Chapter 11: A Mother's Worry
Izuku was released from the hospital an hour and a half after he was interrogated. However, his mom did show up to fuss over him and drive him home as she was contacted as soon as he was admitted due to his student ID being in his wallet.
As soon as they got home, she sat him down for a 'talk'.
"Izuku," she said giving him a searching look. "I'm worried about you."
"Mom," Izuku said. "I'm fine."
"Izuku," Inko said in a warning tone. "Talk to me. What's been going on lately? You've changed."
Izuku felt defeated. He knew this was conversation was come someday. He just wished it didn't have to come so soon. He knew this conversation wouldn't end like the one with Katsuki. She was going to push.
"Izuku," she asked worriedly after several minutes went by when he hadn't said anything. "Have you gotten into something bad?"
"No," he said firmly.
"Okay," she said. "So, why can't you tell me what's going on?"
"I..," Izuku said trailing off before huffing in frustration.
How did he explain things in a way she would believe, and yet not think he was insane?
"Honey," his mother said, fidgeting. "Your worrying me."
"I have an idea," William said. "Let me take control."
Izuku had to refrain from showing any outward emotions. While he usually liked William's crazy idea, this was his mother. He had no idea what Will might be planning.
"Trust me," William said, and Izuku did.
Izuku sent him a mental sigh of defeat, and handed him control.
0000000
Inko was starting to get very worried. Izuku has never acted like this. She really hoped he wasn't involved with anything dangerous...
She's been on edge for the past three months. Izuku has become distant with her. He didn't talk as much as he used to. He used to tell her everything...Well, at least she thought he did.
Now he's been extremely secretive. He's even taken to writing his notebooks in other languages...including his old ones. There are oil stains on his clothes. He's designing things he won't let her see. She swears she's heard him talking to himself, and it wasn't his usual muttering. It sounded like a conversation.
Tears flooded her eyes as she looked at a son she didn't recognize anymore. How can someone change so much in so little time?
She watched as he opened and closed his mouth, floundering for words. In the past, he would've already been muttering a word vomit she was proud to say only she could understand.
Then, he closed his eyes, and she straightened in her seat. Has he finally decided to share what's going on? She focused her full attention on him.
His eyes snapped open, and his whole demeanor changed. It was sudden, just like a witch being flipped. She was so startled, she nearly fell out of her chair.
Izuku smirked in amusement.
"...No," She thought. "This isn't my son."
His eyes were too dark, his aura too cold. The way he held himself was wrong too—it was forcibly casual, like he was pretending he wasn't on a knife's edge. No matter how much has changed, Izuku still had his regular ticks. For one, his hand would twitch for a pen when he thought—like he was just waiting for a chance to take notes.
This person that took her son's place had none of the ticks she's become so familiar with. It was jarring in a horrifying way.
"You're not my son," she said with a glare.
The impostor's smirk widened and he crossed his legs. He rested his head on his palm, his elbow on his knees, and tilted his head. His profile may have been calm, but the air around him was charged and calculating.
Her senses were on fire, and her mind was screaming that he was dangerous.
"Hello, Inko," his voice was a smooth baritone, a distinct difference from Izuku's youthful tenor.
"Who are you," Inko asked, and she never thought she'd be afraid of her son.
"My name is William," the person in her son's body answered her. "And, I'm your son's alter."
"Alter," she asked confused. "What's that? What did you do to him?"
"Nothing," William said with a glare. "I haven't hurt him. Technically, I am him."
"No, you're not," she yelled. "You're not my Izuku!"
"No," he agreed breezily. "I'm his split personality."
Inko reared back in shock, like she's been slapped.
"What," she breathed.
No! He has to be lying!
As if he knew what she was thinking, he gave her a mocking smirk, eyes cold.
"I'm his alter," he repeated. "I'm a part of the brat's mind. My name is William. I'm thirty-three, and my 'purpose'—you could say—is his defense."
Inko started to cry as she came to the realization that this man in her son's body was telling her the 'truth'.
"How did this happen," she cried. "Are there more of you? Does Izuku know about you? Is that why he's changed so much? How long has this been going on? Why didn't he tell me?!"
"He's been severely bullied," William said as he stared at her coldly. "Don't worry, I took care of his main tormentor."
"Did you hurt them," Inko asked paling.
William tsked in disgust, and said, "No, but way to care more about his bully instead of your son."
Inko flinched at his cold tone and accusation. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but William gave her a look, and her mouth snapped closed.
"To continue answering your questions," William said in a mocking tone. "Yes, there is another personality. His name is Spring. He doesn't have a defined age, and he's not completely human."
"What do you mean he's not completely human," Inko asked, completely overwhelmed.
"He's a humanoid bunny," William explained bluntly. "He's our vengeance. Our rage and animal instincts."
Inko gulped in nervousness. Her innocent baby had enough rage to create a whole personality around it.
"Don't worry," William said as he waved his hand. "He doesn't come out much."
That at least made her feel a little better.
"Does Zuku know about you both," she asked trembling.
To her surprise, William smiled warmly, but it vanished behind his blank mask as soon as it appeared.
"Yeah," he said. "We—to which I mean the brat and I—meet three months ago."
Inko's eyes widened. So that is why he changed!
"It was actually after the sludge villain attack," William explained.
"You're the reason he's changed," she said accusingly.
"For the better," William said in a tone that dared her to argue with him.
He was proud of the kid, and dang it, no one was going to degrade his accomplishments. Mother or not, if she made the kid cry, he was going to show her why he should be feared.
Inko took the warning to heart, and asked, "What about the other one?"
William's eye became hard, as cold as ice. He told her they were a part of Izuku and she was treating them like parasites. Whether or not he lied about them both being the result of Dissociative Identity Disorder—also known as DID—didn't matter. It was true when he said they were all a part of Izuku.
"Izuku met Spring just recently," William said with a growl.
Inko flinched and William sighed, running a hand through Izuku's growing locks.
"Inko," he said, and William's voice, while still cold with dislike,—born of protectiveness—was warmer than than earlier.
Inko took notice of this, and paid close attention to this hijacker in her son's body.
"Frankly, I don't like you," William said, and Inko became defensive. "I don't like the way you treat the brat like glass. I don't like that you seem to think he's less capable because he doesn't have a quirk. I don't like how you either ignored the fact that he was bullied or are so blind that you never saw it. Izuku said it took at least a couple months to get used to being partially blind. How the hell did you miss that? But, right now what's ticking me off is that you're dismissing a mental disorder that your son has. That you're treating Spring and I like a disease. We're still your son! We're just a different part of him."
Inko got angry then. How dare this stranger say that she's not a good mother!
She opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but his eyes turned a cold, dull gold.
"Don't argue," a deep, bass voice growled. "We all live in this body! You're going to have to get used to us. Trust me when I say we always come back!"This cruel being gave her a manic smirk, and then the gold faded from Izuku's eyes and her son was once again in control.
The disappointed look he gave her broke her heart, and she sobbed as he got up and walked away.
