Chapter Text
Toshi hid behind a building as he looked on in horror at the events unfolding before him. His father had been surrounded by the villains. He was scared but he had faith in his father. He was the number one hero! He won't let these villains beat him. No…why wasn't he getting up?! That villain with the weird hair pierced him. Did he paralyze his father by any chance? Three of the villains left soon after and only two remained. Toshi recognized them easily. He had seen their pictures on the television. He had even heard about his father's encounters with these villains when he was a student in UA. The frail, blue haired guy with the hands all over his body was Shigaraki and the black mist guy in the bartender uniform was Kurogiri. These guys were dangerous. They're a part of the League of Villains!
Toshi tried to be discreet and not draw attention to himself as he looked around. There was no one in sight to whom he could go ask for help. When he turned his attention back to the scene, his blood turned cold. Shigaraki was getting closer to his father, his hand outstretched.
NO! Father…!
Before he knew it, his legs started moving on their own.
Things happened so quickly Izuku's brain was still trying to catch up. One moment he was on the ground with Shigaraki's hand almost in front of his face and the next second there was a little boy with familiar green curly hair knocking him out of the way.
TOSHI!
Five fingers pressed themselves on Toshi's face and his cry reverberated throughout the area. Izuku's eyes widened as he saw his son's face begin to crumble right in front of his eyes. He heard another scream added to Toshi's and only later did he realize it was his own. He needed to rescue Toshi…He needed to get up! But no matter how much he tried, his body remained immobile.
Shigaraki removed his hand. "Tsk. Where did this kid come from?" he asked in annoyance. Izuku saw Toshi fall to the ground, his body limp, blood oozing from his disfigured face.
"Shigaraki…this kid…If I recognized him correctly…that's Toshi Midoriya." Kurogiri was interrupted as small explosions were heard in the distance and a scream echoed "DEKUUUUUU! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, YOU SHITTY NERD?"
"Toshi Midoriya? Hehhhh that's interesting," smirked Sigaraki. "Kurogiri, let's retreat for now. Teleport the others as well."
Kurogiri opened up a portal. "But…" Kurogiri turned to look back at Izuku who was lying on the ground, staring at his son's body silently. "What about Sensei's task?"
Shigaraki laughed and looked at Izuku. "A broken hero is better than a dead one." With those parting words, he stepped into the portal just as Bakugo, Todoroki and Iida arrived at the scene.
"Hey DEKU! What the fuck are you doing on the ground and why did you…" Bakugo's voice trailed off as he noticed the small figure on the ground in front of Izuku. It would have been hard for him to recognize the little boy from his face alone but his hair was a dead giveaway. Bakugo slowly approached him and picked him up. Iida and Todoroki stood frozen in their places.
"Iida, take Toshi to the hospital as fast as you can. Go…NOW!" growled Bakugo as he shifted Toshi to Iida's arms. Iida didn't waste a single second as he sped off with Toshi.
By this time, Todoroki had snapped out of his haze and he quickly went to Izuku. "Midoriya…" he gently shook him. No response. Midoriya couldn't see anything. He couldn't hear anything. His mind kept on replaying the last few seconds like a broken record player. A flash of green hair. A sickening crumbling sound. The scream…oh god…the scream. Toshi…
"It looks like he's unable to move. Might be because of some kind of quirk. Or maybe it's the shock. I don't know. But we need to get him to the hospital as well," Todoroki said as he looked at Bakugo.
Bakugo remained silent looking at the ground.
"Bakugo!"
Todoroki's shout finally managed to shake Bakugo out of his reverie and he silently helped Tosoroki pick up Izuku as they made their way to the hospital.
Izuku felt Sasaki's quirk lose its effect after an hour. Recovery Girl had visited him a few moments ago healing his injuries before scurrying away quickly to the emergency ward. He could feel the tension radiating off her. He was surrounded by whispers and quick glances at him. Detective Tsukauchi had paid him a visit as soon as he had arrived. Izuku mechanically related all the events that had transpired. His mind was clear but static filled his head. His mother had reached the hospital as soon as she heard the news. Todoroki was outside, consoling her as she let out a flood of tears. Guilt gripped Midoriya Inko like a vice. Izuku had left Toshi in her care. If only she had not allowed him to go out to play…if only she had accompanied him…her list of regrets were never-ending.
Three hours passed.
The door to Izuku's room opened and he saw Recovery Girl enter. She was nowhere near young but it seemed as if the last few hours had aged her considerably. Izuku took one look at her and understood. Recovery Girl went up to him and held his hand in between hers. Squeezing them she uttered in a completely defeated voice, "I'm sorry."
Anger, sadness, frustration, guilt…Izuku was a pile of emotions. His mother hugged him tight as she kept on crying. But Izuku didn't shed a single tear. He sat on the bed, staring at the walls in front of him.
"Izuku…" whispered a new voice.
Izuku closed his eyes and turned his head away. He could not look at her right now. He didn't deserve to look at her anymore.
"Izuku…please…look at me," the voice broke as it came closer to him. A pair of soft hands cupped his face. Fingers gently caressed his closed eyes as she wrapped her arms around him and said, "It wasn't your fault. Don't beat yourself up over this Izuku…please."
Izuku couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why was Ochako consoling him? Their son…What was he doing? He should be strong. He can't break down…not when Ochako needed him to be there for her as well. He knew she was probably blaming herself for what happened as well. He needed to snap out of it. His tangled up emotions can wait.
He finally focused on what was in front of him. Ochako looked like she was about to pass out. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy. Those sparkling brown eyes which had always given him courage and confidence before was now a muddy brown with no sparkle in them whatsoever. Bakugo and Iida were standing in the corner of the room not meeting anyone's eyes. Todoroki was in another corner, consoling his mother.
Focusing his attention back to Ochako, Izuku wrapped his arms around her. Ochako's whimpers and the tears which drenched his hospital gown felt like a well-deserved slap to him.
Later that night Izuku returned back to his mother's apartment to grab a change of clothes for his mother and Ochako who stayed behind in the hospital. As soon as Izuku opened the door, he found himself surrounded by balloons and streamers. Oh right…today was Toshi's birthday… The hollow feeling inside his heart which he had suppressed for so long resurfaced. Izuku's eyes fell upon the huge pile of presents waiting to be unwrapped on the table. A large piece of paper placed right on top of the gifts caught his attention. Moving closer, he picked it up. It was a drawing made by Toshi – what he had been working on for so long. In the middle of the page there was a drawing of Izuku and Ochako in their hero costume…and in between them was Toshi, wearing a costume of his own, smiling proudly. All of them were holding hands and the words "Midoriya Hero Agency" was written in bold over their heads.
Izuku felt breathless. His heart was squeezing painfully and he curled himself on the floor, clutching the drawing in his hands as if his life depended on it. The tears which he had, till then, tried to suppress, now flowed freely without restraint. A cold numbness spread throughout his body. What kind of a hero was he if he couldn't even protect his son? The Symbol of Peace? It all felt like a cruel joke to Izuku now. As a sob broke out, Izuku remembered something that All Might had told him on the day they first met.
"I smile to show the pressure of heroes and to trick the fear inside of me."
Izuku was afraid…afraid of how transient life was. Never before had he felt loss this close to him. He was no hero. He had no right to be All Might's successor.
"I can't, All Might…I can't smile anymore like you," whispered Izuku as the cold, quiet house bore witness to his statement amidst his broken sobs.
-The End-