"YOU WHAT?" I sputtered, eyes watering as I tried to catch my breath.
The room fell silent except for my coughing. When I finally regained control, I looked up to find four very different expressions staring back at me.
Yaoyorozu's face had turned scarlet, her eyes wide with mortification. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, apparently at a loss for words. Todoroki's usual icy composure had cracked, her heterochromatic eyes slightly wider than normal, a faint blush visible on her right cheeks.
My mother, on the other hand, was pressing her lips together in a failed attempt to suppress her amusement, her eyes crinkling at the corners. And Camie—
Camie was grinning like a cat that had not only caught the canary but had negotiated ownership of the entire birdcage.
My gaze zeroed in on her. We'd been... intimate, yes. But we'd always been careful. Extremely careful. And yet... two days in a coma could mean I'd missed... something.
"Camie," I said, my voice still rough from the coughing fit, "are you... are you actually...?"
Her grin widened, if that was even possible. "Am I what, Izu? You gotta say it."
I swallowed hard, aware of everyone's eyes on me. "Are you... pregnant?"
Camie held my gaze for one excruciating moment before bursting into laughter. "Your face! Oh my god, your face!" She doubled over, shoulders shaking with mirth. "I can't believe you fell for that!"
Relief washed through me, quickly followed by indignation. "That's not funny, Camie!"
"It's a little funny," my mother chimed in, finally losing her battle against laughter.
"Mom!" I groaned, falling back against the pillows. "You were in on this?"
She rubbed my hand consolingly, though her eyes still danced with amusement. "Only a little bit, honey. You should have seen your face."
I turned to Yaoyorozu and Todoroki, hoping for some sympathy. "I'm sorry they dragged you into this."
Yaoyorozu cleared her throat, her composure gradually returning. "To clarify the situation, Midoriya, no one is expecting you to become a father yet. Utsushimi was merely... joking."
Yet.
"A joke that nearly gave me a heart attack," I muttered.
"Your vital signs remained stable throughout," Todoroki observed, her clinical tone at odds with the faint color still visible on her cheeks.
"So if no one's pregnant, what exactly did I miss while I was out? And why are you all looking at me like that?"
The four women exchanged glances, some unspoken communication passing between them that I couldn't decipher.
"Like what?" Camie asked innocently.
"Like you've all formed some kind of... I don't know, secret society while I was unconscious."
My mother smiled, reaching out to smooth my hair back from my forehead – a gesture so familiar from my childhood that I almost leaned into it before catching myself. "We've just been getting to know each other, Izuku. Sharing stories."
"What kind of stories?" I asked, suddenly wary.
"Baby Izu stories," Camie said gleefully. "All the embarrassing ones."
I groaned again, covering my face with my hands. "Mom, you didn't."
"I most certainly did," she replied without a hint of remorse. "What else was I supposed to do while waiting for you to wake up? Besides, these girls were worried about you. They deserved to know more about the young man they care for."
I peeked through my fingers, catching the slight tensing of Todoroki's shoulders, the way Yaoyorozu's hands clasped more tightly in her lap at my mother's words.
"Look," I said, lowering my hands and trying to regain some dignity, "I appreciate you all being here. Really. But I'm fine now, and—"
"You were in a coma for days," Todoroki interrupted, her voice quiet but firm. "That is not 'fine.'"
"And you missed things," Yaoyorozu added. "The second and third year sports festivals were held while you were unconscious."
"I missed the upper classmen's festivals?" I asked, genuinely disappointed. I'd been looking forward to analyzing their techniques.
"That's what you're worried about?" Camie asked, leaning forward to flick my forehead lightly. "Not the whole 'unconscious for days' thing?"
I caught her hand before she could pull it back, holding it gently. "I'm sorry I worried you," I said, meeting her eyes directly. "All of you," I added, looking around at the others.
Something in the atmosphere shifted, the tension easing slightly. Camie's expression softened, her fingers curling around mine.
"What happened, Izuku?" my mother asked, her amusement fading into maternal concern. "All Might said you collapsed at the beach."
I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. The void, the vestiges, One For All – these weren't just my secrets to share.
"I was training to burn off the ramen calories." I said carefully. "I think I pushed myself too hard after the festival. My body just... shut down."
It wasn't entirely a lie. The quirk had indeed overwhelmed my system, forcing a shutdown while the vestiges helped me adapt.
"Recovery Girl said your body was in a state of complete exhaustion," Yaoyorozu said, her analytical mind clearly working through the information. "She mentioned unusual energy readings, but couldn't elaborate further."
"Did she say when I can leave?" I asked, trying to redirect the conversation.
"She wants to run some final tests now that you're awake," my mother replied. "But she seemed optimistic about your recovery."
I nodded, then turned my attention to Todoroki and Yaoyorozu. "Thank you both for coming. You didn't have to do that."
"You would have done the same," Todoroki said simply.
"Without hesitation," Yaoyorozu agreed.
I looked between them, struck by the sincerity in their expressions. These weren't just classmates fulfilling an obligation. They'd genuinely been concerned.
"Still," I said, "I'm sure you had better things to do than sit around a hospital room."
"You don't need to say anything," my mother assured me. "Just focus on getting better."
