Italics denotes an individual's thoughts

Bold denotes large time shifts/ or introductions of new settings; also may be used for emphasis

Line dividers denote a smaller scene or time shift

Ch. 14 - Resurrection

UA- Nurse's Office

"Thirteen! And Aizawa sensei!" The young man exclaimed as loudly as he could manage in a raspy voice while looking around the nearly empty room. He blinked as he tried to make sense of the room around him; it was incredibly dark, his eyes barely able to make out muted, dull shapes within the oppressive darkness. He looked down into his lap, unable to make out the shapes of his hands, arms, and legs that he could feel was underneath a sea of sheets. As he continued to stare at his lap, attempting to regain his bearings, he became more aware of the pain that wracked his chest as he continued to breathe along with the itchiness of the sheets and clothes on his skin.

Suddenly, Izuku became aware of another creeping itch in his skin, but this was more focused than a mere discomfort, coming from his forearms. He turned his head slowly, panic setting in as he still couldn't make out any discernable shape in his dark environment. He momentarily placed his thoughts of the irritants on his arms aside as he reached up with shaking hands to try grasping at anything that might be obstructing his eyes or face. The pads of his fingers and palms shakily brushed along his forehead, then swept down and around his eyes… and found nothing but his skin. Izuku tried to blink rapidly in an attempt to bring clarity to his muddled sight but only succeeded in beginning to hyperventilate instead when nothing happened.

The sharp beeping of a nearby object cut him out of his panic, attracting his attention to his right and slightly behind him. His twisting once again made him cognizant of his arms, as something on them restricted his movement. His breath picked up in pace once again and the beeping from the machine quickened as he reached over with his left arm to grasp at the right. A few seconds later he found cables, tubes, or wires of some kind tapped to his arm in the crook between his forearm and bicep. His breathing became much more rapid and shallow as he grasped weakly at the chords and followed them back to something… a cool metal object that as he listened closely seemed to be the machine generating that fluctuating sound. He ran his fingers slowly back along another cable, this one connecting to something squishy like it was filled with a liquid.

His breath was still coming rapidly and shallow as he tried to make sense of what had happened and where he was. Izuku pulled himself to a sitting position and raised his trembling arms once again. He tried to move them in front of his face, then further away. Seeing almost no discernible change in his sight besides his surroundings becoming slightly darker as his hands touched his face. His breath once again became frantic as he now closed his eyes and pushed the rough pads of his fingers on and around his eyelids in an attempt to wipe whatever was obstructing his sight away. The shrill whine of the machine near his side made his attempts more frantic as he continued, growing more and more distraught.

"Midoriya!" Freezing with his hands pressed against his head, Izuku wearily turned his head to the voice's source trying to find its owner. He dropped his hands and reached outwards with his quivering left arm until he felt a small withered hand gently grab the tips of his fingers.

"Midoriya, do you know who I am?" A familiar elderly woman's voice asked of Izuku. He could feel his breathing stabilize as he leaned towards the source of the voice. He narrowed his eyes to a squint as he tried to look in the woman's direction, his eyebrow knitting as the black void he saw seemed to give way to the general shape of a smallish gray blob. Izuku slowly clasped the individual's hand with his own as he felt his body tremble.

"Wh-what's going on? Why can't I see you?" He was able to squeak out his question, unable to keep the fear from his voice as he suspected he knew the answer. There was a small sigh from the person next to him as they seemed to lower themself into a chair near him. She patted his left hand a few times before grasping it with both of his. The act was simultaneously bringing some degree of comfort and worry to Izuku.

"Hmmmm…" She mused as they sat for a few seconds in silence, while Izuku's fear began to bubble up as rage at her refusal to speak to him. As he was about to shout at the woman, she cleared her throat and spoke up again, "Young Midoriya, I'm Recovery Girl. You're currently in my office following your…" she paused trying to find a word, "... injuries." Izuku could feel some degree of relief wash over him as he leaned back slightly in the bed he was in.

"I-" he reached up and ran a hand across his face wiping away some of the tears that had begun to drench his cheeks. He took a few shaky breaths, "I'm blind… aren't I," he said while he turned his head to the place he approximated the nurse was. He bit down on his lower lip as he felt his tears flow freely down his cheeks. The older woman gave his hand a light squeeze and took a deep breath.

"I'm not quite sure about that…" she began, with the hesitance in her voice coming through nearly clearly to Izuku, "There are tests we can do for this sort of thing, though I'm no optometrist…" He felt her withered hand leave his a moment later. She paused leaving a deafening silence between the two, the only sound reaching Izuku was what he guessed was a heart monitor along with a small swishing sound in front of him. Finally, Recovery Girl spoke up again.

