Hello! I'm finally back after, what, a month's hiatus? I am so sorry it took me this long to finally finish this chapter. I hope you all are excited, though! As an apology, I made sure that this chapter answers the truth about "forgetting," the truth about Midoriya Inko, and the solution to remembering Izuku. I don't want to say anymore because this chapter is actually 8550 words long. This is the equivalent of four fricken' chapters for me, as each chapter I write averages 2000 words. Like I said! This is an apology for the huge delay.

One thing to note, the memories of the events are depicted in italics. These are the actual events for my story. Izuku is telling his friends his version of the story, which is just a less detailed version of what I wrote. I wanted to write out the actual events for you guys, so you'd understand what was going on, and what led to the decisions made in this story.

Warnings: There is cursing, mentions of injury (non-graphic), mentions of blood, mentions of governmental corruption, lots of emotions, and lastly, lots of angst.

Love you all! I hope you enjoy!

Midoriya bit back a cry as another shockwave of pain coursed throughout his body. The longer he denied Bakugou's wish, the stronger his quirk's backlash became. He couldn't keep doing this, though! The greenette had gone through this so many times. It was only a matter of time before his best friend figured him out, then he'd be forgotten once again. The teen despairingly tucked himself back into his blanket.

Bakugou was dumbfounded by the admission. His mind was racing with the implications of Midoriya's words. 'I'll forget again? So, does that mean-?' Before he could finish that thought, Uraraka stepped forward and slapped Bakugou's arm. The explosive teen growled with his teeth bared in rage at his classmate's action. "Hey, Round Face! The fuck was that for?"

Uraraka shook her head, eyes wide with concern. She may not have been able to follow her classmate's conversation, but she had an idea. The bubbly teen knew that it had something to do with Midoriya. Keeping her friend's identity secret was important. "I don't understand everything, but the shopkeeper's quirk makes you forget everything about him once your wish is granted. That's why Shinsou doesn't remember ever meeting him, even though Mi-, the shopkeeper met him before the entrance exam."

Bakugou blinked in surprise as he calmed down. As long as his wish wasn't granted, he would remember everything going on. Since Bakugou wasn't sure if Midoriya was the same as his best friend, his wish was likely considered unfulfilled. If he wanted any answers, he'd need to have another wish or prevent himself from accidentally answering his own wish. That last part would be almost impossible. "Shit! So, I need to have another wish if I want to remember everything after my wish is granted?"

Shinsou nodded. "I guess so. Or have a wish that can't be granted right away, like Uraraka needing a place to stay."

Red eyes widened, and Bakugou smirked. That was an idea that could be exploited. He was not going to get played by some stupid wish quirk. "Alright, then. Hey, Shopkeeper. I take back my first wish. I've gotta different wish I want you to grant." The blonde grinned, ignoring the sigh of relief from the shopkeeper, as he pulled a textbook out of his bag and dropped it on the ground. "I wish you could give this back to me at midnight." He grinned as his classmates stared at him incredulously.

Uraraka and Shinsou blinked in surprise. Was it really that simple? Even Midoriya was taken aback by the wish. Would it be enough? There was only one way to find out. "The price is your time. You must remain in this shop until midnight. Are you willing to pay this price?"

Bakugou grinned. "Yeah, I am."

Midoriya's eyes glowed brightly for a moment. "Your wish is granted." The greenette took a deep breath. Moment of truth. He pulled the blanket off his head and looked up at his best friend. The brash teen looked just like he remembered. Red eyes, messy blonde hair, and his ever-present scowl. Tears welled up in Midoriya's eyes. 'Please let him remember me.' "Hi, Kacchan."

Bakugou's eyes widened as he looked over the teen in front of him. This was him. This was Izuku. There was no doubt in Bakugou's mind that the person in front of him was anyone but Izuku. Messy green curls hung slightly over his eyes, and he had freckle-dusted cheeks and bright green eyes. "Izuku. It really is you." The blonde dropped to his knees and pulled Midoroya into a tight hug. "Holy, shit! I knew I'd fucking find you someday!" Against his will, tears welled in Bakugou's eyes. After years of searching, he'd finally found his best friend.

Midoriya gasped in shock as his best friend hugged him. Bakugou's wish had worked! Bakugou still remembered him! Midoriya's face scrunched up, and he sobbed heavily against Bakugou. "K-Kacchan!" The shopkeeper hugged him back. "I m-missed you s-so much!"

For a moment, the two just sat there, holding each other. Uraraka grinned happily at the two friends. Bakugou had figured out the loophole! He needed to make another wish, though, since his current wish would end at midnight. "Midoriya!" The greenette broke off the hug and tilted his head at her questioningly. "Don't you understand what this means? We'll all be able to remember you now!"

Midoriya stared at her, completely thrown by the revelation. Tears welled in his eyes again, but the bright smile on his face proved that they were happy tears. "Uraraka, you're right! As long as you come up with a long-lasting wish, you'll be able to remember me!"

The three hero course students grinned at their epiphany. Now they just needed to find the right way to phrase it. It needed to last a long time so that they wouldn't forget Midoriya accidentally. Bakugou dug into his bag again and pulled out Izu's notebook. Everyone watched him curiously as he flipped open the cover and pulled out a slightly worn-out, old photo. It was the photo of Izuku and himself, his most cherished possession. "I wish you will keep this safe for me until the day I die." There. There would be no chance of Bakugou ever forgetting Midoriya again.

