The Yagi family…and others

“Have no fear, for I am here!” 

After Nana got killed and Toshinori graduated from UA, Gran Torino had sent him to the USA to train for his inevitable fight with All For One. There, Toshi met his brother in crime fighting, David Shield.

“All Might, focus on the villains, will you?!” David yelled from his car as he and Toshinori chased after a pair of villains.

“Right, on it, David!” Toshinori yelled, saving a family of four from a missile-firing villain by destroying his explosives with a mere blow of wind. And that family of four had two little girls.

“Thank you for saving us, mister!” The two girls, a sister duo with brown hair, screamed enthusiastically. Now All Might never became a hero for attention. He was tired of everyone fighting for themselves and so fought for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. But even he had to admit, having little girls say thank you for saving them and their family made some of the harder days manageable.

“Haha! Thank you, young ladies. I’m glad to help.” Toshinori said, patting the little girls on their brown hair. But before he could walk away, the older girl of the two, who wore very big glasses, flung herself at him.

“I wanna be like you!”

“That’s..great.” All Might laughed awkwardly, much to David and the girl’s parents’ amusement. “What is your name, young one?”

“Christ man, you’re like 23. No need for the ‘young one’ shtick.” David said dryly, getting a giggle out of the little girls.

“Hihihi, I’m Cathleen. Cathleen Bate, aka the next greatest heroine, like Star!” The now named girl told All Might before pointing at her sister. “That’s Lily, my baby sister!”

“Cath, stop calling me a baby!”

As the two sisters started bickering, Toshinori was distracted by the fact that this little girl wanted to be like Nana.

“…I’m looking forward to it, Cathleen.” Toshinori said, this time with less bravado, as he patted her on the head, before doing the same with her sister. “I’m also looking forward to seeing your growth, Lily.”

“….Please adopt us!” The two girls yelled in unison, catching Toshinori off guard.

“Hahaha! Of course, girls! If your parents allow it.” Really, the hero meant it as a joke. But that evening, while he was making a flavorless dinner for himself, the doorbell of Toshinori’s apartment rang. When he opened the door, he was greeted by Cathleen and Lilian, both with big smiles and backpacks filled with clothes and toys. “…Did you two run away from home?” Toshi asked, rubbing the back of his head.

“Nope! Mom and Dad said we could stay with you! They think you’re a good guy.” Cathleen answered as Lilian nodded eagerly. “They said you saved us, so you’d keep us safe.”

“They… they said that?” Toshinori asked in shock. What kind of parents just handed off their kids to a stranger, even if he had saved their lives?!

“They’re really busy,” Cathleen explained, already shoving past him into his tiny apartment, looking around like she was inspecting the place. “And they think you’re cool. And safe. And they said you could probably handle us better.”

“I don’t think that’s how parenting works.” Toshinori muttered, turning his gaze to Lilian, who was staring at his kitchen with a deep frown. “Do you even have food? I’m hungry, daddy.” 

“I… have rice.”

As both girls stared at him, unimpressed, Toshinori thought about calling their parents. He had no business raising children…And yet, as Cathleen ran up to him, practically bouncing with excitement, and Lilian plopped down beside him on the couch with the comfort of someone who belonged there, something in him softened.

“You’re really gonna let us stay, right?” Cathleen asked with puppy eyes, which Lilian also had.

“…Yeah, kids. I guess I am.” Toshinori exhaled slowly before ruffling both their hair. And just like that, he was a dad.

Toshinori never thought raising two girls would be harder than fighting villains. But Cathleen and Lilian? They were tougher than any foe.

Cathleen was a storm. Loud, determined, and fearless. She grew up idolizing heroes, talking about destiny and justice as if she were born for greatness. She was very young yet trained harder than anyone, driven by an unshakable dream.

Lilian, on the other hand, was a lot calmer and unsure of herself. She trained alongside her sister, but her heart wasn’t in it the same way. 

Then a realization came on a normal day, after a grueling training session. Cathleen was drenched in sweat, but grinning ear to ear.

“I can’t wait for our first real hero mission!” She said excitedly, tossing an arm around Lilian. “We’re gonna be the best sister duo out there!”