"I'll be honest. This doesn't look too promising." She gave a small click of her tongue as the steady click of what he guessed was a pen bouncing against the chair or a clipboard reached his ears. "I tried shining a small light in your eyes. Followed by moving my pen back and forth in front of your face, and neither seemed to get a reaction out of you. It's best not to assume the worst… but we should plan for it. I'm sure there is someone out there with a quirk that could heal this, but this is bey-" She continued on, Izuku feeling himself zone out as a chill swept his body.

"What about your quirk? Couldn't you heal this? It's just another injury, right?!" He rapidly questioned her.

"I'm afraid it's outside of wha-" She began before Izuku cut her off once again.

"But your quirk heals people, maybe it can-"

"NO!" the elderly nurse quickly shouted back. Izuku recoiled slightly as he felt his tears pause. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell… it's just that your body has been through such tremendous stress so far." She lightly placed a hand on his chest, "You had several broken ribs, on top of you seemingly being in a coma. For the time being, I want you to recover with your own strength, as I'm afraid me using my quirk will lead to your body killing itself from the whiplash." Izuku felt the heat drain from his head as his face blanched. He slowly leaned back into the hospital bed as he suddenly felt incredibly tired.

"I feel- it's-" he gave a tired sigh as he wiped away a few more tears, "It's a lot to take in right now. Would you mind just letting me rest for a bit longer?"

"Ah… of course my dear. If you need anything, just feel free to call out."

Several Hours Later

"Easy now… Just relax for now. How are you feeling?" Recovery Girl questioned Izuku, while a pen bounced off the edge of the clipboard she held. Izuku opened and closed his mouth a few times as he squeaked out a few syllables. His brow furrowed as he rubbed at his throat with his left hand. He nearly leaped from the bed as he felt a small hand touch his shoulder, turning to remember that Recovery Girl was beside him. She gingerly spoke up saying "here, something for your throat," her hands guiding him to a small glass. He took it with a nod and a small smile before gingerly bringing it to his face and sipping at the cold water within.

"I'm… tired. And really sore." He croaked out in a gravelly voice. "Just trying to move feels like wading through mud… it's just-" Izuku stopped as he felt a shiver run down his spine. His legs and feet suddenly felt very wet and sticky. He wrinkled his nose as he moved his right leg slightly, the small movement requiring more effort as it seemed to stick to the sheets. Recovery Girl gave a slight gasp and peeled the sheet away from Izuku to the foot of the bed: the lower half of the sterile sheet was damp and colored a rich brown, with the smell of earth filling the air. Covering Izuku's calves and feet was a layer of still damp mud that clung to both the boy's skin and the sheets.

"W-would you mind repeating what you just said for me again?" She stammered out the elderly nurse as she stared incredulously at the foreign substance in the hospital bed. She stood up from the stool, walking over to a cupboard from which she retrieved a towel. Upon withdrawing it, she brought it back over and wiped some of the grime away from Izuku's leg, confirming its presence. Izuku himself reached down to touch the mud caking his legs, the cool and damp sensations of it brushing against his fingers confirming to himself that it was in fact real. Upon hearing Recovery Girl ask him again to repeat himself, he snapped himself away from the odd scene to look towards the elderly woman's direction.

"Ah, I was saying I was tired?" He paused to let out a yawn as his eyes drooped slightly. They fluttered back open as he tried to continue, "...And that I'm so sore that moving feels like walking through mud-" At this, another shiver ran down his spine as he felt that damp and cold tingle across his legs. The two turned to face back, the nurse seeing that the area she had wiped with the towel was now coated with mud like the rest of his legs. Izuku leaned forward, wincing as some linger pains emanated from his chest as he ran his fingertips along the sticky material that coated his lower body.

"Wha- How?" Izuku once again furrowed his brow as his mind tried to piece together what was occuring. He leaned forward, helping the older woman wipe the grime from his body and the sheets. Once that was done she helped him swivel in the bed so that he was sitting on its edge.

"I have some theories, my dear. But I'd rather not test them right now. For now, we'll just do some basic tests." She began by asking him to wiggle his fingers and toes. Then roll his ankles and wrists. Followed by him swinging his legs then bending and stretching his arms. Several notes later, she took out a small pen-flashlight and tongue depressor: she asked the young man to follow the piece of wood back and forth as she examined his eyes. The object moved back and forth, while the flashlight illuminated his eyes. His bright emerald green irises now looked a shade of almost grey or milky white. Small flecks of green could barely be still seen within them. The scratch of the pen on paper rose to Izuku's ears as he was oblivious to any movement of the light or wood even occurring. With a small "hmm" she continued onwards by taking his heart rate, blood pressure, and his breathing rhythm. She looked over the information from the tests while he swayed slightly in his seat.