The shopkeeper smiled as his quirk informed him of the price. "For me to grant this wish, you'll have to give me your notebook. Both items have strong sentimental value that you imbued in them. This payment will continue until your wish has been fully granted." Midoriya frowned. There was a catch, though. "Are you willing to never see this notebook again? Of course, you will be able to see the photo by visiting the storeroom whenever you want."

Bakugou looked down at the notebook. It held all of his notes, his theories about where Izuku could be, and the routes he'd drawn up while searching for him. It had the drawing from when they were kids as well. The blond teen handed it over without further ado. It was important to him but not as important as Izuku. "Yeah. It's worth it."

Midoriya's eyes glowed brightly, shining like stars as his quirk enveloped both items in a green bubble. In the blink of an eye, the two items were gone. "Your wish has been granted. The items have been sent to my storeroom and will remain there safely." He smiled brightly, a noise bubbling in his throat that was a mix of a laugh and a sob. Bakugou grinned as well, pulling his best friend into a tight hug.

Uraraka and Shinsou couldn't help grinning as well. The two friends' joy was contagious, and it proved that their idea of making a long-term wish worked. They had found a way to keep their memories of Midoriya.

The greenette himself was on cloud nine. Midoriya didn't think he'd ever find a way to let Bakugou keep his memories. The brash teen had always fulfilled his own wish too quickly for Midoriya to inform him of the effect. He'd tried several ways of talking to Kacchan beforehand. Letters, texts, phone calls. Every time, Bakugou would figure it out and then get confused about who was talking to him. And somehow, even with the shopkeeper's own analysis of his quirk, he hadn't noticed the loophole of long-lasting wishes. After what happened with-, with her and her wish… He'd spent two all-nighters as a child analyzing ways to break the wish. With no way to break it, Midoriya had resigned himself to being forever forgotten.

The moment ended when Bakugou finally pulled away from the hug. His red eyes roamed the simple bedroom curiously, taking in the shelf of notebooks and the hero merchandise peppering the room with a smirk. "I see you're a hero nerd. I'm gonna make sure you're the first one to get my merch once I'm a pro." The blond ignored the snickers from his classmate, too busy grinning at the soft laugh he got out of his friend. "Where's your mom, anyway? Knowing that this place is a shop, I thought she would've been here helping you run it."

Uraraka quietly gasped in surprise at his question. Mentioning Midoriya's mom was a bit of a taboo subject. Shinsou sent Uraraka a confused look but kept quiet when he saw Midoriya curl in sadly on himself. Bakugou frowned. That wasn't the reaction he was expecting. He didn't really remember the woman. He knew she was a family friend who moved away. His parents never gave him an explanation for why she left. The explosive teen only knew that his parents were unconcerned by her leaving. "Izu?"

"Mom… isn't here. She hasn't been here for a long time." The greenette looked up at his friend dolefully. It was hard to think about her. Even after all of these years, the guilt ate away at him. But this was Bakugou. Maybe he didn't really remember her, but he couldn't lie to him about her absence in his life. Midoriya hoped that Bakugou would take his answer at face value and just drop the subject, but, of course, he didn't.

"What? Did she-… Is she dead?" Bakugou was horrified. 'All of this time, Izu's lived by himself?' He clenched his fists angrily. Izuku had been all alone and then came Bakugou. How many times had he found his best friend, only to forget him? How long had Izuku been dealing with the pain of losing his mom, only to continuously lose Bakugou? He was snapped out of his swirling thoughts by Midoriya's shocked exclamation.

"N-no! Mom's not dead! Thankfully!" Midoriya flinched when Bakugou's eyes widened in shock. "S-something happened, and Mom had to leave." Midoriya stared at the ground, refusing to meet Bakugou's eyes.

That didn't stop the explosive teen from staring at the shopkeeper. He couldn't believe it. Midoriya Inko fucking left? "What the fuck, Izuku? Your mom fucking abandoned you?"

His friend immediately looked up at him. "No! She'd never abandon me! My mom was the best!" Tears welled in the teen's eyes. He didn't want to talk about it. About how it was all his fault. Midoriya wished that Bakugou would stop asking him about her. "You don't understand! She thought she had to! Mom left because she thought it was for the best! Let's just drop it, okay?"

Bakugou glared at him. "You're too fucking nice, you know that?" He remembered knowing a kid once from his school who would get pushed around sometimes. He was too nice for his own good, and people took advantage of him often. Bakugou had decided to act like a sort of bodyguard for him until the kid just moved one day. Knowing how Midoriya's quirk worked, Bakugou pieced together that the kid was probably Midoriya. "I bet you got taken advantage of big-time when you got your quirk. I remember protecting some nerd, but that was you, wasn't it?" It didn't make sense for him to just play bodyguard for some random kid. Judging by Midoriya's flinch, he'd hit the nail on the head. "Don't defend her! She fucking left you behind!"

"SHUT UP, KACCHAN!" Bakugou blinked in surprise. He silently noted that Midoriya was shaking; whether from crying or yelling, the blond teen wasn't sure.

