6 days passed, but Inko still couldn't push Toshinori out of her mind. The memory of him covered in blood, too weak to move, was stuck in her head every time she closed her eyes. It was hard to sleep. She found herself wanting to check on him, but she had no idea where he was. In their haste to get help, Izuku had forgotten to put Toshinori's cell phone back into his pocket. Without knowing where the doctors had taken him, it was impossible to contact him.
So she did the only thing she could. When Izuku came home from school, she followed him down to the beach to watch his training exercises. She felt both impressed and horrified at the strain Izuku was putting himself through to accomplish Toshinori's task: clean the most notoriously dirty beach in Japan.
She didn't know whether or not she should feel proud of her son, watching him scuffed and blistered and scrambling in the sand, trying to push things that were ten times heavier than he was. But it was the hope and determination in his eyes that kept her from intervening. He wanted this so badly. He wanted to get in to U.A. He wanted to be the very first quirkless applicant to succeed. So he needed to act like some kind of bodybuilder, since all he had going for him was physical strength.
Her Izuku. Her little baby. She had seen his soul crushed before, when his pediatrician told him he would never have a superpower. Was she setting him up for more failure by letting this happen? Or was she giving him a chance to finally make his dream come true? She told herself it would be U.A. to decide, not her. It would be U.A. that would evaluate his skill and determine whether or not he was cut out to become a hero. She did not want the responsibility of crushing his dreams.
So she stayed and watched her son until the sun was down and the moon was shining in an empty sky. She watched him cut his fingers, twist his ankles, and collapse to catch his breath. She watched him strain and sweat and break blisters. She watched him rush down to the ocean to dunk his stinging hands into the salty water in hopes to relieve the pain. And her heart slowly broke.
She always brought a little first aid kit, so she could wrap bandages around her baby's fingers. She always brought plenty of fresh water, so he could stay hydrated despite how much he sweat. But she never knew what to say to help him.
He told her that Toshinori knew what to say. His role as his teacher was to tell him what muscle groups to focus on next, techniques for strengthening his core, when to take a break and when to work more. He told her that Toshinori knew how hard to push him that wouldn't hurt or break him. He told her that Toshinori had given him an extremely detailed schedule of his life, telling him when he should work and when he would have free time.
He told her that Toshinori believed in him.
She didn't know why, but it hurt to hear it. This stranger, this man she did not know, believed in her son more than she did. But it was false hope. Toshinori was drilling it into Izuku's head, setting him up for failure.
When this went badly- and Inko knew it would- she had a face to blame. Toshinori.
If he would even show his face again.
It was Sunday. Izuku was on his 2 hour break, and Inko needed to go shopping. He opted to go with her, saying he would help her carry the groceries and boasting that he should be able to carry twice as many now.
Their trip to the Kiyashi shopping mall was uneventful. As Inko checked things off from her shopping list, Izuku was loitering near a superhero merchandise shop, eyeing an All Might costume through the glass window. Inko smiled at him. Some things never changed. Izuku still idolized that hero, even after all these years. And who wouldn't? All Might was amazing. His very existence in Japan cowed criminals into submission. It was because of him that she could rest easy and go shopping with her son.
"Come on, Izuku! You know you can't afford that!" She called to him as she headed for a grocery store. Izuku was rubbernecking as he followed behind her. He had to run to catch up with her by the time she was through the door.
"They got the design wrong." Izuku said. "They forgot the white stripe around his shoulders," Izuku pointed to his collarbone, "and he has 2 blue stripes on his gauntlets, but that costume only had one."
"You really memorized every detail, haven't you?" Inko asked without looking at him, finding a shopping cart. "You know, I still have the costume you used to wear when you were 3-"
Bang. Inko jumped. Someone's quirk?
She whirled around. There was a masked man at the door, his finger pointing up at the ceiling, smoke coming off of it. "Everybody down! Hands in the air!" He barked behind his mask. The man looked desperate, something wild in his red eyes.
A robbery. It was an armed robbery. Inko couldn't move. She tried to sink down to the floor, but her knees were locked. She was frozen.
"Mom, get down," Izuku whispered, his eyes round as saucers as he stared at the man in the doorway.
The man fired off another shot. Bullets, right out of his fingertips. The sound exploded through the market, a smoking trail left behind. Inko didn't know where the bullet went. "I said everyone down!"
Inko looked over at the cashier. She had her hands up over her head and was sinking down behind the counter. Inko still couldn't move, why couldn't she move!?
She felt Izuku's hand on her shoulders, pressing down. Her breath hitched in her chest. She felt the pressure of her son's hands pushing her down. Finally, her knees gave way, and she collapsed to the floor. Her hands raised over her head, shaking. Slowly, she looked up at her side. Izuku was still standing. He was still staring at the villian with the bullet fingers. He was half-crouched, as if he was planning to run right for him. Was he trying to be a hero? Her little baby?