"Well… I'd say you seem fine… or as fine as one can be coming out of a broken set of ribs and coma." She pulled a set of X-rays out of a rather large manila folder labeled with Izuku's name. She began explaining as she pointed out various parts of the images, more for herself to keep track of rather than to show him.

"Your little tussle with the villains that infiltrated campus left you with several broken ribs, as well as a few open fractures from them. I was able to… ease them back to where they belong and close the wounds. It's more a matter of time to allow them to heal at this point." She examined the charts of the recent tests while letting Izuku take in the information.

"Your blood pressure and heart rate seem to be good. Your breathing is more shallow than normal, but that's to be expected while your ribs heal. From what I can tell, there is some sort of major eye damage you've suffered from either the fight or just general brain trauma from your coma." She continued to watch him as he sat in silence, soaking in the information she gave him. After a moment, he nodded as he quietly asked.

"How is Thirteen? And Aizawa sensei? And All Might? Or the rest of the cla-" He paused to wheeze, covering his mouth as his lungs fought against him. Recovery Girl gave him a few pats on the back.

"Goodness, one would think after everything I told you that you'd be worrying over your own condition… your teachers will be fine. I was contacted by one of the investigators who visited them in the hospital. Thirteen is recovering, while your homeroom teacher has already returned to the campus." Upon hearing this Izuku relaxed slightly, slumping down slightly as fatigue set back in. His eyes went wide and he began leaning forward as he attempted to stand.

"Wait… How long have I been out? I need to get to classes! I need to make sure-" His legs shook as he stood from the bed, teetering on his feet for a step before he began to crumble. Recovery Girl moved as fast as she could manage, trying to guide Izuku's fall back onto the bed. He hissed in pain as his lower back slammed into the edge of the bed, stopping himself from falling into a heap on the floor.

"What did I tell you?! You need to take it slow. Your body may not be in a critical condition, but you've been doing nothing for the last several days. You need to regain some of your strength. I swear… between you and your mentor, I have no idea which of you cares less about your own safety." Izuku nodded, muttering a quiet apology as he eased back into a reclining position in the bed.

"Wait, you never answered: how's All Might?" He questioned as Recovery Girl turned away. She continued to shuffle across the room as she answered.

"By the looks of it, fantastic. I can't quite make heads or tails of why, but you'll see what I mean soon enough. He will likely stop by again today. Now, I'm going to make a call or two dear, if you need anything don't be afraid to holler."

The Next Day

Izuku was unsure how long he had been asleep. When he woke, he felt renewed, newfound energy surging through his body as he stretched within the hospital bed. After a few moments, mentally fighting on whether he should try walking on his own again, he called out for Recovery Girl, the older woman quickly coming to the bedside. As she approached, he nervously asked her for her assistance.

"I don't want to be more of a bother than I already have been… but is there a way you can help me stand and try to walk?" She smiled at his question and asked him to wait a moment. She disappeared on the other side of the curtain and came back a moment later with a basic metal walker. She unfolded the item next to the bed, then went again to the bedside as she helped guide Izuku's hands to grab onto it. He grasped the cold, smooth metal handles then pushed down on them as he stood from the bed. His legs shook beneath him, yet his balance held as the device kept him upright. He tentatively raised his left leg, only moving it centimeters before it fell back to the floor and threw him off balance. He cursed as he lurched heavily to his left before using the walker to stop and right himself. Izuku then lifted his right foot, straining to move his leg further. As he dropped it back down, he lurched heavily to his right, nearly toppling over. The older woman helped him ease back to the edge of the bed as Izuku breathed heavily.

"Easy young Midoriya. There's no need to rush we can take all the time we need to ge-"

"I know!" He snapped at Recovery Girl interrupting her, shocking both her and him with the amount of animosity that crept into his voice. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get angry…" She nodded in turn as she pulled the walker away, folding it back up and leaning it against a nearby chair. He took a few breaths, eyes dancing back and forth between his hands as he tried to put his thoughts into words.

"I'm just tired of always getting hurt because I don't know the limits of my powers," he said, as another wave of fatigue washed over him. "And now here I am in your infirmary again, struggling to even walk, probably blind for the rest of my life," he nearly shouted as he slammed fists into the bedsheets.

The older woman turned to him, a sad smile gracing her face, "Being a hero isn't easy: I'm sure you've either heard that from any number of pros or learned that yourself by now. Sometimes we need to learn when it's our turn to sit back and recover." Izuku knew in his mind that she was right. He agreed with her, yet as he sat on the bed, his body shook with anger. He held his balled fists up to his eyes as he let out a long exasperated sigh before speaking up again.

