All Might, who had been unconscious for four days since All For One's attack, finally opened his eyes with difficulty on this day.
"Where am I?"
He was in a room in the UA infirmary.
"Ugh..." All Might grabbed his head, trying to remember what had happened after the fight, but he couldn't.
His body felt heavy and aching, barely able to move.
"No wonder..." All Might murmured, fully aware of his condition.
After pushing his body to its absolute limit in All For One's trap, after surpassing that limit against the creature known as Nomu, and after sacrificing part of his lifespan to return to the fight, this was the result.
"..."
All Might lay back and stared at the ceiling, worried.
All For One had become an unimaginable monster, while he himself no longer had much time left.
"Looks like you're still alive."
A familiar voice pulled him back to reality. When he looked toward the window, he saw Allen sitting on the frame, eating an apple.
"Allen... I'm glad you're alright," All Might said with a smile.
Allen looked at him, then out the window. "Of course. As long as there's sunlight, I can recover my injuries."
"Haha, how enviable. By the way… how long was I unconscious?"
Allen gave him a half-smile.
"Four days."
"Four days?!"
All Might began to sweat. He hadn't imagined the damage and exhaustion would leave him in a coma for that long.
"What did you expect, Toshinori?" Allen summoned another apple from his inventory and tossed it to him. "You used part of your lifespan as payment in that fight."
All Might caught the apple and looked at Allen in confusion for a moment, but then remembered the girl who had allowed him to return, mentioning something about a master.
"Don't tell me… she's someone you know?!"
Allen chuckled. "Of course. Did you think she was the goddess of victory or some mystical spirit?"
All Might laughed and took a bite of the apple, feeling his strength slowly returning. He was surprised for a moment, but knowing what Allen was capable of, it wasn't that strange.
"Tell her I'm grateful for her help," All Might said, bowing slightly.
"Don't worry about it… But I have good news and bad news," Allen said, rubbing his neck lazily.
"Don't tell me he attacked the UA again!"
"It's nothing like that..." Allen waved his hand.
All Might let out a relieved breath and looked at Allen, anticipating what he would say. If the bad news wasn't about All For One, then it could only be about his own condition.
"Toshinori, stop being a hero."
All Might clenched the bedsheets, frustrated by his inability to do more.
"I still can't..."
The room fell silent before Allen spoke again.
"You're pretty stubborn, you know that?"
"Yes, I'm sorry."
"No matter... so, I'm sure you already noticed, but I healed your wound."
"...!" All Might quickly checked his torso and realized the scar All For One had left was gone.
"Don't celebrate. The wound isn't the problem, Toshinori. You've lost too much vitality over the years by using your power when you should've been bedridden. And now, once again, you've lost even more vitality… your body is extremely worn down."
With Allen's current templates, he could heal All Might's wound, but he couldn't restore the lifespan he had already lost. That would be equivalent to increasing a person's life expectancy.
"Besides… you no longer have One For All."
That was another crucial point. Even if Allen obtained a template with the necessary abilities to restore All Might to his prime, he had already passed One For All on to Deku. Unless he intended to reclaim it, it was only a matter of time before the last remnant disappeared.
"I know I don't have much time left, but as long as I can still fight, I want to keep doing it. It's not just ego." All Might's gaze filled with determination. "Just like my master did for me, I can't retire until I've raised him enough!"
"..."
All Might's will earned the respect of many in the Chat, while others thought it was extremely reckless.
"You didn't understand me. I'm not saying you should retire because of that," Allen smiled faintly before turning serious.
"All For One is still alive, at a level he never should have reached. When he returns, except for you, all the heroes are cannon fodder. You need to conserve your strength"
"...!" All Might's eyes widened in shock.
Allen hadn't used his full power against All For One, and even then, he hadn't been an easy opponent. But the real problem was that All For One still hadn't received power from Lucifer.
That's right. Ever since Allen confirmed that the Devil intended to grant his "blessing" to his opponents and antagonists, it would be naïve to think the final boss wouldn't receive the same treatment.
If Lucifer's power could turn second-rate thugs into dangerous villains, what would it do to the strongest villain of all?
Neither Allen, with all his experience against powerful enemies, nor the Chat, with its collective knowledge, was certain how that battle would end.
All Might didn't want to accept it, but he had no other choice. He had to let others be the heroes, to stop being the Symbol of Peace. It would be a heavy blow to everyone who believed in him.
"You're right. My priority should be All For One… I'll let the new generation handle the rest..."
Few would ever know how difficult it was for All Might to say those words.
....
Superman – There are no words harder for a hero to hear than those, but you did well.
Thor – You fought bravely, warrior. You would be more than welcome in Valhalla!
Batman – …This is a great loss for that world.
Angelica (Gil-chan) – Son of man, this king grants you his recognition!
Tony – Time to retire and find yourself a nice milf to marry~
....
"I see..." Allen looked up at the sky through the window.
Every hero has a beginning and an end.
The time always comes to pass on the banner.
The question was… who would carry it?
Allen smiled. He already had two people in mind, though they were still inexperienced. Unfortunately, it was uncertain whether they would have enough time to grow.
