Chapter Three: Inko Midoriya: The Woman Who Terrifies All for One
To be honest, Izuku held very negative feelings towards Tomura Shigaraki.
The villain had murdered one of his closest friends in front of him. He'd almost certainly been the one responsible for Inko's death. He'd killed countless people and laughed like a child while doing so. In the future, Izuku would have killed him without hesitation if given the chance.
But he also knew the tragic story of Tenko Shimura, warped by tragedy from a young age. All for One had boasted about giving Tenko the Decay quirk, albeit only after his protégé had gone too insane to care about the past. If Izuku could prevent that from ever happening, then he could save all those victims, perhaps including Tenko himself.
So Izuku slapped his sweetest smile on his face and said, "I'm so eager to see your business, big brother. I absolutely insist on coming along."
Hisashi swallowed. "Maybe another day? This is a very important business meeting."
"I understand. Your meeting must be very important indeed, if you're still going after your brother woke up from a coma and your son was hospitalized." Izuku watched carefully as his father's face became increasingly guilty. "I'm so sorry. It was a silly suggestion."
"No, not at all—"
"I just had this vague feeling that we used to dream of working together." Izuku drew on the visions of the past his uncle had shown him to craft his manipulation. "I thought if I learned more about your business, I could help you out. We'd be a team, like when we were children." Izuku sighed. "But I suppose I'm too weak and useless for you to want my help."
"No, I'm so happy to hear you say that!" Hisashi hesitated.
Izuku could see it in his father's eyes as he reached the conclusion he could always give little Tenko the Decay quirk another day. Not if Izuku had anything to say about it. He was going to cling to his dear old dad like a baby koala.
Hisashi said, "I'd be happy to take you to my meeting. Just give me a moment to arrange it—to make arrangements." He pulled out his phone and texted rapidly.
Just following his father down the hallway made Izuku feel winded. He stopped repeatedly to cough. At least his dad was patient with his slow pace. Pain built up in his throat, making it harder for him to stay alert and concentrate on his plans.
This body absolutely sucked. Izuku felt a little guilty toward his uncle to say so, but if he were to rate this body on TripAdvisor he would give zero stars, would not visit again.
Hisashi pushed open a door to reveal what looked like a conference room, but far too big. No doubt this was to accommodate the giant man with spikey skin crouched at one end of the long table. Even with his knees huddled to his face, his hair still smooshed against the very high ceiling. A man with shadows for faces sat to his left. The conference room had been hastily assembled, as proven by how the phone was disconnected and the projector hung ajar. A tray of muffins sat on the table.
Why only Kurogiri and Gigantomachia? Surely his father had many other minions? Most of them more normal looking? It took Izuku a moment to realize: Hisashi didn't want anyone to know about his little brother, except those he trusted absolutely or had absolute control over.
Izuku sat in one of the two available chairs. Gigantomachia fidgeted. The giant looked extremely uncomfortable in a formal suit. He itched at a spike poking out of his starched collar.
Kurogiri stood up and adjusted his tie. He also looked like his suit had been put on very hastily. The jacket was inside out. "Master—"
Hisashi glared.
"I mean, sir. I'm ready to begin the financials report for Midoriya Incorporated." Kurogiri started a PowerPoint presentation. It was painfully obvious the template had been copied off the internet. There were a couple places where Kurogiri had forgotten to change the company name from the default.
As Kurogiri droned on, Izuku pretended to be fascinated, nodding and asking very easy questions. He took the opportunity to observe Gigantomachia up close and take a few internal notes on the man's quirks. He'd already eaten three muffins. They were freshly baked and delicious.
Kurogiri clicked to another slide. "As you can see, we've been making headways in Taiwan sales for—what was our product again?—men's formal wear."
"Fascinating," Izuku said. He wondered who'd picked the fake company's supposed product. Maybe his father, who seemed to love suits. He'd made Izuku put on a new grey suit before heading to the meeting. Apparently Hisashi had a whole closet of clothes in his brother's size just on the off-chance he might wake up. Izuku hadn't asked any questions about how the outfit had perfectly matched his measurements, even though he'd wanted to.
Across the table, Gigantomachia ate his own tie.
Kurogiri said, "Our Korean branch has experienced declines in productivity this quarter."
Izuku made sympathetic noises. Beside him, Hisashi's eyes had completely glazed over.
Gigantomachia asked, "WHY DON'T WE STEAL MONEY TO MAKE THE BAR GRAPH ON THE SCREEN HIGHER?"
"Ha-ha! What a kidder!" Hisashi cried. He glared at his minion.