Off to the side, Uraraka stepped forward and placed a gentle, comforting hand on Midoriya's shoulder. The bubbly teen had done her best to stay out of the conversation, but Midoriya was her friend too. It hurt her to see him so upset, even though she'd only known him for a couple of months. "Are you okay?"

The shopkeeper nodded. Midoriya really didn't want to talk about what happened. However, he didn't want Bakugou to think of her as a bad mom. She did so much for him. Too much. "Discovering my quirk was an accident." He remembered being so excited on that walk home from school. "You and I had been walking home together, and you made an off-hand comment about wishing that you could get the new Limited Edition All Might Silver Age figurine. Suddenly, I asked you about your signed All Might poster. You had two of them due to a packaging error and treasured both of them."

Bakugou looked at him bemusedly. "You want it? For the figurine?"

Fluffy green curls bounced as Midoriya nodded happily. "Yeah! Something is just telling me that if you give me your poster, you'll get the figurine."

The spiky-haired blond snorted. "Sure. I give you the poster, and I'll somehow get what I want." He laughed as he pulled Midoriya into a loose headlock. His best friend squealed with laughter as Bakugou gave him a playful noogie. Neither of them noticed a small flash of green from Izuku's eyes. They were too busy playing around.

"K-Kacchan! Stop! My hair is already a mess!" The greenette playfully shoved Bakugou away. With a grin, he darted forward, taunting Bakugou to chase him.

Bakugou rose to the challenge without hesitation. "So? That means no one's gonna be able to tell the difference!"

They chased each other back to Bakugou's apartment. They walked through the door, calling out a greeting to Bakugou's parents, then dashed into the blond's room. Midoriya's eyes alighted on the poster that was hanging on the wall. Neither kid noticed as his eyes glowed green. Wordlessly, the kid walked over to the wall and gently pulled the poster off. He didn't even notice as Bakugou barked out a loud 'hey' in annoyance. It was almost like Midoriya was in a daze. All he could think of was Bakugou's agreement on the walk home and the poster in front of him. "Your wish has been granted."

"The fuck are you-?" Before Bakugou could finish his question, the poster was enveloped in a transparent green bubble and disappeared.

Midoriya's eyes stopped glowing, leaving the kid looking at his hands in confusion. "Wait… Did I just-?"

Bakugou grabbed Midoriya's shoulders. "You fucking nerd! Was that your quirk?" He grinned as Midoriya stared at him blankly. "You said my wish was granted? Does that mean you have a wish-granting quirk?"

The greenette smiled brightly. That would be a fantastic quirk for a hero! "Maybe? I didn't even realize what I was doing until the poster disappeared!" He thought back to their walk. "I said you'd get the figurine for the poster! Quick! Look around your room! Do you have it?" The two kids started searching the room frantically, pulling clothes out of dresser drawers and bins out from under the bed. After several minutes of tearing the room apart, they sat down in disappointment. "Maybe I don't have a wish-granting quirk…."

Suddenly, they heard the front door open. "Oi, Katsuki! I'm home!" Both boys were surprised to hear Bakugou's mom's voice. They had thought she was already at home. Though, they didn't really stop to say 'hi' when they arrived. "I've got a surprise for you! Come here!" The two exchanged a look of hope before running out into the living room. Mitsuki laughed as the two came rushing into the room. "Oh, hello, Izuku! I didn't know you were here! That's perfect!" She reached into her bag and pulled out two items. She handed the first off to Izuku. "I know you like a lot of heroes, and this is a new one that debuted last year. I think his name is Present Mic!" Midoriya stared at the figurine in awe. Then, Mitsuki turned to her son. "Now, I know you've been talking about this for a while, and I honestly wasn't sure I was gonna get it because I was working during the release." Bakugou's eyes widened, shining with joy as he realized what his mom had bought him. "I figured there was no harm in stopping by on my way home, so I went to check if the store had any left. They were sold out on the shelf, but while I was there, a worker came out with one last figurine that had been left behind in the back." She handed the item to her son, who grinned with excitement as he realized it was the Limited Edition All Might Figure. "I was really lucky!"

Bakugou hugged his mom for a second, then turned and hugged Izuku. "You do have a wish-granting quirk! That's fucking amazing!"

Mitsuki lightly smacked her son on the head. "Hey! Language! You don't want to corrupt sweet Izuku, do you? And what do you mean 'wish-granting quirk?'"

Midoriya and Bakugou grinned up at her. The greenette bounced up and down in excitement. "Quick! Make a wish!"

The fashionista looked at them in surprise but decided to indulge them. "Huh. A wish? Well…" She looked around and noticed some flowers wilting in a vase. "It's been a while since Masaru got me some flowers. I wish that Masaru would bring me a big bouquet of roses." Mitsuki gasped in shock as Midoriya's eyes glowed the moment she finished her wish.