“…I don’t think I want to do this.” Lily said out of seemingly nowhere, confusing her older sister. “I don’t think being a hero is my dream. I don’t get excited about this stuff like you do. I don’t wake up, wanting to fight bad guys.”

“But… we’ve always talked about being heroes together.” Cathleen stared at her, utterly lost.

“No. You talked about being a hero. I just went along with it!” The younger sister yelled before storming off. Half an hour later, Toshinori found Lilian sitting outside under the big tree in their backyard, hugging her knees to her chest. He sat down beside her, silent for a while before speaking.

“You know, Nana used to tell me that being a hero isn’t just about fighting villains.” He glanced at her. “It’s about making the world better in any way you can.”

“..*sniff* But I don’t know what I want to do.” Lilian whimpered while tearing up. Seeing this, Toshinori wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Then take your time and find it. I’ll be proud of you no matter what.”

A month later, when Cathleen applied for this hero course, Lilian chose for general studies.

Years passed, and the little girls Toshinori once took in had become strong, capable women.

Cathleen, now a rising hero, was making waves on the international stage. Lilian, after years of searching, had carved her own path in child services. And Toshinori? He had somehow managed to raise two incredible daughters without completely losing his mind.

To celebrate both doing great at their professions, they took a trip to Italy.

“This place is so fancy,” Lilian said, adjusting her dress as they sat in a beautiful outdoor restaurant, sipping wine.

Honestly, Toshinori still wasn’t ready to see his grown daughters drinking…nor was he ready to see Lilian glance at a young man, who kept winking at her. That winking soon turned to talking, and by the end of the night, Lilian was locking lips with Alberto Scervino, much to overprotective hawk papa Toshinori’s dismay.

Toshinori Yagi had fought countless battles, faced down the greatest evil in history, and stood at the top as the world’s greatest hero. But none of that compared to the feeling of holding his granddaughter for the first time.

“She’s so small.” He murmured, his voice softer than usual as he cradled the tiny baby in his arms. Anna Scervino. His granddaughter. He had watched Lilian grow from an uncertain young girl into a confident woman, and now she was a mother. The thought alone made his heart swell in a way he never thought possible. He gazed down at Anna, who blinked up at him with big, curious eyes before gripping his thumb with her tiny hand. His breath caught. “My little girl has a little girl.”

“Come on, Pops. Let me hold my niece too.” Cathleen laughed as the grandpa handed his daughter the baby. “How’s Al handling fatherhood?” She asked, glancing at her sister, who came to visit from Italy. Meanwhile Toshinori came from Japan as well.

“He panicked when she sneezed for the first time. Thought she was dying.”

“HA, that checks out…So, when are we teaching Anna how to throw a proper punch?”

“…Cath, she’s one.”

“Exactly. Perfect time to start training.”

“If you want to teach babies how to fight, get your own. Anna will never have to get hurt, or hurt someone else.” Lilian proclaimed, nuzzling her little girl, who let out a delighted squeal, kicking her tiny feet. 

“…Sure, I might get a kid.” Cathleen said with a soft smile, which Lilian wanted to tease her for. Afterall, getting a child wasn’t something you did spontaneously. But one look at how Cathleen looked at Anna told Lilian enough. This was spontaneous, this had been in the back of her slightly older sister’s head.

“…You'll be a great mom, Cath.” Lilian told her as their dad nodded. “I know it.”

And about ten years later, this was put to the test, as Cathleen got a call from her dad. Apparently, David was on his death bed.

But before Cathleen could respond, Toshinori’s phone buzzed. It was none other than David.  “Is something wrong, David?

“It’s my daddy!” This wasn’t David, it was Melissa, who sounded very scared. “Someone attacked daddy. He’s in the hospital!”

Hearing this, Cathleen took the phone from her dad. “Don’t worry, Melissa. We’re on our way.”

The drive to the hospital was a blur. And when they arrived, Melissa was already there with tears in her eyes.

“Melissa, what happened?” Cathleen asked, currently being the only one present since Toshinori had to come from Japan, and Lilian from Italy.

 “S-Someone attacked daddy.” The five year old cried as she ran straight into Cathleen ’s arms. “I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. “They said… they said he’s not going to make it…*sniff* Can you save him?”

That, Cathleen couldn’t. Because New Order worked in a rotation system. If she used her quirk on David, it was a temporary save. He would just go back to his current state after she used her quirk again.

