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The amount of destruction seemed to grow exponentially everyday without the protection of heroes.
The concept of hell no longer needed to be imagined.
Hell had arrived right on society’s doorstep.
Inko Midoriya sat anxiously in her UA provided dorm with her eyes glued to the television. It had been an entire month since she had been evacuated to the campus.
Since then, all she could think about was her son’s safety.
Despite being his mother, she was left in the dark just as much as everyone else. All she knew was that he had left the school in the interest of everyone else’s safety.
The only thing that brought her solace were the daily text messages she sent that popped up as being ‘delivered’ to his phone.
A month ago, she was desperate to change his mind.
Presently, she realized that he had grown up faster than she wanted.
But he was out there, and he was listening. She sent him messages as often as she could.
Izuku, please come home. It’s not safe out there, I’m worried for you.
Come back to UA, there’s a great security system here. We can all be safe.
I miss you, Izuku, please be safe out there.
Please, please let me know if you need anything.
Did you eat? Make sure you’re eating, you can’t fight without any strength.
Are you sleeping well? Let me know if you need a warm bed, I’m sure I have a friend that would be willing to let you use theirs.
I love you, Izuku.
See you soon, Izuku.
No matter the topic or the amount of texts, she never received a reply. Her phone felt more like a curse. She checked it frequently to see if he had responded.
She daydreamed about a reply. It didn’t need to be complicated.
I’m okay, Mom. I love you.
That was all she needed.
She always slept alone in her dorm. Some nights, she couldn’t sleep. She would lay in bed, eyes wide open, staring into the darkness.
Is he safe? Does he have somewhere to sleep? Will tomorrow be the day that I receive the news I only see in my nightmares?
There’s too many thoughts, instead, she cries softly.
A similar scenario plays out miles away as Izuku Midoriya considers reading his mother’s texts.
He was glad that nobody was there to see him leave UA. A small part of him knew that they would have tried to convince him to stay— and they probably would have succeeded.
All he could do now was focus and block everything else out.
Originally, he had refrained from reading his mother’s texts. He knew she would beg him to come back or she would say things that wouldn’t benefit him now.
Millions of people were counting on him to be protected. Nobody was coming to help him, he was the only one who could defeat All for One.
This wasn’t his life anymore, his only purpose now was for the greater good.
His mother only reminded him of what used to be.
He also found it difficult to sleep at night. The temptation to read his mother’s texts always struck as he fell asleep.
Along with temptation, came loneliness.
His sleeping locations rotated frequently between heroes with a couch to spare, sheltered places outside, and the occasional real bed, if he could somehow swing it. This also assumed he wasn’t fighting, which took up his time more than sleep.
Tonight, he was outside. This is where he felt the most hopelessness. The weather had warmed up, but he still shivered as he tried to doze off.
He looked down at his phone, staring at his messages app. So many unread messages.
His eyes focused on one word: mom.
122 unread messages.
Should he?
He gulped and opened the thread, the dozens of messages loaded.
He scrolled to the beginning and looked at them one by one.
There were many repeats, but he responded to the unique ones in his head.
Izuku, please come home. It’s not safe out there, I’m worried for you.
It wasn’t safe, but he was strong. She didn’t need to worry about anything.
Come back to UA, there’s a great security system here. We can all be safe.
He couldn’t. He was a target now, he needed to protect and save people, not put them in more danger.
I miss you, Izuku, please be safe out there.
He missed her too. He missed her hugs, her cooking, even her nagging on his safety.
Please, please let me know if you need anything.
His list would be too long.
Did you eat? Make sure you’re eating, you can’t fight without any strength.
He hardly ate. He got by, but his stomach always seemed to want more. He was never hungry when around his mom.
Are you sleeping well? Let me know if you need a warm bed, I’m sure I have a friend that would be willing to let you use theirs.
He wasn’t sleeping. There was too much to do. All he wanted was his bed at home.
I love you, Izuku.
He loved her too.
See you soon, Izuku.
He stopped at the most recent text and stared at the screen. Small sobs began to emit from his mouth for the first time in months.
He wanted to go back, to be safe and well fed again. To get a suffocating hug from his mother again. She wanted to have him back too.
“Mom… ” he said to his phone, sniffling quietly, “I just want to go home.”
He sat in his shelter, trying to cry quietly, small gasps coming out between his sobs.
Eventually, he turned to resignation. A dark acceptance came over him. He should have never gotten into this position, he was just too young. But that couldn’t be changed now.
There was a possibility that he would never see his mother again.
He opened up the reply box to send a message box to his mother.
“ Mom, don’t give up <3 I’ll see you soon,”
He was, he was going to see her. It wasn’t a guess, it was a choice.
He knew that even the smallest fires could reignite in the strangest of circumstances.