At long last, the day of Nana's exam arrived. By nine in the morning, she had left UA, giving Izuku one last kiss goodbye before piling into the car with Toshi and his detective friend (who got the entire story of her magical resurrection explained to him in a five-minute crash course of the power of One For All to complicate the lives of anyone and everyone who knew about it) to make the drive.

The whole time, Nana wondered why she was still so nervous about all this. Izuku had helped chase away her fear of not being fit for this age of heroics, sure, but the anticipation was still gnawing at her.

Without warning, Toshinori's voice suddenly rang out in the tiny space of the car. "You're nervous, aren't you, Nana?" he asked, his voice ringing with some strange mix of wisdom and awe, like he was somewhere between looking up to Nana and seeing that she needed advice.

Nana raised her eyebrow as she eyed the blonde man, who met her gaze gently. Eventually, she rolled her eyes and admitted, "Okay, yeah, maybe a little."

Toshinori's smile only grew wider, and his eyes shone with a strange, somber light.

"What's with that look on your face?" Nana demanded, wearing her best "No bullshit" expression.

Toshinori only smiled more, and for a second, Nana felt irritation that she apparently couldn't scare the bullshit out of him anymore. Then, he replied, "Oh, I was just thinking that that move was the most teenager thing I've seen you do."

"I am a teenager!" Nana pointed out, a grin forming on her face.

Toshinori chuckled in agreement, declaring, "You sure are. It's just…a bit of an adjustment, you know? Seeing my old mentor sighing and rolling her eyes at me. I swear, I didn't roll my eyes like that when I was…well, when I was that age."

Nana wondered just why Toshinori had corrected himself; he seemed to slowly be getting more used to seeing her not as a perfect replication of the woman she'd been thirty years ago, but as a student…or as a daughter, judging by the pride she could see twinkling in his eyes as he looked at her.

A brief pause followed, until Toshinori shifted heavily, resting the cane that he only used when he had to across his knees. Nana noticed the gesture, and it hammered home how old he looked, how that bright-eyed boy she recalled in some hazy corner of her mind had ended up looking hollowed-out and weak, but with eyes that shone as bright as ever, burning with fire and strength that went beyond physical ability.

The man who had been All Might sighed, "You know, I always wondered how you could look at a quirkless middle schooler who fate threw at your feet by chance and see something more in him. I could never quite believe how readily you brought an orphan into your home…treated him like family."

Nana smiled gently; she wished she could tell him exactly why she'd done it, how she'd felt, but those memories were gone, leaving only vague impressions, like fading echoes. All she had were scattered pieces, and guesses about why she'd done what she'd done. On the other hand…it wasn't that big a mystery, was it? Nana had always had a knack for finding the strength in people who didn't think they had any. Besides, Toshi seemed to have figured it out by himself.

Indeed, Nana's successor finished, "But now, after I met Izuku…I think I can guess. It's not so hard, at the end of the day, to see a child wandering alone down a path, and walk with them for a little while. Even if you don't get to walk with them for very long, maybe you can give them something they need to keep going down that path themselves."

Nana smiled somberly, seeing Toshinori's quiet, contemplative expression. Softly, she agreed, "It may not hard, but it isn't easy, either. You're a good man for what you did for Izuku."

Toshinori raised his head then, and admitted in a voice that wavered but didn't falter, "I let him down at first…crushed his dream without even realizing it. All my career, I'd tried to be like you, and then I failed him. I made up for it, tried to fix my mistake, but I still failed him."

Sensing the admission and the question in his voice at the same time, Nana reached for Toshinori, rubbing her hand over his bony shoulder as he hung his head again, shame filling his heart.

Gently, her voice achingly kind, Nana told him, "You did fail Izuku. But, then again, I failed you, didn't I?"

Toshinori's body went rigid, and he opened his mouth desperately, determined to contradict her. Before he could, though, Nana's voice rang out again, strong and steady like he'd always known her voice to be (until it wasn't.)

Nana continued, "It's human nature to fail, Toshi; you can't escape that. Parents fail their children; we fail them again and again. And then they love us anyway."

Toshinori closed his mouth again, his shoulders shaking a little as he took breaths as deep as his injuries would allow. At last, he opened his eyes, and Nana saw the resolution in his gaze.