"I know, I know… it's just, I want to be back out there with the other students trying my best to prepare to be a hero. These last few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster: meeting All Might, learning I had a quirk, getting a girlfriend, coming to UA… It's all I could've ever wanted. Yet is it okay for me to ask for more?" He dropped his hands, tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked at her. "Sometimes I think this power is a curse, every time I think I've gotten control of it, it just slips away from me. Something changes." He paused as he wiped at his nose, while the elderly woman now sitting beside him replied.

"I don't think it's wrong to ask for a more straightforward life. To ask for things to be easier. But these challenges, these difficulties are also a part of life we have to deal with. Learning how to ask others to help us, and even sometimes overcome these difficulties by ourselves if necessary. All of it helps us to be better than the person we are now." She stopped to offer him a tissue.

"Thanks… you've given me something to think about," he said in turn to her. She stood and offered him a gentle smile before she turned and began to walk back around the bed.

"There's just a part of me that sometimes thinks… or wishes… 'Maybe if I could just say how I wanted to use my power, it would be that cut and dry. No accidents. No injuries. Just total control of what I wanted to do by talking.'… if it was just as easy as saying, 'my muscles are fine, I'll just stand up and walk out of here'..." He said, his voice trailing off into a hoarse whisper. As he sat staring off at the wall across from him, eyes foggy and distant, a jolt of electricity shot through his body. His legs seemed to tingle, before giving way to a spread of white-hot pain that quickly subsided. With barely a second thought, Izuku almost robotically lowered his feet back to the floor, then slowly and gently stood up from the bed.

"What are you doing?!" Cried Recovery Girl as she noticed the movement, hurrying over on her cane to her patient's side. Her approach began to slow as she noticed Izuku move from supporting himself by his arms, to freestanding. He took a smooth step forward, the shaking and hesitation from before completely gone. Then another. He took another, just as natural as the first, before running a hand through his hair.

"See? I just said something and suddenly..." he muttered as he turned and reached out grasping for the edge of the bed, body slumping as he collapsed back onto it and put his face in his hands.

"I had a theory that I thought might be better to wait until mentioning until I had more to go off of, or until All Might was here to potentially discuss…" Recovery Girl trailed off as she stood at the foot of the bed. "You're aware that quirks are able to mutate?" Izuku gave a few nods as he sat on the bed.

"Considering what I've seen from the government's quirk registry, along with what I've seen of your quirk in the entrance exam, my understanding is that your ability is something akin to reality manipulation?" She waited for a correction, continuing after receiving none. "Now, I would wager that based on your past visits here, your usage of your quirk backfired on you in some way each time you used it, balancing out its power." She paused and frowned.

"My guess is that based on your sudden… sullied... appearance this morning, and your miraculous muscle recovery is a result of your quirk- or quirks- mutating to try and stop your body from harming itself." She paused, her face becoming more contemplative as she wracked her brain for the words she wanted to use.

"Have you ever heard of the word 'vocifery' before?" Izuku shook his head no as he inquisitively looked at the old woman. She continued, "It's the idea that a person can use their words to define reality." She paused, watching Izuku to see how he would react. His mouth slowly twisted upwards as he cracked a smile.

"Come on… you're joking right?" Upon seeing her serious expression, he began to falter, "Th-that's crazy. It sounds like something out of a fairytale. Sure, I could do some wild things with my quirk, but there was always some cost to it… it was give and take. What you're saying is…" He trailed off, waiting to see what else she had to say.

"Is it really that far fetched? Stories of people being able to lift cars, leap buildings, change their shape, control the elements… all of these things were just legends but now are commonplace due to quirks. Now… you say there's always been a 'cost' to using your power…" She paused and tapped her chin in thought, "I suppose the cost of complete control of reality with your voice would be your voice. Perhaps All Might's recovery came at the cost of your..." Izuku sat still for a moment as he thought of what she said. He shook his head again.

"You're joking." He said with a smile on his face. A moment later, Recovery Girl broke into a fit of wheezing laughter, causing Izuku to double down as he said, "I knew you were!" His confidence faltered as he saw the elderly woman stop laughing and a look of confusion crossed her face.

"I wasn't." She managed to say as she wheezed a few more times, "Up until you said that, I was completely serious. That just suddenly came over me…" She looked Izuku dead in the eye, no hint of laughter or a smile on her face.

"S-so when you said that the cost would be my voice, you meant…" Izuku lightly clutched at his throat.

