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Shouta watched as two police officers brought the kid into the interrogation room. Pushing him down onto the metal chair and locking his chains in place onto the table.
The kid wore the same condescending smirk he'd had since his arrest. An arrest made by personally by Shouta.
"You really think this will work?" Toshinori, who was in his weakened form after the fight he'd just gone through, asked as he glanced over at the dark haired man.
Shouta sighed as he kept his eyes on the boy in the interrogation cell. The kid had shown no signs of fear or worry at being arrested. If anything he seemed to find it amusing. Shouta knew there was no doubt it was a carefully crafted mask.
"Not sure what else we can try. Deku has made it clear he isn't willing to give us any information on the league"
Toshinori nodded slowly. He was clearly hesitant but even he knew there wasn't much else they could try. If this didn't succeed they'd have no choice but turn him over to the Hero Public Safety Commission.
Soon after a knock was heard from the door and the two men turned their heads towards it. A police man wearing a blue uniform opened it and spoke. "She's here sir" He then stepped to the side to allow the woman in.
The woman was short and plumb and with freckles adorned on her cheeks. Her green hair looked like it'd been tied up hastily and her expression was one of anxiousness.
"Hello" She greeted nervously. The grip on her purse tight.
Shouta gave a court nodd in return. "Ms Midoryia. Please, come in"
The woman tried to give him and Toshinori a polite smile before taking a few steps into room. The police officer who'd opened the door closing it behind her.
"I know you were told why you're here but-" a sudden gasp caused Shouta to stop in the middle of his sentence.
Inko who'd turned her head to the right and seen through the to-way mirror had let out that shocked noice and slapped a hand over her mouth. Shouta could see the tears that welled up in her eyes and heard how her breathing hitched. She rushed over to the two-way mirror and raised a trembling hand towards the boy on the other side. "Izu. My baby"
"Ms Midoryia" Shouta called out. He could understand her reaction, though it did make him slightly uncomfortable to see the woman cry.
"Oh" She jumped slightly. Like she'd for a moment forgotten about the everyone else in the room. She turned her head towards Aizawa. Her eye still glancy from tears and her smile trembling "I'm sorry, it's just" She hesitated and looked back towards the kid on the other side. Her expression almost longing. "He's really grown" She spoke with the voice only a mother who'd missed her child greatly could speak in.
Shouta couldn't help but follow her gaze towards the kid as well. He'd switched up the condescending smirk for a purely bored expression instead and was leaning back in his chair. Balancing it onto its two back legs. For a moment he allowed himself to take in the appearance of the boy before doing the same to the woman. They looked alike. There was no denying that. But the woman's eyes held this warm soft love that made him wonder how such a person like Deku could ever had come to be. It didn't seem possible with her love.
"Are you ready to head in?" He asked after another moment of silence had passed through the room.
The woman looked to struggle as she slowly turned her gaze away from her son. "Yeah" she sighed and gave a nod.
Shouta walked to the door to the side and opened it, stepping inside. Deku who'd been sitting in the interrogation-room with a bored expression allowed his chair to fall forward. Landing on its two front legs. "Well if it isn't Erasurehead. What brings me this honor?" The smirk he wore as he spoke made a flicker of irritation pass through Shouta though there was no external sign of it. Instead it was one of his usual masks of bored apathy as he took a step to the side.
Dekus' smirk was quickly wiped away as he saw his mother and his eyes widened. "What is? She can't be here!" He all but shouted and accidentally pulled on his chains, making them rattle.
He stared at his mother with wide, almost frightened eyes. "Why are you-?" He then turned to Shouta in a panic. "I don't want her here!"
This may be the first time Shouta saw the kid thrown of his balance but he didn't let that affect him as he crossed his arms and gave an unimpressed look. "Well I guess it's a good thing you don't get a say then"
Deku seemed to have been completely caught of guard by his mother's surprise visit. His breathing had gone heavier and his hands had clenched into fists tight enough to turn his touches white. Shouta gave the kid one last look before turning to the woman. He placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke in a quite voice only they were able to hear. "Just call out if anything happens. We'll be right outside"
"You can't leave Aizawa!" Deku shouted from his seat but Shouta ignored it and walked towards the exit. "If you think this will get me to flip on the league, you're more of an idiot than I thought!"
The door closed behind him leaving mother and son alone in the room.
Inko smiled sadly as she watched her son sitting in chains and she took a seat in front of him. He'd grown so much since she'd last seen him in person. He'd changed. He was taller now and had lost some of his babysat. But he still had the same unruly hair she'd since long given up on trying to comb through. He still had the freckles she used to count on him when he was a little kid, telling him they were stars there to protect him. He was still the same little boy who could never meet her eyes when he thought he'd done something wrong.
She couldn't help the smile on her lips as she saw how he couldn't raise his head to meet her gaze. He looked healthy and that made her happy. "You really have grown. I never used to see you wearing formal attire" she tried lowering her head closer to the table in an attempt to catch his gaze. "It suits you" she spoke softly but Izuku didn't respond.
