Chapter Text
The clock ticks
Tock
Tick
Tock
Tick-
To-
Izuku sat up, tired of staring at the empty walls of the apartment. It's been about two weeks and no sign of his mother, if she was working shifts she would still have a few hours in between to come back here and ten leave again, but she hadn't. She hadn't texted, called or left a note.
The longest time shes been away was a week, and that's doubled that now.
He needed to see, find things that may lead to a reason or conclusion of where she is. But he had checked everywhere, kitchen, living room, dining table, the bathroom for christ sakes, and of course, his bedroom. None have any letters or any clues where she might have gone.
Except...... No. The one rule she was very strict about, to the point of even smacking him once when he was 5, trying to tell mommy that he had a nightmare, the one rule she had punishments for- whether it be no dinner to locking him in his bedroom- it was scary.
But then- it was the only place he hadn't checked. That one place he swore to himself not to enter, his mother's one rule, the most important one of all.
Do Not Enter Her Room.
Under no circumstances can he even get near the door.
But.... she isnt here right now, and what if shes dead? Or got kidnapped? Izuku needs to know. It doesn't help the dread that's building up, like when hes at the start of a panic attack.
He clutches his hand to his shirt and squeezed his eyes shut. It's ok, he'll just get in, get out, she wouldn't even know he was in there.
Untightening his hand and raising his head up, staring at the door at the end of the hallway, he inhales then exhales, and then he walks.
He walks up to the door, reaching up to his mother's door, and he turns the knob. It isn't till the door clicks open that he lets out a breath that he didn't know he was holding in.
And on the nightstand, besides the bare room, was a stack of money. And a sticky note that reads, 'Izuku' on it.
Izuku promptly cries, falling to his knees before the night stand. Sobbing his heart out, snot running down his face.
__________________________
Izuku awakes with the sun shining through the window, head aching and face crusty with dried tears. Izuku's eyes take a moment to adjust, then his mind, and he remembered everything. It was like a wave of emotions, and the feeling of when you body feels so heavy you can't even move it.
Izuku doesn't know what emotions he is feeling, sadness, anger, confusion, betrayal? Whatever it is he doesn't like it, at all.
He picks himself up and struggles to keep balance as his vision blurs. He stumbles to the door, leaning on it, before turning around to look at the stack of money.
He made his way to the kitchen to scavenge for food, he hasn't gotten the groceries yet, waiting for mom to come home. He stares numbly at the pantry, nothing. She must have taken some of the last food when she left for work a few days ago, Izuku can't remember the last time he ate. His stomach growls with the thought of any food.
So he goes into his room and gets ready for the day, it's the weekend and he only has school left for a week before spring break. He grabs his spare change from the little arrends he does for neighbors, mostly for Mrs and Mr. Tanaka.
He puts on his only pair of shoes he has, tattered and dirty but Izuku can't buy a new pair, and they still some-what fits.
He begins to walk out the door but stop, before turning around and getting his yellow torn up backpack. All he can do is try to distract himself now.
He walks down the stairs of his apartment and waves to the person at the front desk. He walks downtown to a popular cafe, well as popular as it could, living in a rundown town its difficult to have good things. You need to stay alert if you dont want to get jumped. Luckily the Tanaka's store is more near his school, which was more safe and easy, making their store flourish.
The door dingles as he walks in, nodding to the workers as he sits in a booth in the back, his usual spot.
He scrolls through the news on his phone (something that he's mom agreed to only after giving him a beating)
After awhile one of the waiters came up and asked for his order, protocol, even though he knew what he was going to order. "Coffee, with sugar and alittle bit of milk, triple espresso, and a sugar cookie." Izuku gives him alittle smile, as a thanks for dealing with the random shit he sees.
It doesn't last, the smile dropping and showing an emotionless mask. He stares at the table, spacing out.
Did I mess anything up? Did I anger her or push her to her limits? What did I do? I needed to prove that I wasn't useless, did I do the opposite of that? I tried to clean up the place, cook her dinner, get the groceries so what did I do for her to leave?!
