A whole week passed and Yuu was finally back to the dorm where he was welcomed by his friends.
" I was really worried when they said you had to stay for another week," Sora said as she flopped beside him on the sofa. " But to think it was for that." She pointed at his prosthetic arm.
" How does it feel, Seijin?" Kirishima asked leaning over the back of the sofa and Yuu clenched and unclenched his metallic fist.
" It's a little heavy and it doesn't move exactly the way I want it. But it really is helpful," he stated.
" It's a support item made overseas, right? How did you get it?" Jiro asked him with one of her earphone jacks pointed at the arm.
" A friend of Nii-san made it. It's still a prototype," he said rubbing the black metallic limb which had blue shimmering lines running across it to the fingertips. " He managed to send it right before international trading was shut down."
" Still, why did they need to keep you in the hospital for a week?" Iida asked, pointing his hand at him. " I began to worry."
" For it to work, this arm needed to be linked to the nerves," he said rolling up his sleeve and pressing a button on its side before twisting and pulling it off, and its glow faded instantly. Upon a closer look, they could see a socket linked to the flesh of his arm where the artificial arm goes. " That feat can only be done in the hospital and they needed to watch for any irregularities after that." He reattached his arm and its lines glowed brightly again.
" I'm just glad everyone from our class is alright now," Yaoyorozu said as she hauled a tray of tea to the table. " With everything that happened, it's a miracle both us and class B survived."
" Speaking of that..." Yuu spins his head around. " Midoriya-san, is still in the hospital, right?"
Iida nodded. " They say his wounds were severe and needed some time to heal. They didn't even allow us to visit him."
" But All Might and the heroes did." Sora pointed.
" They needed to ask him about something," Todoroki spoke, lowering his cup of tea. " For you who weren't at the fight scene with Shigaraki, you don't know it but he was going after Midoriya. Something to do with 'One For All'."
" 'One For All'? What's that?" Hagakure's clothes pinched as she leaned towards him.
" I don't know either. That's why the heroes went there to ask him." Todoroki trailed off.
" Being held here really sucks," Sero complained and everyone could see Bakugo was dejected at being kept at the dorm too. " We're not allowed to move upgrades, we're not allowed to help outside of UA. We're hardly allowed to meet our families."
" It's for ours and their safety." Asui pointed.
" I know but..." Sero's hands balled into tight fists his knuckles became white. " I just don't like to stand still."
Everyone kept silent, they were too restless and worried and couldn't bear being cut off from what was happening outside of UA.
" Amajiki-senpai and the other third years are already helping pro heroes with evacuation," Kirishima spoke up. " We have provisional licenses too. We could be of help!"
" Calm down, Kirishima-kun. Think of what happened during the previous mission," Iida told him. " Seijin-kun, Shirogane-kun, Midoriya-kun, Todoroki-kun, and Bakugo-kun ended up with major injuries. The pro heroes don't want to endanger us first years anymore."
" Thinking of us as weaklings..." Tokoyami murmured.
" More like, they have great expectations for us they want to protect us," Yuu stated. " It's what Aizawa-sensei told me."
" Regardless, it's still an unbearable situation." Kaminari sank in his seat. " At least, tell us what's happening outside."
" We can't even get to our mentors to get the situation," Tokoyami said taking out his phone, and so did Todoroki and Bakugo.
" For now, let's wait until Midoriya-kun gets back," Iida told them. " We can figure out what we can do from there on."
Kirishima stood up and walked to Bakugo and Sato. " You guys, want to go training a bit, to get our minds out of this whole mess."
" Are you planning on becoming a sandbag again?" Sato asked worriedly.
" I need to blow off some steam." Baguko stood up. " Let's go, damn hair!"
" Oi! You serious?!" Sato asked as he followed after them.
" It's the only thing we can do now," Sora muttered before she turned over to her friend and offered a smile. " You should get some rest. You just came back."
" That's right, Seijin-kun. You must be tired," Iida told him gently. " So head back to your room and rest well."
Yuu nodded his head with a thankful smile and went over to the elevator...
