Rising Tides (Izuku Midoriya x F!Reader)

Chapter 048

CHAPTER 48: Burden of Choices

The police force held an urgent meeting regarding their recent operations against the League of Villains. Though All For One had been defeated, the cost of victory was high: the world had lost its Symbol of Peace. As the investigators dissected their findings, the full implications of the battle loomed heavy over them. The absence of All Might would embolden the villains, and the investigators realized that Shigaraki, once thought of as impulsive and erratic, had undergone a shift. No longer was he merely a “child prone to tantrums”; he was now focused on tearing down society itself. With his new resolve, the police knew they had to alter their approach.

Naomasa and Gran Torino visited All Might in the hospital, where he lay recovering from his battle scars. As they spoke, Toshinori told them the truth he’d been holding back: the last ember of One For All was gone, leaving him without any of the power that had once defined him. Even so, All Might was filled with a new purpose—to protect his students, even if it meant stepping back. Gran Torino was shocked to learn about Tomura’s true identity as the grandson of Nana Shimura, All Might’s predecessor. He explained to Naomasa that Nana had placed her son in foster care to protect him, requesting that they have no contact with her family.

Turning to Toshinori, Gran Torino firmly advised him to leave Tomura’s pursuit to the police. He feared that All Might’s connection to Nana might cloud his judgment, possibly leading him to hesitate when it mattered most. Though reluctant, All Might nodded, understanding he needed to let go and allow others to lead this fight. But the weight of what happened lingered, especially as he couldn’t help but feel the blame.

Later, as All Might lay in quiet thought, another visitor arrived. Aiko Mizushima stepped into his hospital room, her eyes soft with worry and understanding. He apologized for failing as a hero and shouldering the blame for both Tomura’s and Yumi’s downfalls. Aiko gently told him that no single person could control every choice others made, assuring him that she, too, carried her own share of guilt. All Might tried to reassure her, remembering the bravery and resilience she’d shown in their time working together. They shared a silent moment of understanding, realizing they both felt the weight of others' choices as a burden they carried alone.

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When you finally returned home, emotions ran high. You barely made it past the door before your mother engulfed you in a tight embrace, and for the first time in a long time, you saw your father struggle to hold back tears. The room felt charged with every emotion that had been building since your disappearance—fear, relief, but also anger and regret. Your mother’s hand lingered on your shoulder as your father steadied himself, his expression etched with worry and pain.

You told them everything, feeling your voice shake as you recounted your experiences from the U.S.J. incident to the recent showdown. The words spilled out, each one feeling like a weight lifted, but also a wound reopened. You spoke about Yumi—how your sister, whom you had once mourned, was now a villain. Hearing this, your father staggered, the color draining from his face as he grasped the enormity of the situation. This wasn’t only a family tragedy; it felt like a complete fracture in everything you’d thought you knew.

As you finished, there was a silence in the room heavy with all the things left unsaid. Your parents’ faces mirrored your own heartbreak, and in that moment, you felt both closer to and farther from them than ever before. When your father finally pulled you into an embrace, it was as if he was trying to shield you from the world’s cruelty, even though he knew he couldn’t.

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The next day, All Might and Nezu called a meeting to discuss a new safety measure for the students of U.A.—a dormitory system. All Might would personally visit families, seeking their consent. After meeting with Kyouka’s family, he found himself at the Bakugo household. Mitsuki immediately accepted the proposal, only to turn to her son and smack him on the head, blaming him for U.A.’s troubles. Despite their bickering, Bakugo’s mother expressed her hope that the dorm system might help shape her son into the hero he aimed to be. All Might took a silent note of her words, feeling the trust they placed in him and the burden of their expectations.