Inko sighed slightly and leaned back in her seat. She seemed to think about something for a moment before looking back at her son. The son who still refused to meet her gaze.
"You know." She spoke. A fond nostalgia in her voice. "It was a February day. When your dad came by" she clasped her hands together and shrugged slightly. "Before. Well, going away"
Izuku slowly raised his head. His eyes were guarded but Inko could see the vulnerability behind them. The emotions he so strongly tried to keep locked away. "A U Haul truck in the drive way" she continued smiling slightly. "The day it was suddenly real"
"I told you not to come outside. But you saw that truck and you smiled so wide. A real-life truck in your drive way. We let you sit behind the wheel" She placed her elbow on the table and rested her head in the palm of her hand.
"You were so cute and excited then" Izuku averted his gaze away and Inko chuckled slightly at the memory.
"We said goodbye and then it was just me, and my little guy"
"I'm not little" he mumbled. A pink flare across his cheeks.
"No. You've grown up into a handsome man." She reached her hand forward and placed it on top of Izukus' larger hand. Then she continued. "And the house felt so big. And I felt so small"
"That night I tucked you into bed. I will never forget how you sat up and said. Is there another truck coming to our driveway? You looked so worried, and your eyes were so big When you asked if if there was a truck coming. A truck that will take mommy away?"
Inkos eyes grew glancy at the memory and Izuku couldn't help the way his eyebrows creased in worry. He took his mother's hand in his own and squeezed slightly.
"The house felt so big" she repeated, emphasizing the big part as she sniffled slightly and wiped away a tear that'd fallen from her cheek. The smile never left her lips though. "And I felt so small"
"Mom..." Izuku called out quietly.
"And I- and I knew that there would be moments that I missed" more tears escaped her now but she kept on smiling and she kept her grasp on Izukus hand. "And I knew there would be space I couldn't fill. And I knew I'd come up short."
"Mom no you-" He tried to argue weakly but was quickly interrupted. Izukus' own tears had started to fill his eyes now.
"A million different ways. And I did" She let's out a heartbreaking laugh. "And I do"
Izukus' lips trembled as tears flowed down his own cheeks, just like his mom's.
"And I will" She spoke and slowly pushed herself out of her chair. As she let go of Izukus' hand he instinctively tried to reach of it again. "But like that February day" She said softly as she began to walk around the table. Izuku reaching for her desperately and Inko leaned forward, resting her hand on his cheek and placing her forehead against his.
"I will take your hand." And she did.
"Squeeze it tightly and say"
"There's not another truck in the driveway." She moved her hand from his cheek and instead embraced him. She felt how he shook as she held him and squeezed him tighter. Her own tears matching Izukus' sobs against her shoulder. "Your mom isn't going anywhere. Your mom is staying right here"
"Your mom isn't going anywhere. Your mom is staying right here" She reassured and repeated never letting up on the hug. "No matter what. Ill be here" she said as she gently patted his back. "When it all feels so big. Till it all feel so small." Izuku slowly began to settle. She could feel his trembling lessening and his sobs growing quieter but he kept his head buried in her shoulder and Inko knew she would do nothing to change that.
"When it all feels so big. Till it all feels so small" she repeated softly and stroked his back.
On the other side of the glass Toshinori let out a sigh as he watched the mother and son. "He's just a kid" he spoke to Shouta who was standing next to him. The dark haired man wore his usual unreadable expression but he hummed in agreement. "And a villain" he added which caused Toshinoris' eyebrows to furrow slightly. He was right. The kid was a villain but seeing the boy cry in his mother's arms made it hard see that side. "Maybe..." he began slowly. "He made a mistake"
Shouta hummed again but it sounded more like a scoff and he turned his head towards Toshinori. "You saying he shouldn't have to take responsibility for his actions?"
A flicker of irritation passed through Toshinori. "You know that's not what I mean but maybe we can work something out"
Shouta looked back at the kid on the other side of the glass. His eyes seemingly working something out. "Maybe" He spoke quietly, mostly to himself.
"Lets' head in" He then said louder so the other man in the room heard.
They entered the room and Inko looked up immediately. "Aizawa." She called out surprised, still with her arms around her son. Shouta, for the moment chose to ignore her. "You ready to tell us where the league is Deku?" He asked coldly.
The teenager slowly lifted his head at being called and Shouta could see the red in his eyes from Crying.
"Can I go home with my mom then?" He asked and Shouta also noticed how thick his voice was from it as well.
"You're a villain. We're not going to just let you go. But depending on the information we might be able to work something out"
Izuku shifted slightly in his seat and Inko took that as a sign as well to move. Now instead she stood protectively behind him with one hand on his shoulder and the other one clutching his hand.
Izuku glanced up at his mom for a moment and Shouta found himself once more realizing how truly similar they really were. With both their eyes red from crying and tear stains on their freckled cheeks it was even more apparent. Inko gave her son's shoulder a squeeze and a reassuring smile and the he turned back to Shouta. His previous mask slowly returning.
"I thought I made myself clear Erasurehead" he spoke slowly. "I'm not telling you anything"