"Just like I said, you'll trigger your quirk by speaking. But you'll lack the nuance of language: a figure of speech might not be just a saying… when you said you were so sore it felt like you were moving through mud, reality changed itself to reflect when you said." Izuku's eyes were more downcast upon hearing this, causing the elderly woman to straighten up and try speaking with a lighter tone. "I'm sorry for saying all this… again, it's just a theory. I don't want you to live in fear of yourself… just be mindful of this, okay?" Izuku bit his lip as he nodded slowly a few times.

The morning slowly rolled into the afternoon, Izuku being mostly confined to the clinic so Recovery Girl could continue to keep an eye on him. They left the room a while after their conversation so that she could get another set of X-rays to examine how his ribs were setting. While she examined the new scans, Izuku was already busy talking to his first visitor.

"Oh! I'm so glad to see my baby is fine!" Inko Midoriya said as she pulled her son into another crushing embrace. He released a sharp yelp, spurring her to release him slightly and allow him to get a few breaths of air. As he rubbed his ribs, he tried to get some of his own words across to her.

"Sorry for making you worry. I'm fi-" She cut him off with another crushing hug as tears flooded her cheeks.

"I'm just glad to see you're okay again…" She stiffened up and held him at arm's length, looking at him then Recovery Girl before asking, "You are okay right?" Inko gave him a millisecond to reply, at which point upon not immediately having her fears assuaged she pulled him in tight again while tears began streaming down her face.

"No, no, no! Oh, my baby. What's been happening to yo-" Izuku pushed on his mother, gaining some space between the two of them so he could breathe once again before he spoke.

"It's fine. I'm fine. I just…" He paused to choose his words carefully, "Had a couple of bruises, but Recovery Girl helped me with that." The elderly nurse waved from her desk, giving a smile to the two Midoriyas. Inko got up from her chair, going over to Recovery Girl and bowed down before her with her hands clasped.

"I can't thank you enough for all you've done to make sure he's healthy. To be honest, I was always afraid of Izuku chasing his dreams of being a hero, and even after he got his quirk I still wasn't sure…"

"Hey, I'm sitting right here!" Izuku shouted from the other side of the room. His mother waved a hand in dismissal and continued.

"As worried as I am about the villains' attack, it's good to see that the teachers did their best to help everyone. Though a part of me is sickened my own son was the only person in his class to get hurt during all this…" She was about to ask something of Recovery Girl, when a sound like a hurricane tore through the hall. There was some murmuring from out there, then the door slid open to reveal All Might.

"Oh, pardon the intrusion. I had come over here as soon as I was able to," he paused looking at the other occupants of the room before addressing Recovery Girl with a much quieter voice. "Upon hearing about young Midoriya, my… friend… requested I bring her along," he finished by tilting his head to his left while moving his eyes that direction. He slid the door back closed, at which point there was some more murmuring between him and another person, then he opened the door and stepped into the room. He leaned down and whispered something to the nurse, causing her to frown but nod her head.

"I'll allow you all a few minutes by yourself, I'll just be across the hall," She said as she picked up a set of folders and walked through the door, gingerly closing it behind her. Once she was out of sight, All Might approached Izuku and Inko. As he neared Izuku's bed, a troubled expression left his face, instead shifting into a wide smile. He kneeled down by the edge of the bed, the smile faltering before it dripped off his face. The older man cupped Izuku's left hand in his large palms as he hung his head in shame.

"I'm sorry. I've failed you on every level imaginable: your mentor, your teacher, and as a hero. My job was to not only protect all you children but to specifically help you adjust to the powers you both had awakened to and been given." He lifted his head to look at both the Midoriya's, his eyes glistening with tears. "My injuries already stopped me from being the full-time hero I wanted to be, yet I still was too proud to leave a rescue to my colleagues that morning… if I hadn't stopped to interfere, I would've been there to help stop those villains before you, Aizawa, or Thirteen were hurt." He gave the younger man's hand a squeeze, then let it slip from his grasp as he turned and prostrated himself before Inko.

"And although I may not be worthy of it, I beg for your forgiveness ma'am. Our school failed to guarantee your son's safety while he was here… And my own negligence has led to him being ill-equipped to use his quirks in a way that won't harm himself. I am aware that I am in no place to ask this: but I beg you give UA and myself another chance." He raised his head to look at Inko, her arms crossed in front of her as she looked down at the hero.

"As much as I may want Izuku to pursue a different, less dangerous career… or keep him away from UA or the chance of running into villains again…" She sighed, looking over at her son and gave him a soft smile, "I know that that would go against everything he'd want and has been working for. I also haven't forgotten what you've done for him before: helping him prepare for the entrance exam and training him earlier this year. In the end it's up to Izuku, all I ask is that whatever he chooses, you do right by him." She finished offering a hand to the muscular hero, the tall man taking it with a slight smile as he rose to his feet. Once he was standing again, they continued to hold onto one another for a few more moments until Izuku cleared his throat.