Quietly, Toshinori said, "I know I failed Izuku…and even though he's forgiven me, I don't think I've forgiven myself. Even so, though…I have to admit, I don't know how this happened, but even though you being my daughter started as a convenient fiction, it's getting harder to ignore the part of me that sees you as, well, exactly that…or something close, I suppose."

Nana's heart swelled at that moment, and she was barely conscious of the tears beading at the corners of her eyes. She sniffed quietly, squeezing Toshi's shoulder gently.

Why did this feel like coming home? Why did this feel like the first moment where Nana truly felt tethered in this new reality, like she belonged here as more than an accident of a power nobody understood?

His voice still kind and a little embarrassed, Toshinori continued, "I don't know if it's because I'm trying to repay a debt, or learning from my mistakes, or because I know what it's like to be alone and adrift in the world, without any family left…but I do know that as long as you need me, Nana, I'll always be here. Being young and alone again is a scary prospect. The least I can do is give you advice and help, if you need it. I know you like to be self-sufficient…but I think I've learned that no pillar can stand alone. I'm always here for you, okay?"

Nana could feel the hot tears coursing down her cheeks, but she made no effort to hide it; tears were threatening to spill from Toshinori's eyes as well, as his too-frail chest shook and his lips curved upwards into a smile.

Without thinking or giving a damn about how skinny he was, Nana pulled Toshinori into a bear hug, murmuring, "Thanks, Toshi. That...it means a lot, coming from you."

Toshi returned the hug with one arm, patting Nana on the back as he held her tight. He fought back his tears, even as his guilt lingered. All these promises…and yet he still kept secrets from her.

"Does this mean I get to call you Dad?" Nana wondered, only mostly joking.

Toshinori shuddered a little, and the gesture wasn't exaggerated in the slightest. He replied, "How about we…hold off on that one? I'm not quite sure I'm ready to be called Dad by the woman I used to think of as my mother yet."

Nana just laughed, her heart too buoyant and happy to be kept down, not right now.

When they separated again at last, Nana and Toshinori realized that the car had come to a stop. Outside, the testing arena loomed, massive and ominous, a dark shadow that offered promise. Nana couldn't wait to march inside and see what was waiting for her on the other side.

As Nana pushed open the door, carrying her costume in a briefcase, Toshinori spoke up one last time.

"Whatever happens in there, I'm proud of you," he told her, smiling as widely as he ever had as All Might.

Nana's smile was every bit as blinding and eager as her successor's. She drawled, "I know, Toshi."

For one last second, she hesitated, unwilling to let the moment end, wishing she could enjoy this beautiful understanding forever.

But then, Toshinori made a shooing gesture, telling her, "Now, get going! Not even All Might's daughter should keep her instructors waiting!"

Nana grinned, and nodded, and spun on her heel, setting off for the entrance at a run. Toshinori watched her go, wondering if the Hero Commission's "special test" was ready for the living whirlwind that was Nana Shimura.

He doubted they were.

Nana had to admit, she had expected this whole "heroics license test" thing to be a bit more…well, impressive.

So far, she'd just met with a couple of important dudes in suits (she literally couldn't remember any of their names if you held a gun to her head, she was paying more attention to Izuku showering through the link than anything else ag that moment, sue her), then walked into a massive, empty stadium, her boots biting into hard-packed, bare dirt. The stands were empty, and not a soul seemed to be here to watch her grand return to the world of heroism.

Seriously, she'd gone and gotten all dressed up, too! She was in full costume, skintight black jumpsuit snug against her skin, badass cape swishing in the wind as she strode confidently to the center of the arena. Nana had never felt more like a hero in her second life than when she was in costume.

By now extremely disappointed with the lack of life-threatening danger (or as she called it, an interesting start to the day), Nana put her hands on her hips, and shouted impatiently, "Come on, guys! I'm ready for whatever you wanna throw at me! What's it gonna be? Dudes with guns? Robots? Robots with guns? If something isn't blowing up, I'm gonna be disappointed!"