Izuku balls his fists in his lap as he shuts his eyes, trying to keep the tears from dripping down. What did he do wrong?
The question had been bugging him ever since he woke up. Why was he not good enough? He tried his best to make up for his quirklessness, but he should've had known that he couldn't, that he wasnt strong enough, that he wasn't going to be able to go beyond. To go Plus Ultra.
Izuku hears quiet footsteps coming from behind, he turns his head to meet the waiter with his order. He nods his head as a thank you while the carrier stalks to another table.
He sips the scolding coffee before taking out his laptop, from the backpack, and opening it up.
After awhile he began using the laptop for analysis, since he was scared one of these times bakugou would blow up his books so much he couldnt rewrite them. Of course he still used his notebooks, but he quickly writes the info he wrote down in the laptop, in a number code he made up, mixed with letters.
Analysis distracted him for awhile but he couldn't escape the situation. He needs to get more groceries, get any mail, and clean and organize the apartment all over again.
So after 3 hours of typing away and mumbling, the daily costumers used to his habits didnt mind but a few new ones gave him weird looks, he finally put his laptop away and began walking out. He passed by a table with a face he hasn't seen before, possibly a new costumer?
He looked like he hasn't slept in a long while, like years. Which Izuku feels for him, and as his classmates would say, "mood".
I nod to the employee as a thank you before leaving.
__________________________
Walking down the street in a rough neighborhood isn't the safest but Izuku doesn't feel in danger. He weaves his way past alleyways and tiny short pathways to get to Tanaka's shop quicker, if he was lucky he'll make it on time to see
Mr. Tanaka!
He sees the shop in his view, only a few steps away but he gasped as his back collar got grabbed, dragging him to the nearest alleyway.
He got pushed against the wall, bracing himself for compact as he hit the floor.
"HAAH? SHITTY DEKU- " Baka-gou spits at 'Deku'. He begins to grin but Izuku doesn't think that he's happy, that thought makes his throat clogged up.
Izuku looks around to see anyone else, his two followers were with him, and both were too grinning. Izuku braced himself, this might get alittle bloody.
Bakugou didn't like Deku looking away, kicking him and yelling "HEY, QUIRKLESS," getting his attention. Izuku snaps his neck back to the boy with explosions.
"Oi, quirkless freak, didn't you learn last time not to go to UA?" He snarls, almost suffocating, the amount of venom...
"H-hai? Why would I do anything like that I meanyouknowimquirklessihavenowayofpassingtheentranceexamnottobeginhoetheywouldn'teveneccptme-" Izuku was knocked out of his rant by a kick in the gut, making him choke out and curl on himself.
"Then WHY did alittle birdy tell me how you were so ' eager ' to see what UA looked like? Wondering what it would look like once you 'passed' HAH? What about that, freak?" The explosive boy gives another kick, this time for the head, but Izuku quickly moved, only having it hit his shoulder.
A Yelp of pain came from Deku, "AH- What? I didn't tell anyone that? I swear I would even begin to imagine what UA would look like, let alone try out for the exam!" Izuku waves his hands about trying to reason with him.
"Are you telling me I'm WRONG? Deku?" Bakugou snarls between, no longer grinning.
"Wha!? No I'm just saying tha-" another kick, but this time hitting its target, Deku's head hit the wall, not having time to finish his sentence.
The angry leader scoffs, "You extras teach him a lesson. I'm going to get some food." He stalks off into the busy streets, his 'friends grumble a few things but doesn't say it out loud. Instead looking at the target, grinning madly as they crack their knuckles.
Izuku gulps, so much for seeing
Mr. Tanaka today...
_____________________
All Izuku can remember is him waking up and it being dark, his body in pain, and something wet running down his face and body.
"Shit."
So far so great? Izuku thinks he's handling his situation pretty well.
He then promptly breaks down in a loud cry.