The kid walked over to a little bookcase in the corner. There was a tiny little knickknack on the shelf, a little plastic pomeranian with red eyes. Mitsuki was surprised as Midoriya brought it over to her. It was a toy that Masaru had bought her for their anniversary the year Katsuki was born. They had been unable to go to a fancy dinner, too tired from watching over their newborn, and Masaru had bought the toy to make her laugh. They jokingly called it 'Katsu' since the spiky fur of the dog matched their baby's spikey hair. Midoriya held the little toy close to his chest. "I need this for your wish. Are you okay with that?" Mitsuki nodded, curiously watching as the toy was enveloped in a transparent green bubble and promptly disappeared. "Your wish has been granted."

Mitsuki would miss the toy, but she was also interested in seeing how Midoriya's quirk worked. Because there was no other explanation for the glowing green eyes or the little bubble. "What happens now?"

Katsuki and Izuku shrugged. "When Izuku granted my wish, it took several minutes, which I think was when you were at the store. It'll probably take a couple of minutes as well for something to happen."

The fashionista nodded, gesturing for the two to follow her to the kitchen. "Well, why don't I make you guys a snack while we wait?"

The group walked into the kitchen and smiled when they noticed Masaru was working on the dinner table. He looked up from his laptop at their entrance. "Hey, Mitsuki! Hello, Katsuki and Izuku!" Masaru stood from the table and lightly kissed his wife on the cheek. He ruffled both boys' hair and then sat back down again. "Glad you made it home safe, honey. Anything exciting happen today?"

Katsuki slammed his hands on the table. "Yeah! Izu got his quirk! It's a wish-granting quirk!"

Masaru smiled brightly at Izuku. "Congratulations! Wow, what an amazing quirk! How'd you find out?"

Katsuki puffed his chest out with pride. "He granted my wish for the new All Might figure. Then, he granted-!" The boy was interrupted by knocking on the door.

Masaru perked up, heading to the door. "Oh, that's probably for me. Sorry, Katsuki. I need to get this." The group followed Masaru to the door, where a delivery man greeted him. He quickly signed a piece of paper before carrying a vase filled with a dozen red roses into the house, shutting the door behind him. Mitsuki's eyes lit up with delight as Masaru handed it to her. "I forgot I ordered this for you. I saw the wilting flowers this morning and thought it'd be nice to get you some flowers." He gestured for his wife to touch the petals, and she was awed when she realized the flowers were actually fake. "I found this company that sells fake flowers that look real, and they also had same-day delivery. This way, you can have beautiful flowers that will last a long time."

Mitsuki set the vase down and pulled her husband into a tight hug. "Masaru! You're the sweetest! Thank you!" The woman turned to Izuku with a proud grin. "And thanks to you too, Izuku, for granting my wish!"

Izuku and Katsuki were ecstatic to have Izuku's quirk proven. "Come on! We gotta tell mom, and get my quirk registered!" The two kids dashed out of the door, heading towards the Midoriya residence.

Bakugou felt sick. To think he'd forgotten such an important event. His mom still had the flowers, and they sat proudly in the living room by the couch. They'd all forgotten how she actually got them, though. Uraraka and Shinsou quietly listened to the story. It was weird to know that Bakugou and Midoriya were such close friends, but only Midoriya remembered it. The two were practically family. Shinsou could never imagine his mom or dad just forgetting about him one day. The same with Uraraka.

Midoriya sighed as he fidgeted with the edge of his shirt. "We went to my home and told my mom about it. She was so proud, Kacchan. Then, we got it registered… and everything changed."

It had been about a week since Izuku had gotten his quirk registered. His teachers and the quirk counselor had praised him for his powerful quirk. He and Kacchan were already making plans about being a hero duo together. Everything was going perfectly except for one thing. Everyone who knew of his quirk began making lots of wishes. It started with a couple simple wishes from the kids at school. Some chocolate, a game that came out, some trading cards. Then, it was good grades. A's on tests and assignments. To have the homework done without having to do it. The teachers had quickly forbidden the students from asking Izuku those kinds of wishes. Still, outside of school, they could not stop them. Bakugou started acting like his bodyguard. He frightened off the more aggressive students with his explosion quirk, and the two ended up getting their schedules fixed so that they were in every class together. It was only enough for a little bit. Soon, teachers began approaching Izuku, wishing for a raise, for a car, for a house. It was getting really hard. One day after school, Bakugou and Midoriya were walking home when they heard a guy muttering to himself. He offhandedly wished his record was clean, and Izuku couldn't stop his eyes from glowing. The man focused his attention on Midoriya and shoved Bakugou away when he tried to stop him. "What's your quirk, kid. You can't hide it from me. I saw your eyes. Did you do something?"

Midoriya teared up, shaking his head vigorously. "I-I didn't do anything, sir! It's just my quirk. I heard you say 'I wish,' and I guess it activated." Midoriya eye's widened in horror as he realized what he'd just said. He quietly eep'ed in shock, covering his mouth with his hands.

The man grinned. "Oh, that's very interesting. Well, there was this little incident that happened a long time ago. I shot a guy but got caught and was arrested. I was finally released from prison, and wouldn't you know it?" The man gestured to the buildings around the alley. "None of these fucking assholes will hire me because of my record. So, I wish that my record was spotless and that no one will question it."

Midoriya whimpered as his eyes glowed again. He could see the price for the wish and was horrified by the fact that his quirk was trying to grant it. "No! I won't grant it-!" Midoriya gasped in pain.