It didn’t take long for a nurse to lead them inside the room, where David Shield lay hooked up to countless machines. He looked so much smaller than Cathleen remembered, so much weaker. At the same time, Toshinori finally arrived and ran to his friend.

“David, what happened?”

David’s eyes fluttered open, and a tired smile crossed his face. “Toshi… you came.”

“Of course, I came.” Toshinori nodded, his throat bobbing as he swallowed thickly. “But who did this?”

“It was…All For One…he was looking for something.” The scientist growled before smirking. “But he didn’t find it.” David’s gaze then landed on Melissa. His face crumpled. “Hey, sweetheart…”

Melissa let out a choked sob. “Daddy, d-don’t worry. You’re gonna be okay.”

David exhaled slowly, his fingers brushing her hand. “You’re so strong, Melissa.” He then turned to Toshinori and Cathleen. “Promise me… promise me you’ll take care of her.”

“..I promise, David.” Cathleen swallowed hard, before agreeing. A slow, relieved smile crossed David’s face, before he was gone.

Melissa let out a broken sob, and Cathleen pulled her into a tight hug, whispering soft reassurances. Toshinori meanwhile closed his eyes, his grip still firm on David’s hand. “She’ll be safe, David. Safe and happy.”

The adoption paperwork sat on the dining table, a heavy presence in the quiet room. Cathleen stared at it, pen resting between her fingers, her heart pounding harder than it ever had in battle. She had fought villains, faced impossible odds, and risen to become one of the greatest heroes of her time. But this? This was something entirely different.

Melissa sat across from her, fidgeting slightly, her blue eyes scanning the documents. She had been staying with them for months now, but this was the final step. The one that made everything permanent.

“Are you sure about this, Mel?” Cathleen cleared her throat. “I wouldn’t want to force you.”

Melissa blinked, then gave her a soft smile. “Of course I am. You already take care of me. This just makes it… real.” Melissa said with a soft smile. Cathleen looked at her, searching her face for any hesitation. But all she saw was certainty. So taking a deep breath, she put the pen to the paper and signed her name.

And just like that, Melissa Shield became Melissa Yagi.

“Guess uncle Might got upgraded to grandpa Might.” Melissa laughed at her new adoptive mom, who just laughed alongside her.

A nice beginning to the next part of Cathleen’s life.

A couple days after Melissa’s adoption, there was a thunderstorm. Now Melissa had never been afraid of storms before, but something about this one unsettled her. Maybe it was because this was her first storm without David. Still, she tried to ignore it, burying herself in her pillow. But when a loud crack of thunder shook the house, she let out a shriek.

Footsteps approached her room a few moments later, followed by a soft knock. “Melissa, are you alright?” It was Cathleen, who opened the door slightly to look inside.

Melissa wanted to brush it off. Just say she was fine. But instead, Melissa shook hesitantly, feeling ridiculous. She had never been scared of things like this before. But Cathleen just gave her a soft, understanding smile. “It’s okay.” The new mother said, brushing Melissa’s hair back behind her ear. “Do you maybe want to do something to get your mind off things. Maybe explain your newest gadget idea again.”

“Hihi, thanks, mom.” Immediately after saying this, Melissa froze. She hadn’t meant to say it, not yet at least. Hesitantly, Melissa turned to Cathleen…who was smiling with tears in her eyes, before pulling Melissa into a tight hug.

Melissa stiffened at first, but then melted into the embrace. Because if she was honest, it felt very nice and very safe.

She honestly really liked it.

It took a couple months, but Anna finally met her little cousin Melissa. And after only meeting the nerdy girl for an hour, Anna was already determined to become the Best Big Cousin Ever™. Melissa, on the other hand, had no idea how to be a little cousin.

“Wanna play in the jungle gym?” Anna asked, pointing at the contraction in her giant backyard.

Clearly, Lilian married a very rich man.

“…Not really.”

“Oh,” honestly Anna didn’t expect that. She herself was far from an energetic child, but most of her friends loved the jungle gym…maybe even more than they liked her. “Then what do you want to do?”

“…Can we build a robot?”

“….D-Do you know how to build a robot?”

“Yes…so can we?”