At last, after nearly thirty seconds (Nana was contemplating aiming a finger flick at the control booth just to rattle their cages a little by then), the PA system came online with a dull whine, and a voice even more exhausted-sounding than Aizawa's said, "You're not going to be fighting robots or armed combatants, Miss Shimura. We've got a unique test just for you, by request of Nezu."

Huh. Nice of the principal to go through all of this trouble for little old her.

Nana called back, "Well? Send 'em out already!"

The man didn't respond, but suddenly, a trapdoor opened in the center of the stadium's earthen floor, revealing a platform that slowly began to rise out of the ground.

On the platform were two men, and Nana's eyes went wide with surprise, then glee, as she recognized one of them.

Oh, this was gonna be fun.

At last, the platform clicked into place, and the men's outlines became clear. On the left was a tall, handsome man with a cocky smirk and goggles on his face. He was leaning lazily against one of the walls of the elevator-like platform, but as those walls began to sink back into the ground, he yawned and stood up. As soon as he did, his quirk became apparent-two massive, blood-red wings stretched out from his back, eclipsing the wingspan of his arms, gleaming in the bright sunlight. It was a magnificent sight, made more intimidating by the two longer feathers he was twirling in his hands, the ones that looked to be more than three feet long, and by the way he was treating them with care even when tossing them around, razor-sharp.

The man's expression suggested that he expected Nana's jaw to drop, but instead, Nana, never one for reverie, started waving wildly and cackling with glee. She yelled, "Hey, Gran Torino! How's it going?"

Sure enough, the other man was the short, grizzled Sorahiko, who just sighed in mild, affected irritation while his partner shot him an incredulous look.

"Hello, Nana," Sorahiko called back.

Nana leaped into the air, quickly closing the distance between her and the two men to a few meters. She landed neatly, kicking up a few dust clouds that quickly dispersed.

"Who's the overgrown chicken?" Nana asked, pointing at the winged man, who spluttered indignantly as if she'd offended his entire bloodline.

"Overgrown chicken?" he repeated, "I'm the Number Two Hero, Hawks!"

Nana eyed him with a raised eyebrow. "Number Two Chicken, more like," she replied.

Hawks gasped dramatically, then demanded, "How have you not even heard of me?"

Rather than say that she'd been dead longer than this man had probably been alive-he only looked to be in his mid-twenties-Nana simply replied, "Because, I'm not really that well-versed on Chicken Heroes."

Hawks just stared in confusion, looking scandalized. Nana turned back to Sorahiko, still surprised to see him.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

Sorahiko replied, "I'm here for your test, brat."

Nana nodded along, only to freeze as her old friend finished speaking. She demanded, "Oi, did you just call me a brat?"

"Yup," Sorahiko confirmed bluntly.

Nana held his gaze for a long second, but Sorahiko didn't flinch. Eventually, Nana protested, "I thought Toshi was the brat, not me!"

"Toshi was the brat when he was your age," Sorahiko replied, "you're the brat now."

"I'm going to beat the shit out of you, Gramps," Nana threatened calmly.

Sorahiko, though, just grinned and drawled, "Well, you're in luck, because that's exactly what this test is. All you gotta do is beat me and-"

"I'm sorry, I'm really confused right now," Hawks interrupted, clinking his...feather swords, a thing that Nana didn't think was actually a thing, "did this...small, sassy child just call you Gramps?"

Sorahiko glared warningly at his partner, who seemed just as frustratingly un-threatened as Nana was. Inside, though, both he and Nana were desperately scrambling for a good explanation.

Eventually, Sorahiko began, "Uh, yeah, you see…"

"He's my grandfather, obviously," Nana announced, thinking fast.

A heartbeat of silence followed, during which Sorahiko glared hatefully at his old friend, and the winged man stared at both of them in total confusion.

Eventually, Hawks said, "Okay, that...doesn't actually explain anything, and now I have more questions."

"Like what?" Nana wondered, talking over Sorahiko, who had been about to tell his partner to just stop talking.

The man reached back and somehow attached his feather-swords to his wings, leaving his hands free to start counting off his questions as he began, "So, first off, who is this small sassy child who is apparently also your granddaughter? Second, why do you want my help in fighting this small, sassy child who is apparently also your granddaughter? Third, why did you tell me to be ready for the "fight of my life," when, as I have said, this is literally just a small, sassy-OOF!"