________________
When his eyes blinked open, it was sunset, everything was shrouded in a golden orange sheet. As he shifted on his bed, his phone fell off his hand and to the ground. He was checking the news when he fell asleep.
" The situation is getting even worse..." He murmured as he bent down to pick up his phone which screen was showing the list of Pro heroes who had retired that day.
" Yuu..." The boy looked up just to see Whisper's face looking down at him from the eaves.
" Whisper!" Yuu couldn't keep the delight out of his voice. " What kept you so long, I began to worry?!"
The ghost glided towards his friend, a mixture of seriousness and sadness taking over his face. " Can you come with me for a moment..."
Befuddled and worried all the same, he bobbed his head in agreement and followed the ghost...
________________
I didn't remember anything from my past life. I have no recollection of anything from before waking up in that old dusty attic. It was like I was drawn by the sound of his cries as he peeked inside an old tin box.
I didn't know anything about myself, who I was, or even what I was supposed to do. But the moment I saw him, a sudden clarity took over me. I knew that my duty was to lead him, to help him, to make him stronger. I don't know why or how, but it was like a calling, or maybe fate. From that day onward, I became who I am, Whisper, his mentor...
However, something changed... Something strange began happening... And I didn't like it...
" Whisper..." the boy spoke up when they were a good distance from the dorm. " Why bringing me out here?"
Something I didn't like at all...
Whisper turned around to look at Yuu with a wistful face. " I just... wanted us to be alone for this..."
I didn't want to accept it...
Yuu's eyes narrowed slightly at that. Whisper found no reason to dawdle anymore. He closed his eyes and began to glow. His form extended, dull colors took over the pale white, his face gained shape, hair sprouted out of his scalp and his body wrapped itself in old patched clothes. When it all stopped, purple eyes were looking down at the boy.
Yuu maintained his calm face as he stared through those eyes. " Uncle... Daisuke..."
The translucent man gave a small smile at the boy. " You're not surprised... as I thought, you must have figured it out already."
" I doubted, no, I kind of hoped..." Yuu seemed hesitant and worried about the whole situation. " ... It wasn't until the Shie Hassaikai's incident that I became certain of it."
" I see..." the man's smile broadened. " That explains why I also began getting those visions sooner as well."
" Why didn't you say anything about it?"
" I couldn't remember myself," Daisuke retorted calmly. " From the moment we met, I didn't know who or for what reason I was there. And that was needed, for the moment I knew..." Daisuke pursed his lips tightly.
" You came, for me..."
" I did. You were the only one I kept thinking of till the very end..."
The screeching of the breaks... a blue sky slowly turning red like blood... the cries of people mingled around him... and all he could think about was...
" Yuu..." the man murmured as passersby rushed over to him, trying to help him. He mustn't go yet, he couldn't leave the kid alone. He needed to be by his side. He promised.
Till the moment he no longer breathed, he only thought of his nephew.
" I was tethered to this world by my promise for you. Remembering the crying scaredy cat you were back then, I couldn't have been at peace leaving you behind." The man smirked seeing Yuu mutter something under his breath with his face growing pink. " But that's not the case anymore..."
Their eyes locked again for a moment and fear appeared in the younger one's. " Yuu, I'm no longer needed here. You don't need me here anymore."
" No, no that's not true!" The boy argued. " I need you! Even during the previous battle, I needed you! I couldn't have pulled it through without all of you!"
" Yuu..." Daisuke's smile faded as he fixed the boy with a serious and sad look. " You know exactly that's not what I'm talking about."
The boy shivered as he heard that. It couldn't be true...
" You're not the same anymore, you're not the crybaby you were before who feared his own shadow. You don't need me by your side. Ever since the moment you decided to step on the stage as who you are, I wasn't required to stay anymore."
Yuu gritted his teeth tightly, and a sliver of tears slid down his jaw. " That's not true! I... I..."
" Bo!"
The kid jolted and spanned around to see an upside-down ghost akin to an egg behind him, giggling happily as he managed to scare him.