The man laughed loudly, dodging when Bakugou came rushing at him again and tripping him with his foot. "Aww, did I guess right? You have a wish-granting quirk, don't you? Judging by your shaking, you have to grant my wish since I asked for it, or it hurts you. Well, grant my wish then, and the pain will stop!"

"Izuku! Don't!" Bakugou growled out from the ground. He tried to push himself to his feet but fell back with a cry. Midoriya craned around the man to see if his friend was okay, but the man suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. The kid scratched at the man's arm as he was lifted into the air.

"Come on, kid. Just grant my wish." He sneered, leaning in really close. "You don't want me to hurt your friend, do you?"

"Y-you'll need to pay a price first." Izuku gasped as another shockwave of pain shot through him.

The man rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. I'll pay it. Just grant my wish."

Midoriya nodded, eyes flashing green again. "Your wish has been granted. Your record is clean, and no one will question it." The man grinned and lowered the kid back to the ground. However, his grip on Midoriya's shirt tightened. Izuku grabbed at the man's hand and tried pushing it off, but the man's grip was too strong. "Thanks, pipsqueak! Your quirk is pretty handy! In fact, I think I'll just keep you with me. I've got plenty of wishes that need granting." Before he could do anything else, a hand grabbed the man from behind, shoving him against the wall. The man dropped Midoriya in shock, allowing the mysterious figure to force the man's hands against the wall. Midoriya looked up in surprise. "Y-you're the pro-hero Death Arms!"

Death Arms grunted in acknowledgment. "I've got you, kid. I've already called the police, and they'll be here any moment. Please go look over your friend and stay back. I don't know what this man's quirk is, and I'm not taking any chances." Midoriya speechlessly nodded, quickly running over to Bakugou, who had managed to sit up. The boy's arm was torn up from falling against the pavement twice. The greenette quickly reached into his bag for a spare napkin and poured some water on it before lightly placing it on Bakugou's injury.

"Fuck, Izu!" Bakugou screeched and shoved Midoriya's hand away. "That fucking hurt!"

Midoriya sniffled, tears welling in his eyes as he picked up his water bottle and poured some on the wound. Bakugou screeched again, jerking his hand back, but Midoriya had been able to wash some of the dirt and blood away. "I'm sorry, Kacchan. But I need to clean it." He held back a sob as he placed the napkin on the wound and pressed down. "I-it's my fault you got hurt. He only approached us 'cause of me."

Bakugou lifted his other hand and lightly smacked him over the head. "Don't be fucking stupid, Izu. Your quirk activated on its own. That's not your fault. It just means we gotta be more careful with it."

The two quietly waited together for a few more minutes until the police and paramedics arrived. The paramedics quickly attended to Bakugou's arm while the police handcuffed the man and pulled him into the car. One officer, a man wearing a brown trench coat and fedora, knelt beside Izuku with a soft smile. "Hello. My name is Officer Tsukachi. I need to take a statement from you about the incident that occurred. I need to call your guardian first, though. Do you know their phone number?" Izuku nodded and pulled out his phone. His mom was his first contact, and he quickly pressed the dial button. Tsukachi chatted with her for a little bit, informing her that her son was involved in an incident and would be taken to the Musutafu Police Headquarters to collect a statement.

Eventually, Tsukachi had ushered Midoriya into his car and took him to the station. Bakugou was brought along after confirmation from his mother that Midoriya Inko could act as a guardian for her son. Bakugou gave his side of the story, and all that was left was to get Midoriya's side of the story. Officer Tsukachi pressed the start button on the audio recorder on the table. "I'm going to be recording our talk for record purposes. As I told you all earlier, I am Office Tsukachi Naomasa. I will be taking your statement about the incident involving Mr. Redfield. Could you start from the beginning, please?"

Izuku nodded quietly. "K-kacchan and I were walking home from school when I heard that man make a wish. My quirk is called 'Wishing Well,' which activates when someone makes a verbal wish. I can grant someone's wish if they are willing to pay a specific price for it." Izuku nervously looked up at the officer. "My eyes glow when my quirk activates, and the man noticed it. He cornered us and asked me if I did anything because he saw my eyes." Izuku teared up. "I-I didn't mean to tell him about my quirk! I was scared he would hurt us, though, if I didn't say anything, so I accidentally told him that it was because he made a wish. He wished for his criminal record to be cleaned." Midoriya Inko brushed her hand through his hair to comfort him. "I tried to not grant it! Please, believe me! But my quirk started hurting me because I didn't want to, and then, he threatened to hurt Kacchan, so I granted it." Izuku sobbed quietly. "He was going to take me because of my quirk, but then, Death Arms showed up and stopped him."

Officer Tsukachi nodded and smiled gently at the kid. "Thank you for your honesty, Midoriya. I believe you about trying to refuse his wish. My quirk is called 'Lie Detection,' which lets me know when someone lies or tells the truth. Everything you said was true, and I understand that you were forced to use your quirk for your and your friend's safety. One last thing before we go. What was the price that Mr. Redfield paid for his wish?"

Midoriya sat up straight at the question. "I don't know if it's because he made a mean wish, but he didn't even ask for the price, just agreed to pay it. The price was that he would relive the murder every time he fell asleep. That way, even though his crime was wiped from his record, he would always remember what he did."