"Thanks for respecting my thoughts on this mom… that means a lot. I don't want to stop trying to become a hero. I've known it would be tough: I'd probably get banged up a bit, or I'd slip up and make a mistake, or one day a villain might get the best of me." He gave a grin as he turned to where he last heard his mentor, "No matter what happens, you'll always be my favorite hero. Even if you let me or someone else down, I know you wouldn't do it on purpose. You helped me and gave me a chance others would kill for, and I'll never forget that. So thank you, All Might." Izuku stifled back a few tears as he bowed over slightly in his bed towards the older man. After a moment he straightened back up, a question bubbling back up in his head from when the man had first entered the room. He leaned in towards the muscular man gesturing for him to move closer, then confirming it by putting a hand on his shoulder before whispering.

"Hey, shouldn't you not be keeping up your muscular form? Don't you need to save your energy for your patrols or any emergency heroics?" The older man leaned back and scratched his jaw.

"Perhaps it would be best to get Recovery Girl in here. Along with the other visitor I brought. There is something I must discuss about the day at the USJ with you." Toshinori drew himself up, looking from the Midoriyas to the doorway then back again before walking to leave the room. He stopped himself as he grabbed the handle, turning back to the family.

"I've already shared one secret of mine with you two… considering Izuku's part in this, there is another I'd like to let you in on. I trust you'll keep this between us as well?" The two each gave him vigorous nods, Inko adding in a quick 'of course'. The hero then turned the handle and proceeded out into the hall before closing the door back over again. The mother sent a confused glance towards her son as they waited, the door of the infirmary swinging back open again only moments later as Recovery Girl came back in. She held the door open as All Might came in, pushing a woman in a wheelchair in.

As the pair approached Izuku, he sat still with his hands folded in his lap. He tilted his head towards the sound of the wheels rolling across the floor as he strained to paint a picture through what he could hear. The woman's short raven-colored hair shifted as she tilted her head and regarded him. Her steel-grey eyes seemed to twinkle as they observed the younger man while All Might moved them closer. Izuku's thoughts were going into overdrive as his whole being cried out that there was something he couldn't wholly recall. He racked his brain trying to think what person All Might would want to bring to see him.

"Hello. I've heard much about you from Toshinori." she said in a voice like velvet as she extended a hand to Izuku. He sat motionless with a troubled look on his face as he continued to think about the reason the person was here. A small cough came from Recovery Girl as she spoke up.

"Izuku, she's offering you a handshake." His face flushed red in embarrassment and the younger man slowly extended his own hand out towards the voice. After several agonizing seconds of him moving it around in circles in the air, the two's hands met and grasped giving each other a terse shake. He turned from her towards where he approximated All Might was, cocking his head slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my sight… isn't quite what it used to be." All Might raised an eyebrow at the statement but decided to hold his questions for the time being, while Inko began to tear up and sniffle as she was reminded of the news Izuku had delivered to her earlier in the day. "Ah, I'm Izuku, though I guess you know that? It's nice to… meet you?" He paused as he furrowed his brow and frowned. "I'm sorry, I feel like I know you. Have we met before?" He leaned back and folded his arms, tilting his head while 'looking' in the direction of the guests.

"Hmmm… once before. It was probably something like a dream or memory for you?" She said as she raised a finger to her lips. She lowered it, opening her mouth, but hesitating to speak. Finally she found her voice.

"I'm Nana Shimura, I used to be All Might's teacher." She lowered her voice and continued, "And the holder of One for All two generations ago." A small smile slipped onto Izuku's face, and finally he let a small laugh slip.

"But you sound so much younger than him. Or at least seem the part. All Might looks like he could be someone's da-" His mother leaned over and gave him a small slap to the back of the head.

"What?" he hissed as he rubbed the spot.

"Come on, I raised you better than that. You should be more respectful." She gave him a small frown, then turned to All Might and the new woman. "Forgive my son… I'm Inko Midoriya, his mother." She shook Nana's hand as well, then paused as a hush came over the room. Nana's laughter filled the silence shortly after, as she looked at the family.

"It did bother me when I first came to and heard the story… to think my own pupil would be decades older than me now!" She stared at the wall, eyes growing distant and foggy. She shook her head, looking around the group, her voice much quieter now, "I can hardly believe it's been that long. One moment, I was fighting the greatest evil of my time… trying to create a moment for this mountain of a man to escape- though you should've seen him back then, he was quite the string bean- the next moment, I find myself waking up in a hospital bed."