"..."
All Might silently watched Allen, his thoughts unreadable.
Ring
All Might's phone rang on the bedside table. He reached for it, but when he saw the number, he froze.
"David?!" All Might exclaimed.
"David?" Allen raised an eyebrow. The name didn't ring a bell.
....
....
(Athena Space Station)
Considering that the current year was 2172, the space station had undergone drastic changes, now being a massive, self-sustaining structure with hundreds of people aboard.
It contained everything necessary for life and also served as humanity's hope in theevent of a catastrophic world disaster.
The main structure resembled a dome with a small city inside, surrounded by rings connected to the core.
On the outer side of one of those rings, two astronauts were repairing several damaged panels.
They wore space suits that, over the decades, had evolved to become much lighter than the bulky suits of the early twenty-first century.
"You're doing well, Melissa," said one of the astronauts. He was a seasoned veteran with vast experience. The other was a nineteen-year-old girl considered a genius engineer.
"Thanks, Uncle Johan," the girl replied.
She was a beautiful young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. Melissa had no Quirk, but she was born with a genius-level intellect—something to be expected as the daughter of David Shield, a man famous for being a renowned inventor.
"We must be careful because of the solar storm, but don't rush either, it's delicate work," said Johan.
"Yes!" Melissa took a moment to rest. Even without gravity making objects heavy in space, the task was extremely difficult. A single misplaced bolt could compromise a section of the ring, leading to multimillion-dollar losses—and more importantly, putting lives at risk.
Aware of that, Melissa didn't allow herself to get distracted until she finished installing the new panel and securing it properly.
"Well done," Johan said. "Let's hope your father feels proud of his daughter."
Melissa smiled and continued replacing the remaining panel.
When they finished, Johan used a scanner to check the structural integrity.
"Perfect! Good job, Melissa!"
"Thanks!~"
Johan smiled as well. A space drone approached them. In this era, drones have evolved so much that they usually handle these tasks. However, because they malfunctioned during solar storms, even in this year skilled engineers were still required for this kind of work.
In the mission control center, a brown-haired man nervously watched the screen.
His daughter had insisted on going into space to gain more experience.
'Ah, Melissa… I don't know why you suddenly became interested in space. Couldn't you have worked on Earth like your father?'
David Shield wanted to give his daughter the chance to grow. Besides, she was already nineteen—but like any parent, he was still worried.
"At least everything turned out fine—"
— ALERT!!! —
A piercing alarm echoed through the control room.
"What's happening?!" David shouted.
"We have a problem! Many objects are approaching the station!"
"What?! Why wasn't it detected earlier?!"
"Sir, the solar storm is interfering with the detection systems!"
....
Melissa and Commander Johan were preparing to return when they received an emergency transmission.
"Melissa!"
"Dad?"
"You have to get away from there!"
"Why?"
"There are... meteorites!"
The connection began to falter until it was lost.
"Dad?!"
"We have to go!" Johan shouted.
Melissa looked toward the sun. It was faint—but her face paled when she noticed several meteors approaching. They weren't very large, but even the smallest ones were traveling at dozens of kilometers per second.
The station was protected by a shield, but each ring operated independently—and the one where Melissa and Johan were working had its shield deactivated due to the repairs.
It was a tragedy…
The meteors slammed into the ring, tearing it apart as if it were made of paper.
Melissa tried to grab onto anything she could, but an explosion blasted her away from the structure.
"Ahhh!"
All of this happened in silence—because there is no sound in space—but that didn't lessen the impact, neither for the command center nor for the station's residents, who were able to witness what had happened.
The meteors didn't stop there and continued toward the dome, but they crashed against the shield without causing damage. Even so, the residents had already taken action, evacuating to shelters and preparing to abandon the space station if necessary.
Meanwhile, in the command center, David Shield stared in shock, unaware of his daughter's condition.
"Sir, we've regained the connection!"
"Put it on screen!"
On the screen appeared Johan, clinging to the broken ring. He was doing his best to hold on. Despite showing signs of impact, his suit didn't appear to be critically damaged.
"Johan, where's Melissa?!"
"I'm sorry, David. Her tether snapped—she must be drifting!"
Because of the solar storm, the radars were down, making it impossible to locate her.
"This can't be happening..."
David fell to his knees. He thought of someone—but hesitated. He knew his friend was injured, and even if he weren't, what could he possibly do? This had happened in space!
Still… David dialed the number.
...
Melissa gasped in terror, tears floating inside her helmet. She was spinning uncontrollably, unable to stabilize herself. Her suit's propulsion system had been damaged by the explosion.
"No!"
She knew it. This wasn't the first time it had happened. When an astronaut finds themselves in this situation, death is only a matter of time—waiting until the oxygen runs out.
She didn't want to die. There were so many things she still wanted to do, a purpose she still had to fulfill. It was too soon. She cursed herself for ever wishing to go to space.
Melissa had been unlucky. In the original timeline, she would have never gone to space, nor suffered this fate.
"I..."
Losing all hope, her eyes began to dim until her body's rotation finally stopped, and her gaze settled on Earth, which seemed to shine brilliantly before her.