The next couple hours, Anna had no idea what was going on. But when the robot was finished, Melissa called Anna the Best Big Cousin Ever™.

So mission accomplished.

After that, Melissa chattering nonstop about how she was totally gonna be a hero like her mom someday. Anna just smiled. But then, Melissa suddenly turned serious. “Anna?”

Yeah?”

“Would you want a little sister?”

“I never really thought about it. But I like having you around.”

“I like having you, too!…but I want a little sister.”

At this point, Anna was completely lost.

“You mean… like, adoption?”

“Yeah! I got adopted and now I’m part of the family. So mom should do it again!”

“You don’t just order little sisters like ice cream, Mel.”

“Why not?”

“You’re a handful already. Do you think your mom can handle another one?”

“…Yes!”

And so, when Cathleen returned from her international mission to pick up Melissa, her little girl had a question for her. “Mom, can I have a little sister?”

“…What?”

“Me and Anna talked, and we think I need another little sister!”

“…I’ll think about it.”

Cathleen didn’t need to think long about it. Because a week later, her sister called her. For years, Lilian ‘Lily’ Scervino had worked in child services. And now, she had a very hard case from the USA.

In Texas, there was a child that had an animal mutation. The hooves of a horse, the tail of a rabbit, the ears of sheep and the horns of a bull despite her being a girl. Apparently, her parents didn’t share those trades and so essentially treated their daughter as livestock.

They even gave her a demeaning name: Pony.

Needless to say, Star&Stripes made it her personal mission to arrest the Tsunotori’s, which wasn’t hard. 

What was hard was what to do with Pony afterwards.

Well Cathleen knew that this little girl, despite everything she’d been through, deserved a chance to be loved and cherished.

The day of the meeting arrived, and Cathleen, along with Toshinori and Melissa, stood in front of the adoption agency. Cathleen was already holding Melissa's hand as they walked in, but the tension in the air was tense.

“Hi, Pony,” Cathleen greeted softly, kneeling down so she was at eye level with the little girl. “I’m Cathleen. These are my daughter and father, Melissa and Toshinori.”

“…All Might…and Star&Stripes.” Clearly, the horned knew of them, and so was in awe, causing the Yagi’s to laugh.

“Hi, Pony! I’m Melissa! I’m your new big sister!” Melissa immediately bounced forward, her voice full of energy. 

“Calm down, Melissa. We wouldn’t want to overwhelm her.” Toshinori lightly scolded his granddaughter as Cathleen smiled at Pony.

“We came to meet you because we want to be your family. You don’t have to decide anything right away, okay? We’re just here to get to know you.”

Pony bit her lip, still hesitant, but there was something in Cathleen’s eyes that made her feel safe. She was a heroine afterall. “...I don’t like my name.”

“Then we’ll call you something else.” Cathleen reassured her. “We’ll just call you..Po. Like a nickname.”

“I like it.” Melissa added from behind her mom. 

Pony, or Po now, meanwhile looked at the two in awe, before she gave them a small, unsure smile, her little cheeks flushing.

A few weeks later, Pony Tsunotori officially became a part of the Yagi family. It was decided to keep her legal name Pony, but just call her Po. And Po was very enthusiastic about being like her new momma and gramps.

Honestly, she and Melissa reminded Cathleen of her and Lilian.

A few months passed, and Po continued to settle into the family. Her bond with Melissa and Cathleen grew stronger. Melissa in particular was very happy to have her requested little sister. “You’re my little sister now! We’re gonna have so much fun!”

One night, after dinner, the whole family gathered on the couch to watch a movie. Po was snuggled up against Cathleen. “I love you, Momma,” she whispered quietly, before falling asleep. Cathleen looked down, her heart swelling with emotion. She leaned down and kissed the top of Po’s head. “I love you too, Po…and you too, Melissa.” She added as Melissa started glared at Cathleen and Po.

And as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, Po’s bond with Cathleen, Toshinori, and Melissa grew. Honestly, it was surprising how much a little bit of positive reinforcement did for Po.

One evening, as they were all settling in for a movie night, Anna video called. "How’s everything going over there?" She asked, her voice filled with curiosity and affection.

“Well Po, how do you like it here?” Cathy asked with a smile as Po smiled shyly.

"I like it here."