Officer Tsukachi winced at the payment. Guess that was karma for you. "That's all that I needed to ask you. Thank you, Bakugou and Midoriya, for your statements."

"That day changed everything. Mr. Redfield talked about my quirk while he was in prison, and soon, a lot of villains and criminals began looking around Musutafu for 'the kid with the wish-granting quirk.'" The greenette curled in on himself. It had been terrifying. After that point, Midoriya couldn't leave the school without an adult. Bakugou started going everywhere with him out of fear that something would happen. "And it wasn't just them. Mom thought informing the police and asking for escorts would protect us. On occasion, we'd get heroes watching the house and patrolling our area. That brought me under scrutiny by the Hero Public Safety Commission." Uraraka, Shinsou, and Bakugou share a look of confusion. That was a good thing, right? Heroes, police, and the HPSC looking out for the Midoriyas would've guaranteed their safety, right? "One day, an HPSC official came by the house."

Midoriya Inko was making dinner in the kitchen when she heard knocking at the door. Izuku froze on the living room couch. Was it another villain? Did they figure out where he lived? Inko quietly brought a finger to her lips, then gestured for Izuku to hide. Her son nodded, silently pushing himself off the couch. Once he'd hidden in the bathroom cabinet, he held his breath and waited. There was a muffled voice from outside. His mom must've deemed them safe as she opened the door. "You said you're from the Hero Public Safety Commission?"

Izuku crawled out of his hiding place and cautiously peered into the living room. A woman was standing by the front door, wearing a black blazer over a lavender sweater. Her ash-blonde hair was slicked back, and she had a severe look on her face. "Ma'am. I am the President of the Hero Public Safety Commission. I have come here today on important business regarding your son." Inko blinked in surprise. Before she could say anything else, the woman continued. "I learned of the powerful quirk that your son possesses. I believe that he would provide immense benefit to the safety of civilians and to the pro-heroes that defend our country." The stern-faced woman held out a folder. "I have come today with an offer for you. Let Izuku join the Hero Public Safety Commission's Aspiring Hero Youth Program. He would be protected inside the HPSC main headquarters, given the private lessons with the best tutors, and receive training to guide him into becoming a great pro-hero. In addition, you will receive a monetary lump sum as a show of our gratitude for allowing us to train a future top pro-hero. All you have to do is sign these forms."

Inko looked down at the forms in her hand. There was a lot of jargon that she didn't fully understand, but as her eyes skimmed through the forms, she realized one thing. The forms would mean she would be giving up her son. Tucked away in small lettering, a clause explained how signing the forms would relinquish all guardianship rights of her son to the commission. She probably would've missed it entirely if she wasn't used to reading forms due to her job as a nurse. There was also no mention of her having visitation rights or any way that the contract could be broken. No mention of the clause ending when Izuku came of age. Her eyes narrowed. She didn't trust this woman in the slightest. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline. Izuku has not expressed any desire to be a hero at the moment. If he decides he wants to in the future, then I will support his decision to apply for hero school entrance exams." She held the folder out to the woman.

The president of the HPSC grabbed the edge of the folder tightly. "Well, I understand that this is your decision. However, have you completely thought out your son's safety? I am offering your son a secure living environment, free from the threats of villains and criminals." The woman's eyes turned predatory. "At the moment, your son cannot walk home alone from school. He needs supervision via the police and on-duty heroes due to the danger that encompasses his daily life. He will never be able to live safely under these conditions." The HPSC president sighed lightly, then turned and opened the door. She looked back at Inko stoically. "I am fine with allocating these resources to you for the moment, but this is not a feasible long-term goal. Suppose you truly do not want to take advantage of the aid I am willing to provide your son on behalf of the Hero Public Safety Commission. In that case, it will be up to you to figure something else out. I doubt that the courts would allow you to keep your son if the situation worsens." Without further ado, she stepped outside lightly, where a man and a woman dressed in black suits saluted her. "Think about this, Midoriya Inko. I will come back one more time in a few days to hear your decision. I am a busy woman, and I will not give you this offer again. I hope for your sake that you make the right decision." The door closed.

Silence reigned in the house, even as Izuku walked over to his mom. He looked up at her worryingly. His mom was desperately trying to hold her composure, but she knew a threat when she saw one. That woman had threatened both herself and her son. "Izuku. Do you trust me to keep you safe?" Izuku nodded. He trusted her very much. She loved him, and Izuku would always trust her to keep him safe. Inko knelt and pulled him into a tight hug. "Go pack your things. We need to leave. Now."

The two family members quickly packed up everything they could into a couple of suitcases. Izuku packed his recently started hero notebook and his favorite hero merch into his backpack, then filled the other with necessities. It had taken him a bit over thirty minutes to get everything packed away, but he was sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He carried his stuff out into the living room, where his mom was throwing a bunch of shiny stuff into a bag. "Mommy was already trying to look into moving into a safer area. There is a little shop in downtown Musutafu that is also a house, and I know it is on a hero route. I just happened to finalize the sale today, so I want us to go there as fast as we can." Her goal was to quit nursing and open a little café with the shop.