She watched in horror as the villain pointed a finger directly at Izuku. "I said DOWN!"
Izuku was wound up like a spring, ready to pounce. There was fire blazing behind his terrified eyes.
Inko's heart stopped.
The earth shook. The doorway where the villain stood clogged with smoke and steam. The villain cried out and was gone. No. Held back. His arms were twisted behind his back and pinned. As the steam began to clear, Inko saw a blur of red, white, blue and gold. American colors. All Might's colors.
The world's #1 Hero had apprehended the villain in an instant.
She blinked the blurs away from her vision, realizing they were tears.
"Never fear, citizens! For I am here!" All Might's catchphrase. The superhero standing in the doorway was laughing, perfect teeth in a perfect smile. He was huge, like a brick wall, muscles bulging in his spandex costume. He had a chiseled, square jaw not unlike men on fashion magazines. Inko had never seen him in person before. He was much bigger in person.
What was he doing here, apprehending a petty thief? He just happened to be here, at the right place, at the right time? Or had he somehow heard the gunshots from miles away?
"Izuku," Inko found herself saying, her voice shaky, "it's- it's him! It's- All Might!"
But Izuku wasn't smiling. He was staring at the hero- his favorite hero- jaw dropped. He sunk to his knees. A few minutes too late.
"Let's get you to the police station, shall we?" All Might announced to the villain who was still struggling in his grasp. But All Might had his hands caught in a crushing grip. He couldn't use his bullet quirk. The superhero turned, looking over his shoulder, beaming at the still-stunned shoppers in the mall. He winked. "Stay safe, citizens!" How could he always be so charismatic and picture-perfect?
As All Might left, Inko thought she caught a flash of red leaking between his teeth. But she blinked, and he was gone. The only thing left in his wake was a trail of steam. Could the man fly?
It took a very long time for Inko to find the strength to stand again. Her heart was pounding. The danger was over, but she still felt like Izuku was about to be shot. She looked up at her son, wiping moisture from her eyes. "Izuku-... that was All Might! Your hero! I - I can't believe we just saw him!"
"Y-yeah," Izuku said, his jaw still hanging open. "Yeah. That was really … really cool." His eyebrows scrunched in an odd sort of way, a squint in his green eyes.
"C-come on Izuku. Let's. Let's go home. We… we can finish shopping tomorrow." She squeezed his arm, trying to encourage him out of his stupor.
"Yeah. Okay."
Inko's grip on Izuku's arm was weak, unsteady. As her spinning mind caught up with the events that transpired, she realized she needed to scold Izuku soon. Back there, he was split seconds away from being shot because he wouldn't back down. He was trying to be a hero. He was trying to live up to these crazy ideas of heroism that Toshinori was drilling into his brain.
Maybe she needed to scold Toshinori too, if she ever saw him again.
When Izuku stood, Inko hugged him. She returned her shopping cart and quickly left. She heard everyone talking about All Might as she left. Some people were still terrified, crying. Others were in shock. But everyone had the same thing to say: All Might was their hero. The man with a completely unidentifiable quirk. Who could fly, hear cries for help from miles away, run as fast as light and punch so hard he could change the weather. He was a hero that had it all.
When she was in the safety of their home, Inko found herself standing in the living room, staring at the wall. Izuku got himself a bottled water and said he was going to the beach to train. Inko almost felt odd letting him go back to his routine as if nothing happened, but she relented, and let him go. She could finally have a chance to breathe, and all her thoughts were catching up with her.
Looking back, she felt Izuku's reaction to the ordeal was a little odd. He didn't sound surprised to see All Might. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed that Izuku actually sounded worried to see him.
To calm her nerves, Inko began to clean the house and set dinner on the stove. She drowned out her thoughts with the sound of a vacuum cleaner. When the soup on the stove was bubbling, Inko took it off, and thought about texting Izuku to tell him that dinner was ready.
Instead, she packed the soup into a travel container, and headed outside. The wind was fierce as she walked towards the setting sun, her hair whipping in front of her face. She reached the beach, feeling the grit of sand on her arms as she searched for her son among the piles of garbage.
She found two figures instead of one. Izuku and Toshinori.
The slouching, scrawny man was talking emphatically to Izuku when he noticed Inko. He looked at her and waved sheepishly, one hand scratching behind his neck. He was wearing an oversized, stretched-out white shirt and baggy cargo pants. His hair was messy and uncombed, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. But at least there was color on his cheeks. The last time Inko saw him, he looked like death warmed over. Inko felt a wave of relief to see him.
"Mr. Toshinori," she said as she approached. "It's good to see you. I was starting to worry."
"I'm sorry about earlier," he said, shoving his large hands into his pockets. "I would've called, but I forgot my cell phone and I didn't remember Izuku's number off the top of my head. They had to keep me in the hospital until the infection cleared up, but I'm fine now. Thanks to the both of you. This is the second time your son saved me in the nick of time." He patted Izuku on the head, ruffling his messy, black hair.