"How did that happen?" Izuku asked with an incredulous look on his face. Nana gave him a wry smile as she shifted in the chair.

"Well right at my moment of defeat, as All for One stood above my gloating, I saw someone with curly green hair. I told him to leave, get out of there. But even then he said he wouldn't leave me alone…" She paused watching the gears spin in Izuku's head, and then tilted her head to look at All Might, "He reminded me of someone I knew."

"Someone I asked if you wanted to see again…" Izuku interrupted, trailing off as it clicked back into his head. The broken, bloodied body of Nana resurfacing in his mind. His mouth went agape as he looked in her direction.

"I thought that was just a fever dream, or some weird influence from One for All." He trailed off. "So, you're saying I somehow pulled you forward to today? That's why you're younger than All Might now?" Nana shrugged in response.

"Hey, I know as much about this as you do. After hearing from Toshi that you were doing okay, I wanted to come by and see the one that I owe my life to." She bowed her head towards him, "I can never have what I had back then, but I'll never be able to repay you giving me a second lease on life." Izuku shook his head back and forth vehemently as he waved his hands in front of him.

"Please don't say something like that, I don't deserve it." As he said the words Izuku felt another tingle run down his back. Nana seemed to stiffly straighten back up into the chair. He thought back to what Recovery Girl had said to him, and his eyes went wide.

"Ah, I'm sorry!

"This seems like a good time for me to step in." Spoke up Recovery Girl as she stood at the foot of the bed between Toshinori and Inko. "As we have all seen by now, All Might's injury is completely gone now: almost miraculously his destroyed stomach and lung tissue are intact and healthier than I've seen on him in decades. This seemed to occur the same day you were injured Izuku, which was also the same day Ms. Shimura was returned to us. There's one common factor to each of these."

"Me," Izuku spoke up. He wrung his hands nervously, "So you're saying that you think this is all connected to that 'vocifery' theory you told me about before?"

"Exactly. The detectives said that the suspect they apprehended a few miles from the USJ that matched the description of the 'Nomu' was deceased upon their arrival. An autopsy showed it lacked a large part of its digestive tract and respiratory system." She paused looking intently at Izuku, "One's health exchanged for another. Something gained for a price, that sounds like what your quirk was capable of, though far different than what you've used it for."

"What I gathered from what Toshinori told me of his battle in the USJ, you were grievously wounded by the beast before he took it on again. Though before you collapsed, he felt a surge of power, accompanied by the 'Nomu' being beaten shortly after. Not even hours later, this woman seemed to be conjured out of thin air next to you. Not to mention the strange happenstances of this morning."

"What's this 'vocifery' thing and how's it related to all of this other stuff?" Interjected Inko with a puzzled look. The nurse gave her a few small nods.

"Think of it as the power to influence or make anything with your voice. My current assumption is that your son's quirk mutated due to the extreme stress put on his body, and now expresses itself similar to that." Recovery Girl concluded, she then continued as she faced Izuku directly, "I hope I'm incorrect, otherwise you must be very careful what you say. Or simply communicate in another way such as writing."

"Wouldn't that only be a problem in certain cases if I misspeak?" He asked in return.

"Imagine this then: you're sitting in class and you're asked to answer a math question, one plus one for example. You decide for some reason the answer is three and voice this. Despite our laws of mathematics proving the answer is two, in this instance our societal or perhaps even fundamental universal laws would change to make your answer three, irrefutably correct." She paused, allowing the others to understand the gravity of what she suggested to take root.

"Considering we've been speaking already today, maybe it's only certain instances or a trigger for it. Maybe with time, it will change further to any word triggering something to occur. I can't say. For now, I'd suggest being safe rather than sorry." She concluded. She paused as she looked from the mother and son to All Might and Nana.

"I think it'd be best to keep that in mind, however, I think there's something far more pressing for us to discuss: Midoriya here seems to have lost most of, if not all, his sight," Recovery Girl continued, with only a minor interruption in the form of a gasp from Toshinori and quiet sobs from Inko. "Now I have several theories: perhaps it's brain damage from his short coma or the fight with the villains. Maybe it was the cost of helping heal All Might or pulling Ms. Shimura into the future. It's still all very up in the air right now."

"Young man… I-I had no idea." Toshinori was once again at Izuku's bedside, pulling the young hero into a crushing hug. "I'm sure we can find a way to reverse this: perhaps you can exchange my health for yours… or use this power Recovery Girl spoke of to heal yourself… I could even try finding a doctor to-" A small thud was heard in the room as something connected with All Might's back, causing him to ease his grip on the younger man.