Being on a known hero route would've hopefully provided enough protection for her son, and she was going to pull him out of school to enroll him in online classes. However, she couldn't protect him from the government. "I've called a taxi, and it should be arriving any minute. Do you have your hoodie?" Izuku nodded and pulled it out of his suitcase. The All Might hoodie was vibrant, but many kids wore hero hoodies, and he would blend in better wearing it. Inko looked down at the bag of shiny things again before tucking it into her backpack. "Let's go."

They headed out of the door, not once looking back. The taxi was just pulling up, and Inko looked around nervously. She didn't see the Hero Commission people around, so hopefully, they would have some time before the HPSC tried to track them down. Outside of moving out of the house, she couldn't think of anything else besides leaving the country that would protect her baby. Even then, moving would only provide a small window of protection. Leaving the country would be the best option, and she could use the time from their move to switch important documents to companies in America or England. She'd also need to transfer the money from her bank account. If they were lucky, they'd be able to make it onto a plane without being caught. She could even wish for it, using her son's quirk. Inko relaxed a little, but then a terrible thought came to her. They would likely encounter the exact same problem in whatever country they fled to. The worried mother ushered Izuku into the car and helped the driver load her bags in the car as well. What could she do? How could she protect her son? She wouldn't be surprised if the HPSC tried to force her to give Izuku up. She'd seen something on the news before about a similar scandal in America. It would be all-to-easy for them to do to a single mother with a child who had a powerful quirk. And that last thing the president of the commission said. 'For your sake.' That was more than just a threat to take her baby from her legally. That was the kind of thing she heard villains say in movies before they arranged a hit on someone. Inko felt her heart stop. There had to be a way around this. She thought of one solution after the other the whole ride, only to shake her head as she thought of the risks involved.

Eventually, the cab pulled up at the shop, and Inko paid him for the trip. She looked over the quaint little house and shop. She just wanted them to be happy together. Inko quickly brought everything inside and looked around. The owners left some of their furniture behind, which made her immensely happy due to their unexpected arrival. Inko directed Izuku towards the bedrooms before peeking through the blinds. She could see a black sedan parked on the edge of the street by the intersection. With a slight gasp, she let go of the blinds. They knew. They knew she bought this place. The HPSC must've illegally gone through her records. They were going to take Izuku away and use him for whatever they wanted from him. She narrowed her eyes. The president said a couple of days. She had dismissed one idea on the drive, but it was looking more and more like her only option. If her plan worked, she had maybe a day max to furnish the house and create a bank account for Izuku. Just in case. Izuku wouldn't know what the price of a wish would be until it was asked.

Inko unpacked the necessities she'd brought for the house: her son's birth documents, some family photos, and all of the food. Once her baby went to bed, she snuck out with her bag of jewelry and went to the nearest jewelry store. She sold all of it. Nothing was worth keeping if she could use it to provide for her baby. After selling everything, she went to the one bank that was still open that late at night. She made an account for Izuku and deposited the several million yen she'd made from selling her jewelry. After, she transferred a good chunk of her savings into the new account. Midoriya Inko ran several other errands before returning home. She worked tirelessly through the night to set up the house for her son.

When morning finally arrived, Inko set out to do one last thing. She rented a small moving van and moved as much furniture as possible from her apartment to the new house. Inko had been lucky enough to pass by Masaru, who helped her load and unload the van. The house had been fully furnished and set up by evening. Inko was out of time. She knew what she could do to keep her baby safe. It was the only thing she could think of that would provide him absolute protection. "Izuku, honey? Could you come here, please?" The single mother watched as her precious son bounded into the room. He looked up at her curiously. "I've got a wish I would like for you to grant."

Izuku nodded his head vigorously, eager to help his mom. "What is it?"

"I wish that any villain or criminal, or anyone who would want to take advantage of you for their own selfish gain, will be unable to find or remember you." Inko watched as Izuku's eyes glowed brightly at the magnitude of the wish.

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise. "Mom? Are you sure? The price for your wish is heavy." He looked up at her worriedly. "You'll have to give me every photo you own that I'm in and every item that you like because of me. Are you okay with that?"

Inko tearfully nodded. "Of course, Izuku. I love you, and keeping you safe is my priority." Izuku's eyes glowed again, and multiple items in the room became enveloped in green bubbles. The clay figure he made in art class, the photos sitting on the floor, the scarf he picked out for her last Christmas. The bubbles disappeared moments later. With a sigh of relief, Inko walked over to the front window of the shop's lobby. She peeked through the blinds and noticed that a different black sedan was there. For a few minutes, she kept her eye on the vehicle, but it still remained. "Why didn't that work?" She let the blinds fall back in place as she anxiously bit her lip. Izuku's wishes usually worked within minutes. Why was the sedan still there? Unless… Inko's eyes widened as a thought came to her. Maybe the people in the car didn't know the true reason that the HPSC wanted her son. Maybe they were blind to the corruption in the ranks and honestly believed that Izuku would be used for good. It was still using him, though. As long as some members of the HPSC remembered Izuku, he would never be truly safe. Inko steeled her heart. It would hurt her, but her baby's safety was her top priority.

"Is the car still there? Does that mean the bad people are still watching us?" Izuku walked up to her. The child watched as his mother knelt in front of him.