I nodded, then winced as the movement sent a dull throb through my head. The pain must have shown on my face because all four women leaned forward in concern.
"Are you in pain?" Yaoyorozu asked immediately.
"Just a headache," I assured them. "It's nothing."
Todoroki moved closer, her right hand hovering uncertainly near my forehead. "I can help with that."
After a moment's hesitation, I nodded. "Thank you."
She placed her cool palm against my temple, and I sighed in relief as the cold seeped into my skin, dulling the ache.
"Better?" she asked softly.
"Much," I confirmed. "You have excellent control."
She withdrew her hand, a small, pleased smile briefly touching her lips. "Practice."
The moment stretched between us until Camie cleared her throat dramatically. "So, Izu, now that you're awake and getting the VIP treatment, what's the plan? Because your mom and I have been living on coffee for two days, and let me tell you, it's not the vibe."
I laughed. "The plan is to get the hell out of here as soon as possible." I turned to my mother. "Have you been here the whole time?"
She nodded, the shadows under her eyes answering before she could speak. "Of course I have."
"Mom," I said softly, "you should go home and get some real sleep. I'm awake now. I'm okay."
"I'm not leaving until Recovery Girl says you are okay," she insisted.
"At least go get some decent food," I suggested. "All of you," I added, looking around the room. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
The women exchanged glances again, that same unspoken communication I couldn't quite read.
"I could use a proper meal," Yaoyorozu admitted.
"And a shower," Camie added, sniffing her shirt with exaggerated disgust.
My mother hesitated, her eyes never leaving my face. "If you're sure..."
"I'm sure," I said firmly. "Go. Eat something that doesn't come from a vending machine. I'll be right here when you get back."
She studied me for another long moment before nodding reluctantly. "Alright. And you'll call if anything changes?"
"I will," I promised, though given my recent unconsciousness, I wasn't sure what changes she was expecting.
As they gathered their things, I found myself watching them – these four women who had kept vigil at my bedside. My mother, who had always been my foundation. Camie, who had become so much more than a girlfriend. And Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, whose presence here represented something I was only beginning to understand.
"Before you go," I said, causing them all to pause, "I want you to know that I... I have real feelings for each of you."
Camie's eyebrows shot up, a grin spreading across her face. My mother looked momentarily confused. Todoroki and Yaoyorozu froze, their expressions a mixture of surprise and something more complex.
"What I mean is, you're all very important to me." I clarified quickly. "And I appreciate you being here. But there's something you should know..."
I looked directly at Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, my expression serious.
"I kick in my sleep."
The statement hung in the air for a beat before Camie burst out laughing. My mother shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. Yaoyorozu's expression cycled through confusion, realization, and then amusement. Even Todoroki's lips quirked upward slightly.
"He really does," my mother confirmed. "Terrible habit since he was a baby."
"Nearly kicked me off once," Camie added cheerfully. "During a movie marathon," she clarified, catching my mother's sudden look. "On the couch. Fully clothed. With adult supervision."
"Right," I said quickly. "The point is, thank you all for caring. It means more than I can say."
The tension completely dissolved, replaced by smiles and lighter hearts.
The moment the door closed, my face straightened, the smile dropping away. I waited, counting to thirty silently to ensure they were truly gone, before swinging my legs over the side of the bed.
My muscles protested immediately, stiff from days of disuse, but I pushed through the discomfort. I needed answers, and I needed them now.
"What the hell happened in that void?" I muttered, cautiously testing my weight on shaky legs.
The vestiges had said One For All would be different for me because of my "restriction" – my naturally enhanced physical capabilities. But they'd been vague about what that actually meant in practical terms.
I made my way carefully to the small attached bathroom. Once inside, I closed the door and faced the mirror.
My reflection stared back at me, familiar yet somehow altered. My body looked the same – perhaps a little more defined, the muscles more pronounced beneath my hospital gown – but also drenched in sweat. The fever had broken, leaving me looking like I'd just run a marathon.
But my eyes...
I leaned closer to the mirror, studying the change. My eyes had always been green, but now they seemed brighter, more vibrant. There was a quality to them I couldn't quite name – a depth or intensity that hadn't been there before.
"One percent," I whispered, remembering Nana Shimura's instruction.
I closed my eyes, focusing inward, searching for that current of energy I'd felt in the void. For a moment, there was nothing – just my own heartbeat, the cool tile beneath my bare feet.
Then I found it – a subtle hum of power, quiet but unmistakably present.
I drew on it gently – just the barest thread, no more than one percent as instructed – and gasped as green electricity crackled across my skin. It didn't hurt. If anything, it felt... natural. Like a muscle I'd always had but never used.
"Holy shit," I breathed, watching the green lightning dance along my arms.
This wasn't how One For All was supposed to work. All Might had described a full-body enhancement. The vestiges had modified the quirk to work with my unique physiology, creating something new.
I let the power fade, watching as the green electricity dissipated. My reflection returned to normal, though my eyes maintained that strange new brightness.
The implications were staggering. I now possessed One For All – the accumulated power of eight previous wielders – but in a form uniquely suited to my body. I needed to test it, to understand its limits and capabilities.
But first, I needed to get the hell out of here.