"Geez Toshinori, I thought I taught you to be more composed than that. If anything, I should be the one he swaps his health with if we're doing something drastic. But on the other hand, this isn't something we should just jump into. We need to be careful. Like I told you so long ago, you need to use your mind, not just your muscle," lectured Nana. Izuku's expression became much more focused as his brow furrowed.

"No. I don't think I should try 'swapping' my sight with someone like I did with All Might and that… thing." Izuku spoke up, making sure to choose his words carefully, "I think it's best to approach this like Recovery Girl and Nana said: with caution. Maybe someone with a healing quirk can help me down the line, but for now, this will probably be something I just have to live with." He turned in the direction his mentor and Nana's voices came from, "I do appreciate the offers. Really. But this will just be another challenge to overcome."

"Very well, if that's what you wish for, Young Midoriya. For the time being, I will be here to support you in whatever capacity I can," spoke up All Might. He turned to look at Nana, running a hand on his chin as he thought. He raised an eyebrow as something came to mind, "If you'll excuse us, we have something we need to take care of," he curtly said before swiveling back behind the wheelchair.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet my savior. I hope your recovery proceeds well and if you need any assistance, be sure to let me know as well." The voice of Nana drifted to Izuku as All Might briskly wheeled her from the room. The faint sound of her saying, "Where are you taking me, you big oaf?" could be heard as they left.

With the room now back to just Inko, Izuku, and Recovery Girl, Inko questioned the older woman, "I know his new… handicap… will be here to stay, but are there any other issues?" Izuku heard the rustle of paper, likely Recovery Girl looking through medical observations from earlier in the day.

"Well, his leg muscles seem well enough for him to stand and walk by himself." Another page rustled as she consulted something else. "And his ribs seem to be set back into place, with no new lacerations on the chest or stomach…" A few more pages were flipped through quickly as she concluded, "I'd say he's good to be discharged at this point. Besides the glaringly obvious problem he has now, most of his other injuries will be something that should heal in the coming days to weeks with rest and no strenuous activities."

"What about my hero courses?" Izuku asked of the older woman.

"I think those should be the least of your concerns my dear. I said you can move about on your own. That doesn't mean you'll be able to move as well as you used to. As far as we know, you're down one sense and a key one at that." She paused as she became distracted by a thought, "Now, that's not to say you can't continue with becoming a hero. We'll just need to work you a bit harder."

"Is there anything we could do to help him in his day to day life a bit?" Spoke up Inko. "As much as I'd like to smother him and do everything for him… I have to admit that he'll eventually have a life of his own and have to do things for himself."

"Practice, for one thing," replied Recovery Girl, "you can train your other senses to make up for your lack of eyesight." She went over to her desk, searching through some files before returning shortly, "I think another option would be to consult either the support course or a professional hero support company. I'm sure there is a technology that could at least act as surrogate eyesight or something that would help enhance his awareness through his other senses."

"Oh! Support Gear! I know someone who was applying for the support course, I could go talk to them," Izuku said as he stood up from the bed and began walking forwards, quickly bumping face-first into a divider set up between the beds.

"Careful now," chided his nurse, both her and his mother helping him move back to sit on the edge of the bed. "For now, I'll discharge you from here. Have your mother help you back to your dorm. Try to listen around you, count how many steps you're taking. Get a general feel of where you are from your surroundings. I'll try to speak to your homeroom teacher to get a feeling for how we're to approach this."

"Thank you. For everything." Izuku said as he bowed his head in the direction of Recovery Girl. "I know I've been a burden to you ever since I got here, but you've been so helpful and supportive even when I've been difficult." Izuku felt a light tap on his head, the shape and hardness of it led him to think it was her cane.

"Think nothing of it, dear. Now, you get changed so you and your dear mother can get on your way. You need some fresh air, and I need a break."

Elsewhere

"Are you sure it's the best idea to bring me on here?" Asked one individual.

"Oh, don't even worry about it. If he vouches for you, then I'm more than happy to have you join our family." Came the reply from a much smaller individual. They sat pouring tea for the two of them, along with the third individual in the room. "The way I see it, your talents and experience will be best put to work with us."

"I'm not in the best shape," finally said the third individual, "It'd be good to have someone assist with whipping them all into shape."

"And it will be nice to have another set of hands to ensure nothing goes wrong next time," came the final statement from the second individual.

Author's Notes:

Howdy folks, Sorry for it taking a Pandemic for me to be able to post again. Hope all of you have been able to stay safe and healthy!

Once again: We have a growing community on Discord at /xFuDyVM if you'd like to join!
Also: I'm still looking for more betas as well to ensure the highest quality before these chapters go to post! Just let me know if you're interested!

As always:
I do not own the original work this is based upon. Please do what you can to support the Official Releases.