" Man, you should have seen your face." The ghost wiped away a tear as he hovered straight while little Yuu backed away from him, shivering. " So it's true, you really can see and hear us."
" Wh... who... are you...?"
" I'm the ghost who will be eating your soul!" Whisper gave his most terrifying smile and the kid cried and pressed hard against the wall. " Relax. Us spirits don't do so. We just feed on your emotions, not your souls."
But the boy was trembling even further, his face blue. " So that's what you humans call Quirk, huh? Special power, interesting." Whisper closed on the boy, studying him. " Very interesting."
" Please... don't... don't hurt me..." Yuu said hiding his head under his arms.
" I won't. Rather, I want to use you..."
" Yuu." The boy raised his head when his uncle placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. " The moment I realized who I am, I became aware that I can't stay here anymore. I must go."
" Go where!?"
" On." Said Daisuke calmly. " Like Subaru-san did. Somewhere beyond your world and the spirit one. It's inevitable, Yuu, so please..." Don't make it any harder than it is...
" Use... me...?" The boy asked, looking up at him curiously. No one ever thought he was useful in any way.
The ghost smirked broadly at that and pointed at himself...
Yuu bit his lip. There he was, looking his uncle in the eye after years of being separated. Yet that was a farewell. " I'm dead, you're alive. We can't stay together any more than we did." He didn't want to do it, he didn't want to say it...
" I will mold you to the strongest person ever, in return for giving me your energy." The ghost announced proudly. " Do we have a deal soldier?"
" Why... do you... want to make me strong?"
" Isn't that obvious!" Yuu backed as the ghost came even closer...
Wiping his tears away on his sleeve, Yuu pulled a shaky smile. " Thanks..."
" The stronger you get, the stronger I'll get too! It's a win-win! Right! I see potential in you, soldier!" Whisper looked at him through a frame he made with his fingers. " I've been watching you for a while, you want to be a hero? I will make you into one! Just be grateful for me that's all!" He held his nose high in the air.
Yuu stared at him, bewildered. " You're... such a strange... spirit."
" What do you mean?!" Yuu hid his face again.
" N-Nothing..." He peeked up at him. " What's ... your name?"
" Name, huh?" Whisper rubbed his chin before he snapped his fingers.
" For everything you've done for me, for always staying by my side..." his tears flooded, he couldn't hold them back, and it was all he could do not to break down and cry before his uncle. " ... For making me the person I am now. Thank you."
" Don't exaggerate." Daisuke gently hit a fist against the boy's chest. " You had it all from the start, right there. You just needed a little push, someone to believe in you, and to believe in yourself too."
His face bore a sudden stern expression. " There was something I needed to tell you no matter what. Beware of Aoyama."
" Eh?" The boy blinked.
" I kept tabs on him, I know you said for one week but I couldn't help the uneasy feeling I was getting from him. That boy is hiding something, Yuu. The way he talks to his parents, the way he cries in his sleep... something is up with him. And believe me when I say I have a bad feeling about him."
Yuu wanted to ask more about it, he wanted his uncle to explain further. But Daisuke stood up straight and looked at the sun disappearing on the horizon. " It's time I crossed over too." He could hear it, something strange, some kind of voice calling him. And he turned towards it, taking a few steps, being freed of every kind of shackles of weights. Yuu held up his hand, wanting to stop him but, withdrew it in the end.
" Yuu..." Daisuke looked over his shoulder at him one last time. " You're a splendid hero, kiddo."
Yuu grappled to keep his smile on, despite the flood of tears that kept washing over his face, he smiled and nodded his head at his uncle.
" One more thing, work on those leaky eyes of yours." With a large smile, Daisuke waved his hand as he walked towards the sun, fading away the further he went. It was by the time the last ray had gone that Yuu couldn't see his uncle's back anymore, nor feel him, and then, he gave in. Falling to his knees and crying his heart out. Again, he had lost not just his uncle, not just a family, not just a friend or a mentor... But all of them...
" Whisper! You can call me Whisper!"
He lost the one who was there for him through thick and thin...