“Alright Po, are you ready? Melissa asked as the kitchen table was a mess of blueprints, wires, and tiny mechanical parts. Po sat in the middle of it all, her tongue sticking out slightly as she carefully adjusted a gear with a screwdriver. 

"Yes big sis, so is this right?" 

Melissa peered over Po’s shoulder, adjusting her glasses. "You're close! Just make sure the circuit isn't overlapping here." She pointed at a small wire. "Otherwise, it might short out."

"How's the science fair project coming along?” All Might, wearing an apron with ‘World's Best Grandpa’ written across it, peeked into the kitchen, his brows raised. 

“Melissa's helping me build a mini wind turbine!" Po beamed.

Cathleen, lounging against the doorframe with a coffee in hand, snorted. "The kids basically making a baby power plant."

All Might gasped dramatically, clutching his heart. "My granddaughters, an engineer in the making! I’m so proud!" With an exaggerated sniff, All Might wiped away a fake tear. "They're growing up so fast."

Cathleen rolled her eyes but smirked. "Better prepare for when she starts building full-on hero tech, old man."

Melissa nudged Po playfully. "And when we do, we'll make sure Grandpa gets the first prototype."

"Only if he promises to wear my ‘Best Grandpa’ badge at the fair!" Po added, causing Toshinori to laugh out loud.

"It would be an honor!"

The backyard training course was set up with makeshift hurdles, dummies, and a few targets. Po bounced on her hooves, her tail flicking excitedly. “Okay, I’m so ready for this!”

“Alright, squirt, let’s see what you’ve got.” Cathleen said with a smirk, crossing her arms. Melissa stood beside her, holding a clipboard. “We’ll time you, so good luck, baby sis!”

Po took a deep breath, her eyes burning with determination. “I won’t let you down!”

All Might stood off to the side, beaming. “Just remember to focus and trust your instincts!”

With a go from Cathleen, Po dashed forward. She weaved through cones, leaped over hurdles, and bucked a training dummy so hard it nearly toppled over.

“That’s my girl!” Cathleen whistled enthusiastically, right as Po tripped over her own hooves, rolling into a pile of leaves.

“Ohhh, that looked like it hurt.” Melissa winced as Toshinori rushed over, kneeling beside his youngest granddaughter. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” Po sat up, shaking leaves out of her hair, before groaning in frustration. “I had it!”

“Hey, you’re improving. A month ago, you would’ve face-planted at the first hurdle.” Melissa handed her a water bottle. “Heck, you’re doing better than me.”

“She’s right, Po. Every stumble is just proof that you’re moving forward.” All Might chuckled. 

Po huffed before smiling. “Okay, then! One more round!”

Cathleen laughed. “That’s the attitude. Let’s go again.”

As they reset the course, All Might watched them with pride.

The summer sun bathed the Italian countryside in golden light as Cathleen, Melissa, Po, Toshinori, and the rest of their family visited Lilian and Anna. It had been years since they all had the chance to be together like this, and for Cathleen, seeing her sister happy and thriving in Italy with her husband and daughter was a warm reminder of how far they'd all come.

While the adults relaxed in a charming villa, Anna, Po, and Melissa had one goal in mind: the petting zoo.

The zoo was small, nestled in the hills, with wide open enclosures where children could feed and play with the animals. Anna immediately ran off to see the goats, Melissa gravitated toward the rabbits, and Po hesitated before wandering over to a small group of chickens.

That’s when she saw a boy about her age, with messy brown hair and sharp dark eyes. Besides him lay a little brown puppy, who was happily sleeping surrounded by chickens.

"Hey," Po greeted. "You like chickens?"

"Yeah… I guess." The boy mumbled as he didn’t look up from the animals. “…Do you?”

“I guess too. Really I like all animals.” Po shrugged before extending her hand. “I’m Pony, but everyone calls me Po.”

“…I’m”-“Lupo, we’re leaving!” Before the boy could introduce himself, his mom, a woman with long black hair, called out for him. So he picked up his dog, and walked away.

Though not before waving at Po, who waved back at him.

And Melissa, having watched the entire exchange from a distance, grinned wickedly. She darted over to Anna, whispering something, and the two girls giggled.  A few minutes later, the two went to their little sister/cousin.

“Who was your boyfriend, Po?” They asked in unison.

