even allowed him to address him that way. However, his father had hardly reacted.
He had stood there silently while Izuku yelled, taking the verbal abuse. Every once in a while, his father's head would tilt to the side as if listening to someone. Later in a dream, Yoichi and the other previous holders had denied involvement, but Izuku was fairly certain they were lying.
"You are a villain," Izuku retorted.
"Yes, well, you were very clear about your opinions on quirk thievery."
"Which you haven't listened to."
"I've only relieved particular low lives and villains of their quirks, nobody you would care about." Then holding up a hand to ward off further complaints, his father said, "besides, my appearance is not due to any newly obtained quirk."
Izuku's mouth thinned in disbelief, and his father rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, enough of that little one. Tell me about your day. What garbage propaganda are they filling your mind with?"
The following car ride and dinner continued in a similar manner: Izuku probing his father's actions and his father casually dismissing them. Izuku wanted to hate his father, but part of him craved these interactions. His father might be a centuries-old supervillain, but he still cared about Izuku. It made Izuku feel a little less alone and judging by the soft looks his father sent him when he thought Izuku was distracted by his suama.
After finishing dinner and before Izuku could escape to the car, his father's arms wrapped around him. "It was good seeing you," his father whispered. "I expect to hear updates from you, and we'll plan on doing this again soon."
His father's grip was tight and near suffocating with how he pressed Izuku's face against his chest. Closing his eyes, Izuku allowed himself a moment to relish the contact and sense of security. His mom's death still stung, and Izuku didn't think that wound would ever entirely heal, but for a moment, he allowed himself to enjoy the love of his very imperfect father.
Finally, his father pulled away. "I've got to get going, Izuku. I'll see you soon, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah."
His father smiled, ruffled Izuku's hair, and then disappeared into a swirling purple vortex.
Izuku rolled his eyes at the disappearance, then turned to face the street. The car and chauffeur were waiting by the sidewalk, but Izuku hesitated.
"I still have time before I have to be back, right?"
The chauffeur frowned. "Yes, but I wouldn't–"
"Oh, good! I'm going to take a quick walk down to Dagobah beach then. Can you pick me up in 30 minutes?"
"I can, but I really would advise against that."
But Izuku was already rushing away, hurrying down the streets. He was lucky that the Demon Dynasty was so close to the beach. His hero training had also helped increased his stamina, so by the time he reached the beach (only five minutes later), he wasn't out of breath.
With a sigh, he leaned against the boardwalk railing, looking out over the beach. He hadn't been able to finish cleaning the beach before All Might kidnapped him, and over several months, the trash had once again begun to accumulate.
"I think it's some kind of metaphor," a familiar voice said from behind. "No matter how much effort you put in, someone will come along to mess it up again."
Izuku did his best not to move as though a single twitch would send the speaker running away. When Izuku spoke, his voice was even. "I think it just reminds us that we can't give up. Change can happen; it's just slow. I mean, look, although trash has been added, some has been removed and there are now signs up reminding people not to litter. It's not much, but change is happening."
"You've always been a sickening optimist."
Bracing himself, Izuku turned around to see Yagi standing behind him, dressed in black jeans, a gray shirt, and a long black coat. The former hero's blue eyes seemed to glow in the night, even now radiating power. With a sigh, Yagi moved to stand next to Izuku.
"How have you been?"
"Alright."
"UA is good? Kids aren't giving you any trouble?" Yagi's tone made it clear that he was more than willing to bring trouble if that was the case, but Izuku shook his head.
"No, they're all really nice. I've actually got a study group with several of them, and the other night we all had a movie night together."
A flicker of a smile crossed Yagi's face. "Good."
Silence fell over the conversation, as both speakers became lost in thought, listening to the crashing of the waves and the rustling of the wind across the sand. Izuku's fingers tightened on the cool railing, feeling sweat form beneath his palms as he considered his next question. "During dinner tonight, my father looked–"
"–Uninjured? Yeah, I know." The sourness in his voice made it clear Yagi wasn't pleased about All for One's surprise healing, but he wasn't furious either, which was surprising. As far as Izuku could tell, All for One and All Might had entered into an uneasy truce, the details of which they hadn't revealed to Izuku but which most likely involved him. However, while the truce prohibited them from wrecking cities or tearing each other's throats out, the old animosity was very clearly there.
However, his father's surprise healing hadn't upset Yagi too much, so Izuku probably didn't need to be too worried about it.