"A great joke." Izuku nodded a little too hard.
"IT WASN'T A JOKE. I ROBBED A BANK YESTERDAY, AND LORD'S NEW CLOTHING LINE IS WELCOME TO ALL THE MONEY. WE WILL FORCE EVERYONE TO WEAR SUITS WHEN WE RULE THE WORLD."
"What a sense of humor he has," Hisashi said between clenched teeth. "Nevertheless, it's time to get back to business. Gigantomachia, you are forbidden from interrupting again."
"SORRY, LORD." The giant drooped.
"I don't know why he calls me that. Such a kidder." Hisashi's eye tic looked increasingly frantic.
"I thought it was a funny joke," Izuku said.
Hisashi looked at him sidelong. "Really?"
Izuku realized he needed to act at least a little skeptical. If he seemed too unbothered, his father would realize he already knew, and the gig would be up. "It did sound suspiciously like your childhood dream of becoming a demon king. But I'm sure you wouldn't turn to a life of crime for such a silly reason."
"Ha-ha, no, if I ever became a villain it would be for a great reason!" Hisashi smiled maniacally.
"It was way too exaggerated for me to believe it," Izuku said. "Crime is one thing, you always looked a bit shifty-eyed, but taking over the world?"
"Totally ridiculous." Hisashi nodded.
"I'm laughing because it's funny."
"Me, too! So funny!"
"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE JOKE, BUT I WILL LAUGH TOO." The force of Gigantomachia's breath knocked the screen off the wall.
Hisashi stared at the pile of glass and electronics on the floor. "Let's reschedule this meeting for another day."
"Sure," Izuku said, because it had been getting very, very boring.
Kurogiri's face was a mass of shadows, but he still managed to look tired.
"NICE TO MEET YOU, IDIOT BROTHER," Gigantomachia said as he crawled for the oversized door.
"Uh, does he mean me?" Izuku asked. "Do you know why he calls me that?"
"Nope!" Hisashi said. Izuku waited, but no other explanation seemed to be forthcoming.
As they left the room, Izuku said, "What a great presentation. Your business is very impressive, big brother."
"It is. Feel free to ask me questions about anything you didn't understand."
Whoa, my dad's opinion of his brother's intelligence is not high. That had probably been all that had saved Izuku from discovery after Gigantomachia's blunder. A bit of sweat trickled down his neck. He couldn't count on surviving too many such close saves.
As they walked down the hallway, Hisashi's phone buzzed.
Izuku leaned close enough to read the text: Seller has agreed on final price of one billion yen for the regeneration quirk.
Hisashi's face broke out into the biggest smile. "I'm sorry, Yuuto—I wanted to introduce you to Inko, but you'll have to meet her without me. I've found something to help my son."
Izuku didn't want to let his father out of his sight. He didn't trust All for One not to make a beeline for Tenko at the first chance. But he knew there was no way he could invite himself along on a quirk-trading deal. His dad would never allow it, nor could he be distracted from something as important as curing his son's injuries.
"I'm looking forward to meeting my sister-in-law," Izuku said, trying to control the sudden increase in his heart rate.
In this time period, his mother was still alive.
Izuku stood outside the underground hospital room door, shifting from foot to foot. The sound of Inko singing drifted through the door, too faint to be understood. Tears filled Izuku's eyes.
He took a deep breath and opened the door.
Inko Midoriya sat by a sleeping Yuuto, peeling an apple. The light fell across her green hair. She looked younger than Izuku could ever remember her being, especially given the worry lines his hero career had later given her face.
Izuku burst into tears.
He hadn't been forced to witness his mother's death. He'd never even learned exactly how she'd died. He'd shifted through the rubble of Musutafu without ever finding concrete evidence of his old home. For years, he'd searched the face of every refugee. Not knowing had kept him in a constant state of agony, wondering if his mother needed him to save her. He'd never known hope could be such a cruel torment. Then Tomura Shigaraki had shown up with Inko's hand over his face, babbling about how he'd added his long-lost aunt to the family.
Remembering only made Izuku weep even harder.
Inko stood up. "Excuse me? You're Yuuto, aren't you?"
Her voice. He could hear her voice. She was alive. He couldn't stop crying.
She asked, "Pardon me if this is presumptuous, but would you like a hug?"
He collapsed into his mother's arms. She smelled like cooking spices, the same as always. Her hair felt so soft. He clung to her like a piece of driftwood in a storm.
On the bed, Yuuto stirred and sat up. "Good to see you again." His eyes fell on Inko. "Who is this?"
