Chapter Text
Yagi coughs up blood into his handkerchief.
“So… you’re not actually quirkless?” Yagi asks.
The boy in front shakes his head.
“I haven’t been quirkless in many years,” Midoriya confirms.
Yagi sets his handkerchief in his lap, trying to process the story his student had told him.
“Young Midoriya, thank you for all of your efforts. You are a true hero,” Yagi says, bowing his head to the time traveler.
Midoriya looks down at the floor.
“You know… in my timeline, you were my mentor. You weren’t very good at it-,” Yagi chokes on a mouthful of blood, “-but you were there for me.”
“I am sorry for failing you when you only helped me,” Midoriya says, his voice full of guilt and self-loathing.
It pains Yagi’s heart to hear someone so young hold so much hate towards himself.
“Young Midoriya, I might not be your All Might but I will be there for you. I might not have chosen you as my successor in this timeline but I am still willing to be in your life,” Yagi proclaims.
“And, you have failed nobody, young man. If anything, it was society who failed you and your time,” Yagi adds as an afterthought.
Midoriya stays quiet for a moment.
“Thank you, Yagi-san.”
Yagi smiles.
“I am simply telling the truth, Young Midoriya.”
“Are you sure you want to do this, problem child?”
“Yes.”
“Before we begin class today, Midoriya has an announcement to all of you,” Aizawa announces. Izuku stands up and walks to the front of the classroom.
His class looks at him with innocent eyes filled with curiosity.
He takes a deep breath.
“I haven’t been entirely truthful about my identity. My name is Midoriya Izuku, however, I am not fifteen years old. I am twenty one years old and I am from the future.”
Bakugou slams his hands on his desk and rises to his feet. If he wasn’t wearing his quirk suppressing bracelets, it was likely there would have been an explosion accompanying the action.
“So that’s what you fucking meant!” Bakugou yells.
Izuku smiles.
“It is.”
“Wait, wait, is anyone else confused? What are you talking about?” Kaminari asks, still shocked from the fact that apparently his classmate was a time traveler.
“During the shitty Battle Trials, Deku fucking goes ‘you’re going to doom yourself in the future if you keep acting like this, Katsuki’ then fucking left to help Dunce Face and Glitter Fuck!” Bakugou explains, glaring at Kaminari.
“I was being honest. You did die in the future as a result of your pride,” Izuku retorts, his voice cold.
The students freeze.
Yaoyorozu slowly raises her hand.
“Mi-Midoriya, if you’re from the future then why did you return alone? Wouldn’t it be beneficial to have another person with you?” Yaoyorozu asks in a shaky voice.
“I came back alone because every single person in this room was dead. I didn’t intend to go back in time either. My death caused me to come back in time.”
Yaoyorozu flinches.
“How did we die?” Ashido asks in a soft voice.
“You were being heroes. Unfortunately, the war had no room for heroes.”
“How did you time travel if you’re quirkless?” Todoroki asks, his voice showing no emotion.
Izuku cracks a smile.
“About that…” Izuku starts and holds his left hand up in the air. A thin tendril of Blackwhip comes from his palm.
“You’re the one who rescued Tensei,” Iida realizes.
“You’re Onryō!” Shinsou exclaims.
“But- but you’re a hero student! Why did you kill those people?” Uraraka gasps.
Blackwhip retreats back into Izuku’s arm as he crosses his arms in front of him.
“Due to my knowledge of the future, I knew of the greatest threats. I had to eradicate them in order to create a new future. One where all of you are alive and happy,” Izuku explains.
“Thank you,” Tokoyami suddenly chimes in.
Some students glance at the bird-headed boy as if he’s insane.
“Thank you for changing the future for us,” Tokoyami explains.
“Wait, you… you did everything as Onryō to protect us from dying?” Uraraka asks.
“Correct,” Izuku says with a nod.
“Is this why you’re always so quiet?” Hagakure asks, shifting in her seat.
Izuku nods.
“It's difficult for me to see all of you alive. My last memories of all of you… they’re of your deaths,” Izuku explains.
“That doesn’t sound good, kero,” Asui comments.
Izuku shrugs.
“Any more questions?” Izuku asks with an eyebrow quirked.
Everyone’s hands go up.
“Welcome home, Izu!” Eri shouts from the kitchen when Izuku opens the front door.
Izuku kicks off his sneakers and sets down his bag. He slides a pair of slippers onto his feet before walking into the kitchen.
Eri is standing on a stool in front of the stove and stirring something in a large pot.
Tsukauchi stands next to her with a pink apron on and a black spatula in hand.
“What are you making?” Izuku asks.
“Soup!” Eri chirps.
“Go take a shower, stinky child. The soup will be done by the time you’re out,” Tsukauchi commands, pointing his spatula in the direction of the bathroom.
Izuku snorts but obediently walks away.
Eri looks over at Tsukauchi with a grin and holds the side of her pointer finger to her mouth.
Tsukauchi nods and mimics the action.
Izuku exits the bathroom wearing pajamas when he sees Eri bouncing in her seat at the kitchen table.
Tsukauchi is chuckling at Eri’s excitement as he uses his spoon to take a sip from his soup.
A platter of chocolate chip cookies sits in the middle of the table.
“Why are there cookies?” Izuku asks, sitting in his chair next to Eri.
Eri claps her hands together.
“Mister Tsuki met you exactly two years ago! So we made two dozen cookies!” Eri happily replies.
Izuku looks at Tsukauchi.
“Has it really been two years?” The former asks.
Tsukauchi nods.
“It has,” Tsukauchi affirms.
Izuku grabs a cookie and takes a bite out of it.
“It tastes very good, Eri,” Izuku compliments in a genuine voice.
Eri beams.
“Thank you!”
The three eat dinner while maintaining idle conversation before Eri speaks up again.
“Mister Tsuki accidentally spilled flour on the floor when we were baking the cookies and fell on his face when he was cleaning it up.”
Tsukauchi looks at Eri in shock.
“You said you wouldn’t tell him!” Tsukauchi exclaims. Eri sticks her tongue out at him.
Tsukauchi dramatically puts a hand in front of his heart.
“I’ve been betrayed by my daughter. Whatever shall I do?” Tsukauchi grieves.
“Suffer,” Izuku retorts with a small smirk on his face.
Tsukauchi gasps.
“I don’t think I will ever recover from such a cruel betrayal. One from my own children too. Whoever could have foreseen such a tragic event?”
The Tsukauchi family is sitting in a ridiculously large pillow fort while an animated movie plays on Tsukauchi’s laptop.
Eri has already fallen asleep with her arms and legs wrapped around a pillow. Her head is resting on Tsukauchi’s thigh.
Izuku is leaning against Tsukauchi’s side while Tsukauchi has one arm wrapped around him. The former’s relaxed form is a far cry from how tense he used to be around the older man.
“Hey, dad?” Izuku whispers, careful to keep his voice down to prevent waking up Eri. Tsukauchi freezes at the new term of endearment.
“Yes?”
“Thank you. I don’t know what I would do if you didn’t believe me.”
Tsukauchi pulls Izuku closer to him.
“I will always believe you, Izuku,” Tsukauchi replies, his voice quiet.
Izuku buries himself farther into his father’s side.
He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.
He had saved everyone and had been saved in the process.
He was finally free of the burden of having the weight of the future on his shoulders.
He could be happy again.