"How's everyone else?"
"Fine. Badgering me about you." Yagi said in an annoyed voice.
Izuku hid a small smile. In an odd way, it was nice to know that Dabi, Lady Nagant, and Hawks still thought about him. Izuku had hoped as much since every once in a while, he would see one out of the corner of his eye, definitely not looking at him, and then disappearing the moment he approached them.
He knew Hawks and Lady Nagant were helping promote a change in the hero commission, but Dabi had seemed to disappear. Maybe he had simply gone back to that disgusting apartment of his. Or perhaps he was still working for Yagi.
Izuku examined Yagi. The former hero, now possibly villain/possibly vigilante, looked tired but not unhappy. The hollows of his eyes had lightened, and his face was less angular, and as he stood looking out over the beach, his shoulders were lifted higher as if carrying less weight.
Izuku didn't know if he would describe Yagi as happy, but he seemed a little more peaceful. Izuku hoped that was the case. After everything, Yagi deserved some peace.
"I have a favor to ask," Yagi said abruptly, and Izuku turned his head in surprise.
Since waking up at Aizawa's apartment, Izuku hadn't had much contact with Yagi except for their occasional nighttime chats at Dagobah Beach. Still, Izuku could guess what Yagi had been doing. There had been rumors of a new vigilante group around town, led by a tall, blonde demon-of-a-man, who hunted down those who escaped justice's grasp. Aizawa had both complained and praised the group several times.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, but I have something that I need you to take care of."
Yagi turned away from Izuku and walked a short distance down the boardwalk before stopping and picking up a small object that Izuku hadn't previously noticed. It was wrapped in a long dark blanket, and Yagi held it carefully in his arms as he walked back.
"Take it," Yagi said, thrusting the object into Izuku's arms.
At once, Izuku made several startling observations. One, the object was a lot larger and heavier than it looked in Yagi's arms, two, the object was moving.
With stifled breath, Izuku peeled the blanket back to reveal a tiny child, her white hair tousled around her sleeping face. She was painfully pale, and even in her sleep, trembled slightly.
"Her name is Eri, and she was previously with the yakuza. Take her to Eraserhead, and make sure to keep her safe. Her quirk is more powerful than you can imagine."
Eri, asleep in Izuku's arms, let out a soft whimper, and Izuku tightened his hold instinctively. "It's okay," he whispered to her. "You're safe."
Izuku looked up to ask more questions, but to his shock, he was alone on the boardwalk. There was no sign of Yagi, just the sound of crashing waves and the faint ruffle of the wind.
Hidden from Izuku's view, Yagi stood watching. He watched as the boy looked for him and then gave up when he was nowhere to find. He watched as Izuku pulled out his phone and hurried away, Eri still tucked tight in his arms.
The Shie Hassaikai had put up a fight, but they hadn't been enough for Yagi and his new group of ex-heroes, vigilantes, and morally grey villains. They had stolen the yakuza's stash of quirk erasing bullets and retrieved the child they had been torturing. It would have been nice to have gotten to her before All for One, but the villain had relinquished her without too much fuss.
Izuku would ensure no one harmed Eri, and both All for One and Yagi would make sure no one harmed Izuku. Even now, All for One's and All Might's people were tracking the Izuku and Eri's progress, ensuring no one even thought about bothering them.
The two were safe.
All alone, Yagi stood examining the massive mounds of garbage. "Change is happening," he murmured to himself, repeating Izuku's words.
After so many years trapped under the commission's thumb, it was difficult to believe change was possible. However, slowly, like the trash on the beach, things were being cleaned up. The security breach had led to other heroes, villains, and civilians speaking out about the hero commission and the wrongs they had committed. The hero commission was still a menace, but people were no longer turning a blind eye.
For the time being, Yagi (and also All Might) had been forgotten. Sure there were reports and concerned voices, but Yagi ensured that their attention was pushed back to what mattered.
A night breeze brushed over him, and for a moment, Yagi swore he heard his master's voice whispering in his ear. He hadn't heard from her since she and the other past users led him to Izuku, but he knew they were still there, looking over Izuku.
Closing his eyes, Yagi took a deep breath. The air was cool, tinged with the taste of sea salt and rotting garbage, but still refreshing. His old wounds ached, but they were easily ignored. Life wasn't perfect. Soon enough, problems would come knocking on his door, but for the moment, all was fine.
All was peace.