Izuku felt his headache transform into a migraine at nearly supernatural speed. His nose wrinkled in stress.
Inko's arms fell away. Her comforting expression dropped her off her face. She glared at Yuuto. "You're not my son. Who are you?"
"Maybe he's still dazed after his head injury." Izuku forced a laugh. "Don't worry! I'm sure he hasn't forgotten his own mother!" He fixed his uncle with a death glare.
"Uh, yes. Hi, Mommy!" Yuuto tried to wave one of his casts.
"You're not my son," Inko repeated.
"Don't be silly, just because he was briefly confused—" Izuku started to say.
"I knew before that." Inko silenced him with a look of steel. "My Izuku is shy around strangers. He calls me Mom, not Mommy. He waves as a small gesture, not a wide one." Her eyes burned. "I thought there was something wrong from the moment you woke up. A mother always knows." She picked up the fruit knife and pointed it at Yuuto's throat. "You'll explain to me what happened to my son, or you'll explain to my husband. Trust me, you don't want to be interrogated by Hisashi."
Yuuto eyed the knife with terror. "Izuku? Help?" he squeaked.
Since the jig was already up, Izuku ran his fingers through his hair and said, "It's me, Mom. I traveled through time and ended up in my uncle's body. He's in mine. It was an accident. We came back to save the world from destruction."
Inko's eyes widened. She lowered the knife. "My sweet boy." She took his face in her hands. "You must have been through so much."
"You believe me? Just like that?" Izuku had been straining his mind for a secret he could tell her that only they knew, but unfortunately he didn't have many memories from age four.
Inko smiled. "Your face when you cry is still the same. You wrinkle up your nose and run your fingers through your hair just like my baby Izuku. I'd already noticed the uncanny similarities, but I thought it was just because you were his uncle." She kissed his forehead. "I could never fail to know you, my son."
Mother's instinct was amazing. Izuku swallowed. "Thank you for believing me."
"Since you returned to save the world, I take it you became a hero? You accomplished your dream. I'm so proud of you."
Izuku felt his tears returning. He sniffled. "I couldn't save anyone in the future, Mom."
"You will now. I know it. I believe in you."
Izuku couldn't help it. He broke down crying again.
After he'd finally recovered and wiped off his soaked face, he pulled over a chair and sat down next to his mother.
Inko said, "We should tell Hisashi about this. He has so many connections, I'm sure he can help you figure out how to switch your bodies back and save the world."
Izuku exchanged glances with his uncle, then said, "Mom, I have some bad news about Dad. He's a villain, and he was one of the people indirectly responsible for the end of the world."
Inko put her chin in her hand. "Tell me everything."
A little unnerved by how calm his mother seemed, Izuku poured out the whole story.
When he finished, Inko said, "That does explain the odd job hours and where he got all his money."
Izuku stared. "Shouldn't you be more upset about this?"
"It's not as if I hadn't realized he was involved in something shady. Have you met his giant friend or the one with shadows for a face?" Inko shrugged. "I'm sure your father has his reasons. Have you seen how corrupt hero society is? Besides, your father is the one who provides for us, so I never saw it as my business to question where the money came from."
"If he's a criminal mastermind, maybe you should question that a little!"
"Marriages are about accepting each other as you change. Your father never said an unkind word to me even after I gained weight. So, I think I should accept his criminal empire in the same spirit."
Izuku's eyes got even wider. "Mom, those two things aren't even remotely equivalent."
Yuuto coughed. "I hate to interrupt this riveting philosophical debate, but I have some practical concerns. Izuku is still being treated like a prisoner whether Hisashi will acknowledge it or not, and I'm like this." He waved his casts. "Inko, perhaps you could help us make contact with All Might?"
"That's a great idea!" Izuku perked up. "I'd really like to figure out if he still has his quirk."
Even more than that, he wanted to see All Might again. Like with his mother, a thrill ran down his body at the realization his mentor still lived in this timeline. He'd had nightmares for years about watching All Might's body explode as he activated the post Quirk Singularity One for All. His frail form hadn't been able to handle the power. Izuku had always been painfully aware that his mentor had died saving him from Tomura Shigaraki. This time, he was determined to protect All Might. He'd prevent his mentor from ever being injured during his fateful fight with All for One.
"Sorry, sweetie, but I can't betray your father by going behind his back." Inko shook her head. "I won't betray you by telling him your story, either. I'm going to stay neutral."
Izuku couldn't believe his ears. "But…the destruction of the world…"
"I'm sure you can handle it, my brilliant baby boy." Inko beamed. "In the worst case scenario, you could always tell your father the truth and get him to kill Dr. Garaki himself."