Nana swiftly shot forward, slamming her sparking, glowing fist directly into Hawks's crotch. His voice cut off abruptly as his balls experienced agony beyond human comprehension, and his voice jumped several octaves.

As Hawks doubled over, Nana asked him with a smirk, "Still think I'm a child?"

When Hawks remembered how breathing worked, he gasped, "N...no, definitely not. You're the most adult woman I've ever met."

"You're a quick learner, Chicken Hero," Nana told him. Hawks decided not to push his luck-his family jewels were on the line.

"I'm pretty sure you just got the answer to your question, Keigo," Sorahiko drawled, fighting to suppress an amused grin as Hawks slowly dragged himself to his feet, eyeing Nana warily.

"Which one?" Hawks countered.

Sorahiko just rolled his eyes, grumbling under his breath about "kids these days" and other old-people speak that Nana didn't have time for.

Smirking confidently, she announced, "I'm Nana. And I'm glad to see that Gramps is actually giving me my due for once."

"The only thing I'm giving you is a beating," Sorahiko snarked back, making Nana chuckle.

She replied, "Good luck, old man. Remember what happened last time you tried to beat me in a dogfight?"

"Why do you think I brought this idiot along?" Sorahiko pointed out, gesturing at Hawks.

The red-winged hero pointed at himself in mock scandal, then muttered, "I resent being called an idiot."

The glitter in Sorahiko's eyes was Nana's first warning that he was up to something. Suddenly, she got a chill, knowing that he was about to say something that was going to land them both in hot water.

Casually, Sorahiko said, "Seeing as you just called All Might's daughter a small sassy child, I'm not sure what else to call you, Keigo."

There was a heartbeat of silence, as Hawks's jaw dropped and Nana fought desperately to bury her face in the crook of her elbow to suppress her laughter.

Then, Hawks looked rapidly between Sorahiko and Nana, as if searching for something. Eventually, he announced, "You know what? That's about the last thing I expected when I got out of bed today, but okay, whatever, I can roll with learning that All Might, the most PG hero ever to grace this Earth, apparently had carnal relations with a woman. Sure."

Nana laughed openly then, nearly doubling over as she held her sides, while also wondering just what kind of squeaky-clean image Toshi had managed to get himself to make the very thought of him having children seem so strange. Oh well, more ammunition to tease him was always welcome.

Then, Hawks added, "I will say though, Gran Torino, i didn't expect you to be All Might's dad."

Once again, dead silence reigned over the arena, as both Sorahiko and Nana's brains came to a screeching halt at Hawks' perfectly reasonable and totally logical conclusion.

"Is this what karma feels like?" Nana wondered as she and her oldest friend scrambled for an explanation that didn't confuse the fuck out of everyone involved.

Sorahiko came up with it first, quietly coughing, "Father-in-law, actually."

"Oh," Hawks said, before coming to a halt and blinking in surprise, "wait, you had a kid?"

Sorahiko nodded gruffly, because he didn't know if he could lie convincingly enough out loud. Then, irked by Hawks's tone, he demanded, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, I'm just saying that I'm not sure if I'm more confused by the fact that you had a daughter, or by the fact that All Might had a kid with that daughter," Hawks replied, shrugging.

Seeing that Sorahiko was just about fed up with the whole thing before the test had even started, Nana chimed in, "Yo, can we just fight already? I've kinda got a date later."

Hawks looked at her like he wished he'd never met her, and Nana honestly couldn't blame him. He muttered, "I'm genuinely scared of whoever's crazy enough to date you, and not because of the fact that your daddy used to be able to punt them into the sun."

"I heard that!" Nana snapped with a vicious grin, "I'm going to turn you into a pillow, you overgrown peacock!"

Before anything else could go wrong, Sorahiko announced, "Alright, that's it, brat. You've gotta beat both of us if you want to win!"

Nana fell into a familiar stance, letting the familiar crackling hum of One For All fill her body with sparking, jumping purple lightning as Hawks drew his swords and Gran Torino took a deep breath.

She drawled, "Finally, a challenge that's more my speed."

Then they were charging, and the fight was on.