My first shower in this world was far more humiliating, degrading, and frustrating than anything I had ever experienced. Cold, silty mud swallowed my hands nearly to my wrist, and my toes were so deep into the mud that I could feel myself taking root. Beneath my stomach was a pile of pointy rocks - he would have used hot coals but those wouldn't work on me. Above was a hose, pouring down a lot of fresh lake water down onto my back. It felt slimy.

My goal was to keep a fire lit on my back strong enough to not be put out by the water but also not so hot that it would burn the really thin string preventing my face from being turned into a skillet by that looming egg.

This was technically torture, and I have no idea why I agreed to it in the first place? This had to be some anime bullshit trope. Only in this case, the training made sense. Relearning how to control Endeavour's quirk was more than needed, especially with how strong he had trained it. Often times it felt like my quirk was a large dog that did what it wanted. Only instead of the main danger being the fridge raided it was burning down the countryside.

Control was needed.

"You're an asshole." Sorahiriko stomped down in front of me, his casual flip flops, relaxed shorts, and Hawaiian print shirt was his way of saying 'fuck you you fuck's this was my vacation!' He pointed back towards where All Might was, the large man was currently resting his head against a nearby tree. "What the hell makes you think I can teach that numbskull how to think?"

I let out a dry laugh and smiled. "I didn't, I just wanted him to suffer alongside me."

"Prick." The man kneeled down and looked at me with a wry smile on his face. "But I guess I can't really be too mad at you, considering all you managed to tell us so far. But, is there nothing in there of the old Endeavour? That boy could do work."

"Memories mostly." Basic things like the language were really convenient, knowledge of how to get around Tokyo was also good. "But it's not like I've actually done those things. So, here I am. Asking some grumpy old man to train me."

Sorahiriko gave a sharp laugh and poked me in the side with a stick. "You're a bit weird. From what All Might told me, you don't exactly want to be a hero."

"I don't."

"Then why go through this? Being a hero isn't easy, it's something you have to put your heart and soul into. At least it was back in my day. Now it feels like people all want to be heroes for the wrong reasons. A life saved is a statistic now."

"It's my job." That was the only reply I could get out with short breath as I focused again on the flame. "Though, maybe it's more than that. I wasn't put into the shoes of the hero second to All Might to say it's too hard and give up."

Though the thought has been on my mind ever since All Might first hit me with a dodgeball, and even before then. It really felt like everything was just happening way too fast. I hadn't really had time to consider what I wanted to do. I hadn't even slept in my own bed, let alone actually take the time and do things that just felt more important.

Like making Rei not afraid of me. Also raising the kids I now had. Did Fuyumi know how to read yet? She seemed like she'd be a smart girl. Then again she only said like two words at a time to me. I needed to buy a parenting book.

"Hmph, doing it because you have to. I can respect that,"

How many people was I going to end up having this conversation with? Well, with Sorahiriko he was the last one I was planning on telling about who I was, except for Rei, but that wasn't for a while. So one last time. I wonder if she would tell me that I'm a hero too. I hadn't even done anything heroic yet.

"Well then, I have no idea how I'm going to train your quirk." I had a feeling that would be the case. "And your body's already in shape too, so the only thing left for me is to get you to fight." Sorahiriko gave a short sharp whistle and glanced back towards All Might. "Toshi! Get your numbskull over here, you're going to spar with Enji until he can put up a fight!"

I could have stayed in Tokyo if I wanted to do that.

Sorahiriko poked my side and gave a sly grin. "This is for all the trouble you little bastard."

Before I could speak the string was cut and the egg slammed into my face.

XXXX

Every single part of my body hurt.

A lot.

For four days I had been tossed, punched, kicked, and generally yeeted into the nearly freezing lake, each one accompanied by an apology from the seven-foot-tall man that was currently sleeping on a couch a few feet away from me. Gran Torino's cabin wasn't built for a family. It had a bedroom and that was about it. The shower was pretty much on the outside.

"Hey, Enji." All Might's voice lacked its usual boom and it was instead something more down to earth, human-sounding, like all the bolster he had all this week had left him. "Are you still awake?"

Were we twelve-year-olds have a sleepover now? Though, I suppose after a few days of getting my ass kicked by him All Might was close enough to a friend. It just felt so hilarious that All Might was an overgrown adult still acting like a child at times. But then again, I didn't even know what being an adult meant.

"Yeah," I groaned, looking over to see All Might reclined on the couch, his massive arm supporting his head as he stared up at the ceiling. "Something bothering you?"

All Might gave a mighty sigh that caused his entire chest to rise and fall. "How do you make an impossible choice? I'm torn between a single-family and the greater good. I know what I want, but, I don't know if I can be selfish with this."

I let out my own sigh, a tuff of flame escaping my lips and illuminating the room. "You're talking about the Shimura's and All for One right?"

Silence. Contemplation. The cold side of the pillow.

"Yeah, I want to save them." All Might's voice cracked for just a moment. "But, is it right for me to save them?"

"You're talking about what Nezu said right?" I closed my eyes, the callousness of that option, that plan, it didn't sit well with me at the time, but I could understand why. If I had talked only to Nezu we probably would have gone with that plan from the start. It was by all accounts, the safest plan. But. The least humane.

Nezu was pragmatic. He believed in the greater good and had grand plans on how to achieve just that. He believed in sacrifices.

All Might. All Might wanted to save everyone.

I folded my arms and let out a breath when All Might didn't say anything. "I know why you're conflicted. On the one hand, you have a chance to save five people right now." Plus the countless others that Shiggy would have killed if he wasn't saved. "But, on the other, you have a chance to get at One for All."

