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"Izuku, please stop wriggling around--"
"I can't help it mum!! I'm so excited!!"
The soft whines from the small boy caused his mother to smile sadly down at her child, a sigh befalling her before she gently stroked his soft curls, revealing in how easy her fingers carded through the usual tangled mess of hair. She made sure her boy was strapped in correctly, safely, before stepping back and peering at the green-eyed boy who stared at her with a doe-eyed innocence.
"After all, mum takes me to the best places!"
Izuku giggles at his own words, missing the tears that bud within his others eyes, ones she quickly wipes away before forcing a smile upon her face. She closes the door, her son muttering to himself - an early habit he had gained from his father - before moving to the front of the car, willing her shaky hands to open the door to the drivers seat, sliding in. With her face hidden, her son didn't have a clue.
Didn't have a clue as to why his mother had woken him up much too early for daycare, or why she had packed two bags with only his belongings.
No clue as to why his mother had been watching him sadly for the past several days, leading up to this very moment...
Buckling the tight leather seatbelt, Inko held back another sigh, hesitating before she reached over, grasping the door handle and shutting her door with a click.
Sealing their fate. His fate.
"I always do, don't I, Izuku?" Inko states murmuring mostly to herself as she gripped the wheel with one hand, reaching to light the ignition of their small car. "And mum swears this isn't any different, just trust me. Ok?"
If Inko's mind wasn't already made up, she would've cried at the cheery, happy squeal of agreement that followed her words.
Izuku kept his eyes to the shapes moving outside the car as they drove, not yet having a real understanding of time to really see how long they'd been travelling for. As the car drove, Izuku imagined himself and Kacchan, fighting alongside one another as they fought villain after villain, his imagination running wild as he excitedly wriggled in his car seat. He imagined All Might, saving the two of them from a hero much too strong, and the trio taking them down together.
A beaming grin took up the majority of the five-year-olds face, waving his arms around and kicking his legs out as if he was fighting. Take that, and that!! Kacchan will take you down with one big boom!
His head felt light and airy, and he wondered what amazing place his mum would take him to today - would it be an amusement park? The zoo? Oh! Maybe she was taking him to go meet All Might?!
His tiny fists clenched the sides of his car seat excitedly, even at just the possibility of meeting THE All Might! Sure, he might be jumping to conclusions - but for a small five-year-old, nothing was impossible, not really.
He wondered what he could say to All Might first--
Kacchan's going to be sooooo jealous! I'll have to get a picture for him...
Although the blond in question had been harsh to Izuku in the passing weeks, following his quirkless diagnosis ...but it was fine! Maybe, if Izuku met someone really, really cool, then Kacchan might let him play with their friends again!
And Izuku wouldn't have to worry his mum, coming home with bumps and bruises that he said were from the other kids being too rough...
Only when the door on Izuku's right open, did he realize that the car had come to a stop, and his mother quietly set about to unbuckling him from his seat. Peering over her shoulder as the woman gently held her child, Izuku could see the sun was already up, shining down upon the two. He breathed in the fresh, early morning air and wrapped his arms around Inko's neck.
"Mum, where are we?" he chirped, feeling Inko move a hand to gently past the top of his head, before she leaned down to grab something.
"You'll see, Izuku," her voice soft, slightly chiding in his ear as she grasped the luggage she had brought along. Izuku took that chance to look once more, seeing a large, worn down building before them. It must still be pretty early, seeing as no one was up and about.
The freckled boy noticed the paint peeling off the side of the building, and felt something coil in his gut...it had to be nothing right? His mum wouldn't take him anywhere dangerous...right?
"Mum...?"
Inko was oddly quiet as she moved closer to the building, slightly frazzled and hurried footsteps. Izuku decided to keep his mouth shut after that, ignoring the fear that rolled down his spine, the cold air of the building settling across his skin, causing goosebumps to appear.
The door of the building creaked, loud and rusted as Inko slowly moved it open. The building shrouded the pair in darkness from the rising sun, making their way inside the dull-lit room, to where Izuku could see was mostly empty - there was something that seemed to be like a waiting room, similar to the one his mum had taken him to when seeing the doctor. There was a long desk at one side, a woman sitting behind it with a worn-down desktop, tapping away at her keyboard. Only when Inko placed Izuku down, gently taking his small hand in hers, did the woman look up.
Hair fraying grey with age, the older woman had a soft smile on her face, Izuku being unable to tell that it was forced. "Good morning! How may I help you?"
Inko seemed to startle, but only after a moment did she speak up, averting her gaze from both the receptionist and even her own son. "Y-yes...I called ahead, a few days ago. Inko Midoriya, if it rings a bell? The Director told me to come ahead today - sorry if I'm a bit early..."
Recognition seemed to ignite in the older woman's dark eyes, and she gave a nod. "Ms. Midoriya, master Shi told me you would be arriving today..." She got to her feet, moving out from behind the long desk and bowing slightly to the pair, the atmosphere somber. "If you take a seat, I will go fetch him. He should be getting the others up for breakfast any moment now."
As she tottered away, heels clacking at the tiled floor, Izuku turned to his mum with wide eyes, filled with confusion. "W...Mum, why are we here?"
The green-haired woman only ushered her only child to one of the couches, seemingly ignoring the scared whimper that tore itself from his throat.
He wanted to go home. Something was wrong, wrong, he could just feel it, unable to comprehend...when could they leave? Why was mum being so quiet?
He could only watch as she rifled through one of his bags, bringing out a soft, plush All Might teddy he'd gotten for his birthday. Her green gaze lingered on the object before she passed it to Izuku, who clung to the toy and pressed it to his chest.
"Mum...?"