The second time? What happened the first time?
"There's a lot I want to talk about, if you have the time," Inko said. "I was just bringing soup to Izuku, but, it's a little too windy out to eat it without getting sand everywhere. Do you want to come eat with us?"
Toshinori hesitated at the invitation. After a beat of silence, he nodded. "That sounds nice. Thank you."
Inko was glad she cleaned before inviting Toshinori inside. She didn't know why, but she wanted to make a good impression on him. Or maybe she wanted to upstage him. The way the stranger was interacting with her son seemed very paternal, and the way he was trying to help him succeed in his dreams was supposed to be her job, wasn't it? Was she not a good enough parent on her own?
"You have a lovely home." She heard Toshinori saying. A polite compliment. She expected he'd start talking about the weather next.
She set the table for the three of them. She watched Toshinori sip politely at the soup's broth while avoiding most of its contents- chunks of meat and potatoes and hearty vegetables. Izuku devoured his meal ravenously, and went for seconds. No one said much as they ate.
"Thanks, mom." Izuku said as he stood up from the table. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before excusing himself to his room. Inko knew he needed to study around this time, but she wondered if he was leaving early because he knew she intended to talk to Toshinori in private.
"Mr. Toshinori, I'm very glad that you're well." She began, putting down her spoon with a clink. "I saw your injury. I'm sorry you have to live with something like that."
The man across from her looked uncomfortable. "It was a wound I received in combat with a very powerful villain. I am very lucky I survived."
Inko closed her eyes, thinking. It was hard to find the right words for what she wanted to say. "Villains like that. Will my son be facing them?"
"I am almost certain that particular villain is dead."
"But there will be others like him. People more powerful than petty thieves and criminals."
She could tell Toshinori was struggling with words, too. He took another sip of soup, probably stalling for time. "It's extremely rare to encounter a villain like the one who gave me my wound. Such powers don't come easily to human beings, and if they do, most people want to be responsible with their quirks." He took another sip. "I believe human beings naturally wish to be good."
"What is your quirk, Mr. Toshinori?"
"I'm sorry, I can't answer."
"But you have one. Izuku said you are powerful."
"Yes. He is correct."
"My son doesn't have a quirk. You realize this, right?"
"Yes."
"But you're training him anyway. He's just 14 years old and he's *bodybuilding.* He's in a time of his life where he should be focusing on friends and hobbies."
She saw Toshinori's spine straighten, lifting his head. For the first time since she met him, Inko realized he wasn't slouching.
"Mrs. Midoriya. Your son has the soul of a hero. Last month, when I first encountered him, there was a villain who had taken a young man hostage, and it was my fault. I was paralyzed with fear. I was unable to help a citizen in need. But your Izuku ran forward anyway, when every other hero on the scene didn't. Without a quirk, without a power, he saved that young man." Toshinori paused, lifting his index finger, pointing at Inko. "Here's what will happen to Izuku. He will try to be a hero anyway, no matter if he has our support or not. Without training, he will definitely get himself hurt. I am trying to give him the tools he needs to prepare himself for the future he already chose. Because he will do it. With or without us. Our only job is to lessen that risk."
Toshinori spoke with such fierce confidence, Inko felt her spirit shrivelling inside. In the back of her mind, she thought his voice sounded familiar. He spoke in a way that shouldn't have come from a man with crushed, broken lungs. It rang in the room. Inko felt her cheeks burning with shame. She lowered her head.
Seeing her crumbling, Toshinori slouched again, and his eyes grew very sad. "Forgive me. I am speaking out of turn. You are his mother."
"No… no. You're right. Everything you said. You're right." She drew in a shaky breath, emotion twisting in her chest.
"After I saw him rescue that boy, the conviction in his actions inspired me. That is why I started training him. He knows who I am as a hero, and thus, he felt pressured to protect my secret identity. But I never intended to overstep my place in his life. I'm not his father."
"He doesn't have one anymore." Inko replied softly. "Hisashi left. He went overseas and… just. Never came home. I filed for divorce."
Toshinori's shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's fine. I'm fine. We're fine."
"If there's anything I can do…"
"You're doing enough." Inko realized her words sounded harsher than she meant, and could be interpreted badly. She quickly clarified, "I mean- what I'm saying is, you're doing so much for Izuku already. I can tell you care about him, even though I barely know you. I was worried at first, but… you're a good man, Toshinori. I trust you."
Toshinori seemed pleased to hear that. "Thank you. I promise I will not betray the trust you have placed in me. I have been very careful to train Izuku in a way that he can handle, emotionally and physically."
Inko bowed her head to him. He bowed back.
When Toshinori excused himself, he placed his dishes in the sink, and politely left. While watching his retreating back, Inko found herself unable to move from the table. The events of the entire day weighed heavily on her mind.
Who was Toshinori?
What kind of hero was he?
And why did his eyes look so soft?