"All for One."

"Sorry, the names are really close and I'm going to get those confused a lot." I blame tom and jerry with the Mouseketeer episodes for teaching me One for all and all for one, or however that actual saying went. "But you get what I'm saying."

All Might grunted.

He was the one that wanted to talk. I sighed and rolled my shoulders. I wanted to sleep on a bed. Wait. My bed was a mat on the floor. I should buy a real bed. A big one. And one pillow. A really good pillow.

"If you're asking me to make that choice for you it's not something I can really do. In theory, stopping One for, err, All for One is more important than a single life. But, by just saving one life, you can save countless lives." I let out a sigh and rolled off the ground and headed for the kitchen. "But, we might not be able to save them. It's not something you can really punch to solve."

"I know, but, just trying, that might change something right?" All Might sat up from the couch, his blue eyes fluctuating in the darkness of the room. "If I can be there for them, to remove some of that hatred of heroes, to embrace them, then maybe, that will work."

I grabbed a water bottle and tossed one to All Might before making my way back to my spot on the ground. "Maybe, but, the problem is-"

"His quirk right?" All Might stared at the water bottle for a moment before he opened it and all but crushed it into his mouth. "A quirk that can only destroy. For a child that might want to become a hero a quirk like that would do nothing but harm. It's tragic."

"If we find them quickly, who knows what could happen?" I shrugged, sitting down and glancing towards my water bottle. "There's a lot we don't know about quirks, and while Endeavour studied a lot, it's not an exact science, you can't judge a child's quirk until it manifests. There's a chance, however small, that Tomura's quirk will change."

I gave All Might my best smile and nodded at him. "And even if it doesn't, I know that you'll be able to help him." I blinked and took a drink from my water bottle. "Just, do me a favor and promise me you won't give him One for All? I'd hate to picture what a quirk like that would do supercharged."

All Might gave a dry chuckle. "Don't worry, I'll be holding onto One for All for a good long time. I admit I'm curious about this Izuku you mentioned. When the time comes, I hope I'll still be able to confide in you."

"I'll do my best to be there when you need me."

How strange it felt being the main character in a story for once.

"Hey, Toshi? Think you can do me a favor?"

XXXX

Being excited to return home was nothing new to me. I was a homebody at heart and even if this was a new home for me, it was still home. It was still a place where I could relax. It felt new, exciting, and I all but sprinted into the front door. I opened it and stood there for a moment just basking in the sensation of finally being home. I felt so at peace.

"Rei?" I called in a loud-soft voice. "Touya? Fuyumi? I'm home."

Fuyumi came running around the corner doing that odd toddler waddle, her balance was off and it looked like she might fall over but she made it around the corner like a pro. She paused right in front of me with wide eyes and a frazzled look. "Pancake!"

I couldn't help but laugh as I bent down to scoop her up. Apparently, she was instantly addicted to pancakes. That was good. I had a weapon now. But probably shouldn't feed her too many of them. "That's for breakfast Fuyumi, and only when you're really good okay?"

"Mmkay." She nodded and stopped struggling for a bit.

Rei and Touya came walking around the corner next, Touya looked happy, which was good, but Rei, Rei looked concerned.

She stood nervously and shifted slightly. "I thought you were going to call."

"Sorry Rei, really, I should have but, I wanted to surprise you guys with something."

She looked more confused and worried now. "A surprise?"

Fuyumi flopped in my arms as she saw the surprise coming first. "All Might!" She cheers, extending her arms out towards him.

"Hello, Little One!" All Might grabbed her from my arms and hoisted her up to his shoulders. His seven-foot-high shoulders. It should be fine. It was All Might. Kids were bouncy. It was fine. Totally fine. He walked into the house and smiled widely. "Never fear for I am here! For some tea, and I heard that I had some fans!"

Touya's mouth dropped and he looked at All Might then he looked at me. I nodded.

He hugged All Might's knee cap with maximum force.

All Might smiled towards Rei and nodded. "Sorry for dropping by unannounced, Enji said that he wanted to surprise you."

"Oh, umm, it's," Rei blinked several times and placed a hand on her forehead. "It's fine, please, come on in All Might, you're," she looked at me, I smiled at her, hands on my hips and doing the best I could to look as un-scary as possible. "You're my husband's guest, so you're more than welcome."

She gave a short bow and turned to leave. "I'll go get the tea ready."

"Oh, I'll help." I followed Rei into the kitchen, wordlessly helping her get the tea ready.

Partway through the process, she paused, her grey eyes met mine directly for more than a second, perhaps for the first time. "Enji? Did something happen to you?"

I smiled and nodded at her. "I'm fine Rei. I just." I paused, part of me wanted to tell her the truth now. Another part of me didn't want to. I didn't know why she deserved to know the truth, didn't she? It could be a good way to let her know that her nightmare was, in a way over. "I want to be a good father."

"Oh." She stopped moving, her face perplexed and she let her shoulders slump. "I see."

"I also want to be honest with you. So please, give me some time, to gather my thoughts. And don't worry, I won't force you to do anything against your will?"

She blinked, and for the first time smiled at me. It was small, barely there, a whisper of amusement. "Does that mean we can skip dinner with my parents?"

I gave her my biggest smile and shrugged. "I'd still like to meet them, but we can do that when you're ready."

Rei nodded and we continued to make the tea, boiling it with my quirk, and Rei's quirk to quickly cool the tea as we made a pretty good team in the kitchen.

AN: Progress... Skipped the training montage because let's be honest you don't want to read me bitching the whole time.