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Inko Midoriya woke up on a Saturday morning feeling especially glum. It was a morning like any other; go to work, clean the apartment and make dinner. But she was especially angry on this particular day.
“Passing your power to this useless piece of trash was your greatest mistake”
“He’s a simpleton that couldn’t even protect his friends or teacher”
“Useless Deku”
“Useless”
Puckering her lips and pulling down her pink cardigan, she tried not to let her emotions control her.
She shakingly cut the vegetables in front of her. Her poor son was really going through it. How can someone say something so hurtful to their own kin?
While she was frustratingly stirring the pot, she noticed a misty dark portal coming into existence. She calmly ignored the background and continued stirring the pot, not acknowledging the large figure approaching her. The heavy footsteps got louder and Inko caught the sound of a familiar breathing machine.
“Hello my dear. I’m very happy to see you again.” She continued to ignore the alarmingly tall man as she walked around him, trying to find the spices she needed.
“My dear…” She kept ignoring him even when he pulled her into an embrace. “You look upset…”
“Oh, am I all that obvious?” She said in an annoyed tone. “Have you talked to Izuku recently?”
She silently turned to the pot that came to a boil before turning off the stove. She then grabbed some more vegetables, chopping them with a clearly angry face.
All for One sat down in the dining area. “No. We usually speak during the weekends. It’s Tuesday.”
“Really? Or is it because our son is too busy fighting this successor of yours?”
“It’s been a difficult week. Surely this will all be over soon; everything is going as planned.”
She put the knife down. “You promised not to hurt him.”
“I won’t. Just some scratches here and there. A small price to pay compared to a quirk that’s killing him.”
Inko looked down briefly. “You didn’t tell me about the UA traitor.”
“I didn’t think it was necessary. I don’t want to involve you in anything All Might or UA could question you about.”
Are you really going to excuse his constant gaslighting? He’s clearly manipulating you. Inko realized she could not ignore the voice in the back of her head anymore. The dangerous thoughts she blissfully ignored were no longer just meaningless paranoia; not to mention the voice terrifyingly sounded like Mitsuki. You're in denial. You clearly have some sort of fucked up Stockholm syndrome. He planned all of this from the start and you fell for his bullshit again. We all warned you Inko. Anyone could see he's a monster behind those soulless eyes.
She wasn’t dealing with an ordinary villain. How could she stupidly trust him not to play with her feelings?
Why would he choose to listen to a small housewife over world domination? Use your fucking brain and stop being delusional he's been doing this for who knows how long! How could you trust him stupidly! All those kids he used and killed. You are selfishly okay with this.
Why couldn't Mitsuki shut up? Why is her husband lying? Treating her like an ignorant fool again?
“You know Hisashi, when you came into my life I always thought you were a gift from god. I was lonely for so long. To think such an amazing person would love someone like me. It felt too good to be true.”
Inko didn’t even know what she was saying. She was so frustrated she didn’t seem to care anymore.
“When you kept your secrets, I didn’t mind. When you left me alone to raise our son for almost a decade, I didn’t mind. When you asked for a child, I was happy to oblige. When I saw you being punched down by All Might, arrested in front of the world and when I finally found out about your criminal activities, through a fight on a television screen no less, I stayed by your side. I defended you in every way possible even though I knew what you did. I accepted you.”
Inko stood up and All for One watched as she picked up a green piece of clothing.
“Remember when Izuku was diagnosed quirkless? I was so upset. I thought it was my fault you know.”
“It wasn’t.” The villain replied quickly.
Inko looked up with tears in her eyes. All those years of her constantly blaming herself, constantly apologizing to Izuku for her failure. “I know that now. But back then, I was so upset I failed you. I felt like a failure of wife, I couldn’t even give you a proper child. I didn’t blame you for leaving.”
“I left because-”
“…because of your accident I know. But that day, I told you to stay. I knew you were up to no good Hisashi,” Inko was now choking on her own words. “I knew deep inside my heart something bad was going to happen and you didn’t listen.”