"Huh?"
Melissa blinked, unable to understand what was happening. When she tried to move, she couldn't. It felt nostalgic—if she weren't in space, she would've thought she was being held in her father's arms when she was little.
"What's happening?"
"Do you need help, miss?"
"...!"
It shouldn't have been possible, but Melissa heard a voice beside her. When she turned her head, she found a young man looking at her. It was hard to make out his face, as sunlight was hitting him from behind.
"How is this possible?!"
Even with her intellect, Melissa couldn't comprehend what was happening. She briefly thought it might be a hallucination—her brain's last attempt to protect her from fear—but the young man brought his face closer to her helmet.
"Hey, are you okay? You didn't hit your head, did you?"
Melissa shook her head. She still didn't understand how she could hear Allen's voice in space, but her mind couldn't process anything else.
Allen nodded with a half-smile. "Good. Then I don't have to rush getting you back to Earth."
Allen flew with Melissa in his arms. When they reached the incoming meteor shower, his eyes lit up. Using the direct solar radiation, he amplified his heat vision to its maximum output.
A massive beam of energy shot forward, annihilating the meteors regardless of their size or number.
Everything happened in an instant. Back in the command center, no one could believe what they were seeing.
....
All Might smiled as he watched the news.
— We are currently in low Earth orbit ****. Earlier reports stated that the space station was in danger after being struck by both a solar storm and a meteor shower… however, we've now been informed that the danger has passed —
All Might smiled.
*Flashback*
"I have to help David!" All Might said, trying to get out of bed.
"With that body?" Allen asked.
"David is an old friend—and Melissa is my goddaughter!"
Allen shrugged.
"Relax. How about this—I'll handle it."
"What?"
"I said I'll do it. Until someone appears who can replace you, I'll take care of it."
*End of flashback*
— We now have the first images from the site —
From one of the drones, a figure could be seen in space holding an astronaut in his arms.
A white cape floating weightlessly, an S on the chest. At first, many believed it was the underground vigilante Superman—but the suit's colors didn't match, and he looked much younger than Superman.
It was an image that would spread across the world.
"Hahaha!" All Might laughed uncontrollably as he watched the broadcast, only stopping when Recovery Girl entered and scolded him.
Meanwhile, Melissa stared in a trance at the handsome face of her savior.
When he noticed her gaze, he smiled at her—making her blush.
"I don't know if you can hear me, but thank you," Melissa said.
"You're welcome~" Allen chuckled softly, holding the girl in his arms. He had completed his first mission in space.
....
Three days later, classes at U.A. resumed.
Allen yawned as he walked to school. He had decided to walk this time and happened to run into Toru and Ochako along the way.
"Good morning."
"Allen-kun… Did you walk here today?" Ochako asked.
"Yeah"
"Allen!"
Without hesitation, Toru ran toward him and wrapped herself around his neck. This embarrassed Ochako, who couldn't understand what kind of relationship they had.
"Hagakure-san?!"
"Huh? ... Ah!"
Seeing Ochako's reaction, Toru became embarrassed. She sometimes forgot about the boundaries between boys and girls when she was with Allen.
"I don't mind," Allen said mischievously, making both girls blush.
"Tsk!"
Interrupting the moment, Bakugo appeared with an irritated expression. He had bandages on his neck and hands.
'He must've trained himself into that state...' Allen thought.
It was natural. Among the students, those with the greatest potential and talent had been the most affected—due to their own helplessness against All For One.
"Move!" Bakugo growled as he walked past them.
Unable to tolerate the disrespect, Allen activated the X template and snapped his fingers.
Instantly, Bakugo's pants turned into graffiti on the ground. Toru and Ochako covered their eyes immediately.
"Ah! What the hell is this?!" Bakugo shouted.
"Huh. Looks like even a rabid badger understands shame," Allen mocked.
"I'll kill you!" Bakugo charged at Allen, but Allen smirked and snapped his fingers again.
Bakugo froze mid-air.
"Calm down for a while..." Allen reached out and grabbed the space along with Bakugo, then tore it off like a sheet of newspaper, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into a dumpster in an alley.
"Shall we?" Allen said calmly before walking past the stunned girls, who had no idea what had just happened. Still, they followed him.
*Snap*
When Bakugo could move again, he burst out of the trash can—furious and confused.
"What the hell just happened?!"
"Kacchan?"
To make things worse, Deku appeared at that exact moment. He looked at Bakugo, covered in trash and without pants, with concern.
"Deku, you bastard!"
Bakugo attacked, but Deku activated One For All and dodged, causing Bakugo to trip and crash to the ground once more.
It was definitely not Katsuki Bakugo's day.
===
A/N: I have one complaint about MHA. Despite being set in the future, it often doesn't feel like it. I mean, we went from smartphones to AI in just a decade—yet in over a century, the space age never really started or anything?
So I decided to add a little more of that around the edges, just so we don't forget this is the future. 🍷🗿
If you want to read more, there are up to ten chapters ahead on Patreon.
Patreon.com/_Aizen