"Izuku. I have one last wish I need to make." Inko shakily smiled at her son. If her wish worked the way she believed it would, he would be safe. Nothing else mattered but her son's safety. "You've always wanted to be a hero. With your quirk, you'd make an amazing hero. However, there are people out there who are going to try to use you to their advantage. People who don't have your best interests in mind. I tried protecting you with my first wish, but it's not enough." Inko pulled her son into a tight hug. "You're going to be a hero, but a little differently than I think you imagined. Promise me. Turn this shop into a wishing shop. Use your quirk to make people happy. And always remember how much I love you." Izuku looked at her fearfully. "I wish that no one will remember you or your quirk unless they have a wish, and once their wish has been granted, they will forget you again."

Izuku broke out of his mother's hug. His quirk whispered to him the horrible price of this wish. Every memory Midoriya Inko ever had of her son would be wiped from her mind, and all records of Izuku being her son would be edited so that he could no longer be traced back to her. "No! Mom! Please don't make this wish!" His eyes glowed brightly, and the child broke down into tears. "Please! This price is too much! I don't want to grant this wish! I don't want you to forget me!"

Inko smiled sadly. So, her idea was right. She figured that such a wish would cause her son to continue his life without her. It was a price she was willing to pay, though. Anything to protect her most precious person. "I'm sorry, Izuku. I have to. This is the only way to make sure you are safe. I am willing to pay this price."

Izuku felt power well up inside him. He tried to clamp down on it, but he was too young, too inexperienced with his quirk to even attempt to stop his quirk. Green light enveloped his mother for a few seconds before fading away. The woman blinked a few times, then looked around the shop bemusedly. "Oh? I'm so sorry, Little One. I seem to be in the wrong house." She glanced behind the small boy in front of her. "Are those my suitcases? I'm heading to the airport to go move in with my husband. Are your parents around? I'm terribly sorry for invading your home like this; I'm not too sure why I'm here." Izuku nodded blankly as he grabbed one bag and dragged it over. Inko thanked him for his politeness as she gathered the rest of her things and walked out of the door. The child noted absently that the black sedan on the corner was gone now. "Have a good night, and thank you again for letting me stay here while I gathered my things!" Izuku watched as his mother hailed a taxi. When the taxi drove away out of sight, he continued to just stand there. It wasn't until the cold night air began numbing his skin that Izuku finally collapsed, sobbing, to the ground. Just like that, she was gone from his life. All because of him and his quirk.

Uraraka cried quietly into Shinsou's shoulder as Midoriya finished his story. She never would've realized just how hard her friend's life had been. Not just villains, but the HPSC too? Uraraka wondered how many people knew about the potential corruption going on in the HPSC. Would she experience it as well once she graduated from UA? How many heroes were currently aware of the issues going on in the commission?

Shinsou was dealing with a similar train of thought. After his quirk manifested, he'd been treated like a villain. If the HPSC found out about the potential uses of his quirk, would they have come after him? His parents would never give him up, but the thinly veiled threat that Midoriya remembered was enough to know that their refusal wouldn't be enough. Thankfully, that had never been the case. But hearing Midoriya's plight made him worried about his future as a hero.

Bakugou was the most torn of the group. He'd been unable to protect Izuku when they were kids. What kind of hero couldn't protect the people they cared about? Yeah, he was just a kid, but Bakugou still felt guilty. Felt like he could've done more. If the corruption in the HPSC was that bad, then something needed to be done about it. Not now, not while they were hero students. They wouldn't be taken seriously, and anything they said would be used against them. Once he graduated, once Bakugou was a pro, he'd go out and start a case against the HPSC. He'd fucking destroy the commission for what they did to Izuku and his mom. "Izuku. I fucking promise you that I'm not gonna let the Commission get away with their shit. Once I'm a pro, you bet your ass I'm gonna obliterate those fucking shit-heads."

Izuku chuckled wetly. He certainly wouldn't mind it. "Thanks, Kacchan."

"Count me in." Izuku looked at Shinsou in surprise. The tired teen was glaring a hole into the ground. "As heroes, we'll be working with the commission pretty often. There's no way I'm going to allow a bunch of assholes to tell me what to do." He raised his gaze to meet Midoriya's eyes, gaze burning with determination and anger.

Uraraka grinned and lightly smacked her fist against her chest. "I'm in too! Heroes are supposed to make the world a better place! I'm all for taking down a bunch of villains!"

"Everyone…" Izuku teared up again. Uraraka laughed and pulled Midoriya and Shinsou into a hug. Bakugou rolled his eyes when Izuku gave him the puppy-dog eyes but begrudgingly joined in. "You guys are the best friends I could ever have."

His roommate immediately broke off the hug and started babbling about having a sleep-over. When Shinsou jokingly agreed, Uraraka grabbed him and dragged him off to the living room, talking about the potential movies they could watch. Izuku moved to follow them but was stopped by Bakugou. He looked up at his best friend curiously. "Oi." Bakugou gruffly pulled Izuku into a side hug. "I'm gonna start coming over every day. If you ever need food or some shit, text me, and I'll bring it over."

Izuku smiled brightly. "Thanks, Kacchan!" Without another word, the two went to join their friends in the living room.