“…”
Inko pulled out a box from the top of the china cabinet. She put it in front of the living room and opened it. “I always hated Izuku’s dream of being a hero. To see our child putting himself in danger, getting hurt, and sacrificing so much hurt me. I hated myself for easily accepting his quirkless nature. When I told you about Izuku’s diagnosis, you were the only one that encouraged him. You stood beside him and taught him how to do the impossible. You were the one who stopped him from doubting himself. It was because of you he became the man he is today, and he looks up to you, he loves you so much for that.”
She took out the photos, albums and video tapes that were stored deeply in the cardboard box. “I kept all of these. You were long gone but I couldn’t bring myself to throw them out.”
Each tape or album had a sticker with a title on it. ‘Wedding photos’ ‘Izuku’s first birthday’ ‘Izuku’s fifth birthday’ ‘First day of school’
“Izuku loves you so much Hisashi. Even after you left us he’s never said a bad word about you. He always talks about helping people like he thought you did. He gets so happy when I tell him how much he reminds me of you. He thinks I don’t know how he still cries for you every night.”
“I’m sorry.” All for One whispered. He tried to wrap his arms around Inko, but she rejected him. “Izuku still believes you’re coming back.”
“I will be back. After I take care of those heroes. I will succeed, and we can be a family again.” He plead and tried to convince her, but it fell on deaf ears.
Inko chose to keep ignoring him. “I’m glad at least All Might is honest with me. Telling me about the vestiges.” All for One looked annoyed “He told you about that?” Inko gave him the ‘were-you-ever-gonna-tell-me’ look. “He shouldn’t have involved you in something so dangerous.”
“Oh. So All Might is the one who involved me in this? Ever since I found out about this One for All, Izuku promised to tell me everything. Everything including that vestige world.”
The villain froze. “Hisashi.” Inko was now sobbing, the tears flowing freely on her red cheeks. “Please don’t tell me you left our son in some strange purgatory world, frozen in front of you, barely able to roll his eyes, helpless while taunting at him.”
“I had it all under control. Inko please-” Inko couldn’t believe her eyes as the look of shock on her face turned to anger. “Unbelievable. You are unbelievable do you have any idea what could have happened? No I want you to look at me. Hisashi I know you can see me. Look me in the eyes and tell me what you did to our child!”
For once in his life All for One was speechless. “It was only to take back One for All. What happened to Izuku was merely side effect. I had a solid plan and I made sure he would have never gotten hurt.”
“What about the taunts and all those names you called him? What am I supposed to tell Izuku? That his own father, the only one who ever believed in him, treated him like dirt? Called his horrible names, tried to attack him? You know how he feels about this, and you still used it against him. You used everything he told you against him. He’s your son he trusted you!” Inko let herself cry for once. She didn’t care that her tears blurred her vision.
“How can you say you love us when all you do is torture us?” Inko whispered. She had a headache from all the crying and couldn’t even look at him. “Have I not stood by your side? Have I not accepted you as you are? I rejected every opportunity for you. I have continuously betrayed and lied to everyone around me. I had to watch my husband and my son fight against each other in death battles. I had to choose a side and its clear I’m on yours. I am the only one who ever willingly stood with you!”
Eventually, Inko took a moment to bawl and curse at him. All for One could only helplessly watch as she rejected his notions of comfort.
“Get off of me! I hate you!”
She kept shouting as she used her small fists to hopelessly hit his chest. “You’re a liar! I stood by you and all you do is hurt me!”
“Useless. You think he’s useless?” Eventually Inko tired herself out and collapsed on the couch, absolutely defeated. “Let me tell you something oh mighty demon lord. A useless person is someone who walks out on their family. A useless person abandons his son, rarely ever calls, and leaves his wife to raise his child on her own while making empty promises he knows he can’t keep. A useless person is someone who is 7 months behind on child support!”
“Inko I didn’t mean to-”
“Shut up Hisashi. For once in your life just be quiet. I don’t care what you do to this wretched world. All I asked was to leave me and Izuku out of it. If you can’t even do that… leave. That’s all you’re ever good at anyways.”
“I never wanted either of you involved. But then that blond oaf- He turned him against me. Poisoned him. Gave him that wretched quirk that’s destroying him, that’s why I need to break him, destroy his self worth like Yoichi, to take it back. It’s the only way.”
“…his quirk makes him happy.”
“Are you reconsidering letting him keep it? Everything I do is for you and Izuku. I’m trying to protect our son. That quirk is killing him.”
“Get out.”