“He’s not my boyfriend, and he’s called Lupo.” Po said matter of factly before returning her attention to the chickens.

That evening, after everyone had settled in for the night, Cathleen and Lilian sat outside on the villa’s balcony, sipping wine and looking over the quiet Italian countryside. "Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?" Lilian murmured. "Two little girls, alone in America, reverse adopting their hero."

Cathleen chuckled. "And now look at us. You’re married with a daughter. I have two daughters of my own. And somehow, we both ended up successful."

"Yeah. You as the number one American hero, and me as a happy, normal person."

"You're not normal. You save kids in equally important ways.”

The two sisters sat in silence for a while, simply enjoying each other’s presence. But then Lilian spoke up. “Anna is having troubles with her quirk. It’s too powerful for her.”

“How bad is it?”

“It causes her seizures. Al is looking for something to help her.”

“I’ll help looking. Anything for my little sister and niece.” Cathleen immediately proclaimed.

“…Thanks, Cath. You’re my hero..By the way, Po met a boy today."

"Melissa is never going to shut up about this, is she?" Cathleen groaned, causing Lily to laugh.

It was inevitable that Toshinori would fight All For One again. Cathleen essentially ordered him to take her along, but this was Toshinori’s fight. 

After Nana and David, nobody was getting hurt again.

.

.

.

Except Toshinori himself. Because as All For One tried to take One For All, as well as rip out his organs, Toshinori thought of his family. His daughters Cathleen and Lilian, and his granddaughters Anna, Melissa and Po.

In the end, All Might bashed his nemesis’ head in, reducing it to a bloody pulp. But all of this was at the cost of his organs and One For All getting ravaged by All For One almost taking the quirk.

Now Toshinori laid in a hospital bed, surrounded by his girls Cathleen, Lilian, Melissa, Po and Anna.

Anna clung tightly to Lilian’s hand, her twenty-year-old face pale from worry. She had always known her grandfather was a hero, but she had never seen him like this. So frail, so exhausted. 

"You can’t keep doing this," Lilian said, gripping Toshinori’s worn hand. "You have to rest now."

"Mom’s right," Anna whispered, her voice trembling. "You don’t have to fight anymore, Grandpa. Please don’t."

Toshinori looked at them, at all of them, and knew they were right. His fight was over. He HATED it. But he could barely stand at the moment. The old twenty year old him would have ignored it, but now he was in his early sixties with a family.

Still, he had one last thing to do before retiring. "Melissa… come here."

Melissa hesitated before stepping forward. "Grandpa?"

"It’s time to pass it on. You’ll be my successor." Toshinori gave her a weak, but proud smile. 

The room fell silent as Melissa’s eyes widened. "W-What?"

"Wait. Why her?" Po asked in confusion. It wasn’t jealousy. She loved Melissa, she did. But why not her?

"Giving One For All to someone with a Quirk would kill them. That’s why it has to be Melissa."

Po swallowed hard. She understood. But it still stung.

Melissa meanwhile nodded, determination clear in her eyes. "I’ll make you proud, Grandpa."

Toshinori squeezed her hand. "I know you will."

As the quirk got past on via a strand of hair, Cathleen and Lilian exchanged looks. Pride, sadness, and relief all tangled together. This was the end of an era. 

It was the end of All Might, but luckily Toshinori ‘papa’ Yagi was still there.

A year later, Cathleen, Melissa, and Po stepped off the plane at the Airport. Japan had been Cathleen’s home for a bit. Specifically the three years she went to UA. And now, it was Melissa and Po’s turn.

Waiting for them was a blue woman who immediately got in their faces with a microphone already in hand. "Cathleen Bate! Number One Hero of America! What made you decide to move to Japan?"

“*sigh* Look, I get it's your job. But,”-“ROAR!” Before Cathy could finish her sentence, a big black monster with an exposed brain and a beak jumped down and grabbed Chitose, before jumping onto another building.

Cathleen then looked at both her girls, who nodded back at her. “Alright girls, let’s make this quick. You two have an exam to get to.”

Meanwhile, on a couple rooftops away, a young man with a green gas mask stood with his hands behind his back. “Let’s hope grandpa’s work won’t go to waste. Don’t you agree, Waf?.” He mumbled while looking down at his dog..who was fast asleep.