It was her fault, it had to be. It'd been a week since the diagnosis of quirklessness, and Izuku hadn't gone back to school yet. She was letting him stay home while he processed it. She didn't know if it was for the best, but she didn't know what else to do.
It was all falling apart. She'd scoured the internet for information on quirklessness and only got new articles and studies with headlines like 'Here's How This Quirkless Person Was Able to Make a Difference' and 'Is Quirklessness in the modern day a form of de-evolution?". Internet forums revealed nothing about how she was suppose to help her child apart from warnings about discrimination and bullying.
She still didn't see how it was possible for Izuku to be quirkless. She and her husband were both fourth generation, so how in God's name did Izuku have an extra toe joint? Maybe Hisashi had lied about his generation status. It wouldn't be the worse he's done. But he was gone, he wasn't coming back, and she couldn't worry about her lying husband anymore.
She was going to have to get a job soon. The groceries were running low and she only had enough money saved to last them for about a month. She'd look at the job offers Mitsuki had sent her tomorrow.
She pushed herself off the couch, and to her surprise, saw Izuku standing just behind the doorframe watching her.
She hoped that he wouldn't notice the faded tear tracks on her face as she began walking over towards him. "Izuku, it's already 9, you should be in bed." His eyes turn downward, and to her alarm it looked like he had been crying.
She walked over and gently lifted him into her arms. "Oh sweetie, what's wrong?" She said as she began to carry him back to his room.
He buried his face in her shoulder. "I-I want to watch the video again."
Oh. It was about that. Inko sighed. She knew it was a bad idea. Her son had been obsessed with heroes before, but now that he's...that he's quirkless, should she still encourage this? That's what the doctor had said at least.
The thoughts stopped as she looked back down at him. She couldn't say no, she couldn't. Not after everything that had happened.
She doubled back down the hallway, heading back to Hisashi's study. "Yes Izu, I'll go get it set up."
Izuku's eyes lit up, but it wasn't the same as it had been only a week before.
They sat there for half an hour watching the video. All Might's face and reassurance lighting up the screen each time she clicked play. The clock on the wall steadily ticked it's way past 9:30.
"It's getting late Izuku, you need to go to bed." Inko said as she leaned next to the chair to start shutting down the computer.
She didn't here a response from Izuku, and started to turn the chair around to face her. One look at Izuku was all she needed to know that something was wrong. Izuku was struggling to say something, but tears kept building up in his eyes. He avoided her stare, instead focusing on a spot on the wall.
"Mom," he paused, as if he didn't know he should say what came next, "c-can I be a hero?"
Inko froze. This...this is what she had been afraid of. Visions of the video played before her eyes. Izuku had always focused on All Might, but all she'd been able to see was the people battered on the sides, the screams still echoing from the wreckage. Out of everything Izuku could want to be when he grew older, heroism was the most dangerous. Something only the most powerful could do. Something she thought only somebody with a quirk could do.
She knew deep down she shouldn't have said what she did, but she couldn't stop herself. She can't let her son get hurt.
She grabbed him in a hug and started sobbing "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
She felt him collapse in her arms.
"I'm so, so sorry."