The soft, worn couch cushions almost made Izuku sink into them once he finally sat down, Inko looking anywhere but at her child. Izuku buried his face into his toy, hoping that the strange woman would come back--
"Master Shi is now here to see you, Ms. Midoriya."
Two sets of footfalls echoed off the empty walls, and Izuku only looked up as they came closer, in time to see the older woman now accompanied by a slightly younger man, skin pale and sickly as his silver hair fell over his shoulders. But his orange eyes held a young, fiery warmth to them, despite the circumstances. "Welcome to my humble abode, Ms. Midoriya. And I take it this is little Izuku, correct?"
Izuku's mother shifted her feet, nodding halfheartedly. "It is..."
Izuku swallowed a lump in his throat as this unknown Shi crouched down to be on his level, smiling softly at the boy. "Hello, Izuku. I'm Sen Shi; but feel free to call me whatever suits you. Your mother here has told me a great deal about you, over the last several phone calls we've had." His voice sounded rusted, but still strong in his age. "You're five years old, right? And a big fan of All Might, I see!"
The quirkless boy only nods, nerves causing him to curl in slightly on himself, biting his lip as the mans face softened, and he held his hand out.
"I promise we aren't here to hurt you, Izuku. We are quirkless, much like your current state."
Something sparked in Izuku at that, as the man turned his gaze to Inko. "Are you entirely sure this is something you wish to do, Ms. Midoriya? This is your final chance...he seems like a fine young lad."
Izuku's head whipped to his mother at that, eyes wide. What...what did he mean? His small fingers tightened around his All Might toy.
The look on Inko's face was devastated, eyes budding in her eyes as she nodded, a sob shaking her form. "T-this is what's best for him. Please, don't make this any harder than it has to be."
Sen Shi sighed, nodding slightly before he gazed at the receptionist, who had remained silent during the conversation. "Why don't you take young Izuku's bags up, hmm? We'll follow in a few moments."
...Mum?
Izuku's mouth ran dry as he wriggled to get back on his feet. The older woman took his bags and turned without so much as a second glance, and Izuku reached out a hand to cling to his mothers skirt. "Mum, why are you crying? Let's go home!"
But she stepped away, and Izuku felt the dread almost sweep him off his feet. Inko couldn't even look at him, and he felt tears unwillingly fill his eyes, blurring his gaze.
"This is what's best, Izuku," a gently hand tilted his head up, and Izuku felt lips press shakily against his forehead. The trembling hand brushed through his scalp one last time, leaving a cold path behind before it pulled away. "You be a good boy for these nice people, ok? And you become smart and big and strong, and you do whatever your heart desires, and grow without having everyone around you hurt you..."
"Mumma..." his voice cracked as the woman took one step back, and another, turning away from her boy.
"You're such a good boy Izuku...but I can't handle seeing you so sad...seeing everyone look at you with such disgust, hurting you...and I can't do anything to stop it. What mother am I..."
The best--
"I've already failed you...I've failed you so much, Izuku, and I'm so, so sorry. I promise, you'll understand when you're older...please, become the best person you can be. I still believe in you--"
His mother choked back another sob, before hurrying out. Without her boy. Without Izuku.
The five-year-old was frozen for only a moment, before the tears spilled, dripping down his cheeks and rolling off his chin. "Mum!" He cried suddenly after her, about to take off after her before hands wrapped around his midsection. "Mum, come back!"
But Inko didn't look back, even as Izuku struggled, even as he began to scream and cry, the front door opening as his mother made to leave, her figure getting smaller and smaller.
The light shone in from outside. Izuku's last chance. Izuku resisted.
"No!" His voice screamed, cried hoarsely after his mother. His family, the only person who cared for him, and looked after him - loved him. "Please, don't go! Mumma!!"
Through his tears, he saw her pause at the door, hand grasping the edge, and Izuku felt a flicker of hope raise within him, eyebrows drawing up as his mother stopped. As she hesitated. As she wavered...She'd come back! Then they could go home, go home and pretend this never happened, and it was all just a horrible nightmare--
'I'm sorry, Izuku."
Those quiet, whispered words echoed loudly in Izuku's ears as his mother gazed one last time over her shoulder, green eyes filled with sorrow as tears spilled, before she stepped out, shutting the door behind her.
Shutting him out--
He screamed once more, struggling with vigor as he yelled and cried, pushing and even trying to kick against the man holding him, wanting to leave. Wanting to get out, to find his mother.
She couldn't have really left him like that, right?
"Let go! Let me go!!" he sobbed, voice raw as his futile attempts at escaping gradually slowed down. "Let me go, I want her! I want my mum!!"
Shi continued to hold the boy with a sad expression as he watched the child, only pulling him close once he stopped struggling, his tiny body now heaving with sobs. "I'm sorry, young Izuku," the man murmured, carding his fingers through the boys curls, emptiness settling into the child's stomach.
Izuku clung to the sleeves of the older man as he murmured more words, falling deaf on Izuku's ears as more tears rolled down his cheeks, dampening his clothes as he shut his eyes, hoping this was just a bad dream and he'd wake up soon.
But it wasn't, and he'd have to deal with this for the rest of his life, replaying the event over and over and over again in his mind, the last fleeting memory he would have of the woman he called mother.
The last time he'd have seen her face, and heard her voice. The last time she would kiss him goodbye - a goodbye of forever.
"Please, don't go..."
His All Might toy lay forgotten, laying to grow dust and worn, too many good memories associated with it to be picked up once more. As peaceful memories turned twisted, twisted full of sorrow and even hatred to the very core, too painful to be regarded.
And as hope shattered into a million pieces, never to be repaired again-
Because she was gone, just like everyone else.