"But I feel like then I'd end up tossed in a bank vault," Yuuto said.
"I can certainly see why you'd save that for a last resort," Inko said in a tone making it clear she could care less.
Yuuto shrank into his bed.
Izuku said, "If you'd even pass along one message to a police detective I know so he can get it to All Might…"
Inko crossed her legs. "You know I completely support you in all your heroic endeavors, sweetie, but I try to avoid running into the authorities myself. I'm still wanted in most of the prefectures of Japan."
"You're what?" Izuku had heard—he just couldn't believe it.
Inko giggled. "You kids are always so surprised when it turns out your parents had lives outside looking after you."
Izuku twitched. "I'm more in shock that both of my parents turned out to be criminals."
"Your father is a criminal, sweetie, and proud of it. I prefer the term 'freedom fighter.'" Inko's eyes became distant. "I used to be involved in numerous…noble causes. But I got in a bit of trouble, more than even your father could cover up. So we both agreed I'd become a housewife for a while, then you came along, so that worked out nicely."
Izuku wondered what trouble his mother could have possibly gotten into that All for One couldn't cover up. Then he decided maybe he didn't want to know.
"Maybe you can help me with one little thing, Mom? Pretty please?" He plastered his cutest smile on his face. "This isn't about heroics. It's about family."
After obtaining a regeneration quirk, Hisashi was in a great mood. Before he headed home, he had one last stop to make. Something he'd better get out of the way before Yuuto started causing trouble again.
Hisashi pulled over at the road where his spies reported he could find Tenko Shimura. He'd give the boy Decay, take him home, and provoke the quirk to go wild. A malicious smile crossed his lips as he contemplated the brilliance of his plan. After Tenko became a villain, he couldn't wait to reveal everything to All Might!
His smile completely dropped, along with his jaw, when he spotted Tenko Shimura sitting on children's slide with Inko about to push him. Yuuto stood at the bottom, ready to catch him.
The boy squealed as he slid down. "Let's do that again!"
"Why…how…?" Hisashi muttered. Inko must have been the one to get Yuuto out of the compound. But how had she found out about Tenko? He'd been so careful! Amnesia or not, somehow his foolish little brother was responsible for this. He felt sure of it.
Inko waved at him from the park. "Darling, please come meet my nephew, Tenko Shimura."
Hisashi forced his smile back onto his face. "A pleasure."
"I've been talking to him. It appears my estranged older brother hasn't been treating his children very well." Inko clucked her tongue. "We can't let that stand, can we?"
It wasn't a question. It was an order. "Yes, dear," Hisashi muttered, his visions of his perfect revenge crumbling around him.
OMAKE TIME!
Omake: How Hisashi Married Inko
Hisashi: I've uncovered the location of Nana Shimura's daughter. Time to craft a subtle revenge scheme!
Dressed in a black catsuit, Inko climbs out a window carrying a cage of rats.
Hisashi: What are you doing with those rodents?
Inko: I'm freeing them from a life of oppression as lab experiments. Join the protest, stop animal testing! Stand for animal rights! (She sprays some slogans on the wall, then throws her paint can at Hisashi.) You'd better dispose of that fast, because the pigs are on my trail.
Hisashi: Oh, no. She's hot.
On their first date:
Hisashi: Tell me about yourself.
Inko: I'm an anarchist, and I feel strongly about the abolition of all forms of government. Laws smell like the corpse of the society.
Hisashi: I'm in love.
#Marrying his enemy's daughter is a form of revenge #That's his story and he's sticking to it
#
Omake: Brotherly Love
Izuku: On a scale of a monkey to Albert Einstein, how stupid do you think your younger brother is?
Hisashi: Can I go lower than that? Monkeys don't stop eating when put in a cage. How about an earthworm?
Yuuto: Hey!
Izuku: Hmm, this is going to be easier than I thought.
#
Omake: Getting Started on Rebelling at Age Four
Yuuto: Hey, Hisashi! What do you mean, it was all your "foolish younger brother's" fault? Saving Tomura Shigaraki was entirely on Izuku. I just wanted to kill the walking dust factory.
Izuku: Yeah, I demand credit. I'm every bit as good at tormenting you as my uncle.
Hisashi: (Moans.)
Author's Note: Sooooooo…the interpretation of Inko is very different in this story compared to "A Road Not Traveled." Very, very different. But across any universe, All for One is always whipped.
I'm playing fast and loose with the timing of when Tenko got Decay, but this story is tagged with Time Travel and alternative universe, so in the words of Doctor Who, let's consider time "a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff."