"Whe-Where…? Wha-What…?" Izuku struggled to say, totally surprised by the sudden magic act.
Out of thin air the three thugs completely disappeared, in every direction Izuku looked they were no where in sight. Their presence erased in a instant before his very eye's wondering how the heck they manage to pull that off. The air it self became a lot lighter as well like a delicate little feather falling upon the earth. When they were here the oxygen he'd breathed was so heavy and soul sucking that it could drain his lungs dry of every drop of air he had left in his body. Sending him to the afterlife to either spend eternity in the pit of Hell or to the sky in God gorgeous heavenly kingdom up above.
But they where gone filling the walkway tunnel Izuku stood in with silence as he tried to gather what just happened. The only sound that could be heard within his hearing range was the calming crickets playing their delightful tune's threw out the night. Witch Izuku was very grateful for since he needed the help to keep calm in order to keep his own sanity in check. But the dim almost dead light's that filled his view were no help to the given situation before him.
Literally just a minute ago he was getting horribly beaten by the three worse scum that ever hit the city streets. Endlessly laughing at him like he was just some sad man dress as some kid party clown making a complete fool of himself so others can enjoy. But now here he was, in a park late at night while bathing in a tube full of painful confusement trying to understand and figure out how those thugs vanish in a blink of a eye like that. It was basically impossible in small quarters like this even if it was some kind of magic trick they somehow put to together it will still be somewhat difficult to do that here in all places.
"H-How… W-Where did they…?" Izuku said, still looking around.
Until
"Wait…? The older man!" Izuku remembered, turning around. "Sir, are you okayyy…?"
The moment Izuku turned around, wanting to check up on the older man and make sure he was okay. He was meet with yet another sudden surprise, seeing that the man who was on the floor slumped up against the wall and badly bruised from head to toe is… gone. Vanishing with the common thugs without a trace that proved that he was ever their in the first place.
"W-What…? Where did he go…? H-He was just…?" Izuku shockingly said, looking around for the poor beaten man.
Izuku was doing mind boggling cart-wheels in his head. All of this was to much to take in for the small child as his breathing turned into heavy breathing continuing to look in every direction hoping to see something that will make sense of all of this. But as he looked, his eye's finally took notice of something that he completely missed at first. The splatters of blood that covered the walls and floor were also gone, everything that showed that something bad happened here tonight is gone. There are no sign of a struggle or anything that proved Izuku was just caught up in a battle of life and death just now. The entire walkway tunnel looked like everyday casual tunnel without the need of a second glance to make sure it maintain the usual norm.
"Wha-What is happening…? Where did that man go…? I-I can't think straight…" Izuku stuttered out, grabbing the side of his head in mental frustration.
Dropping to his hands and knees, Izuku began to question his own sanity. He started to question is everything that revolve around his small world is real, the people who lived and gave variety to his none social life, the objects that served a purpose to it's now and previous owners, his surroundings that gave off meaningful colors to it's richest blue's and darkest shades of bloody red. The things he believed is true can now be false and dreadful heartbreaking lie's to him and only him alone. Now knowing his eye's can play more than just tricks in his field of vision but delusions and hallucinations that can look so real you wouldn't think it wasn't.
Izuku thought for a few seconds that maybe he should call the police. Tell them what he saw or what he thought he saw and maybe they'll be able to shed some light on this. But he quickly denied the act knowing he had no proof, no video evidence, no witnesses, or anything that showed the actual truth. They'll probably just think he crazy at the end of the day, but him still being just a 15 year-old kid they'll defiantly just check it off as him lying just to get some TV worthy attention.
But still being on his hands and knees, Izuku raised his right hand slowly to his face wanting to touch the bruises the thugs implanted into the one thing that identified him to the world. But when his fingers made the slightest contact with it he expected to fill a soaring rush of pain go threw out his entire body but… he didn't. Izuku didn't feel anything but the soft tissue of his creamy everyday skin. But now once again in state of confusement, Izuku used both his hands to touch every part of his face with extreme haste. But when he did he was surprised he didn't feel any pain or blood or bruises or pretty much anything. But in reality Izuku wasn't banged up at all, all the damage he thought he had on his face wasn't their anymore.
He was completely healed.
"My face… is healed?" Izuku stuttered, shockingly. "H-How…?"
"What is happening to me..?" Izuku whimpered, pulling his hair in frustration.
Now Izuku was scared. A sick feeling started to creep into Izuku stomach making him want to puke up the sandwich and fries he had for lunch today. But emptying out his tank and gushing it out onto the cement pavement beneath him sounded like a great idea at the moment. The shocking and awful disturbance of it's color and smell along side his stomach bile's would disgust him to the core, obviously, but it would be better to stare at that than think about the experience he just endured. With tear's in his eye's and the shivering movement of his bones clanking against one another, it only added more pressure of dizziness to his head gaining a bit of double vision in his sight.
He was seeing double of everything. Slowly swaying left and to the right objects made by the hands of man and love of mother nature herself kept moving. Like obeying the orders of a valley green wind, blowing ever so gently to trick your mind into lowering it's guard and give in to the sleep like state of despair. But Izuku wasn't born yesterday. What he was seeing was nothing but a simple reaction to the aftermath of his current dilemma. It will all go away eventually but for the time being he must come to terms with his condition.
Not knowing what else to do, Izuku slowly rose up to his feet with wide eyed distraught look on his face and walked home.
But if only he knew he was being followed.
CLICK
"M-Mom?" Izuku called out, opening and shutting the front door. "Mom… im home."
After a hour long walk threw the city deserted streets Izuku finally made it home to his and his mom apartment. But during his travel nothing really happened out of the usual norm that he currently use to. The full moon hanging above in the night sky shined it's bight light down upon the earth as usual. Musutafu City lights lit the empty streets up with many mystical colors of a neon living beautiful rainbow as usual. The night bugs with and without wings crawled out of their hovels and into the dark conquered the late hours as usual.
The only thing that stood out from the usual, obviously, was the fact he didn't see or walk by a single person. He didn't see a single car, truck, bus, train, or a sign of human life anywhere within his field vision. But that not what really creeped Izuku out, what creeped him out the most was during his walk while still trying to get over the imagine but disturbing beating he received not to long ago. He felt like was being watched. He felt like he was being followed by someone or something hidden within the shadows, tailing him very closely but not to far away. Watching his every movement his body made as he continued forward to his destination.
Izuku constantly looked behind several time's and saw nothing threw out his travel, desperately hoping he was just imagining the uneasy feeling. His mind have grown rather keen on playing hallucinating imagery to him tonight, showing him thing's he could see and hear and somewhat feel with his own physical being as they play out before him. And if the three vicious thugs he saw back in the park were fake then who to say what he is feeling now is real. Everything to the solid objects to the wet liquids could be nothing but a meaningless sham to him that doesn't need to exist in this world.
But the thought of that didn't remove the eerie feeling of the dark presence that lurked behind him. Following him like a second forgotten shadow, imitating his every step like it was some childish game to pass the forever endless time. But whatever he is feeling is truly hidden and forbidden to be seen to the human eyes as Izuku continued to see nothing following him every time he looked back. It's invisible like a soulless ghost roaming the streets of Musutafu City till it finally cross over to the other side.
What is following him?
"Mom…?" Izuku called out, stepping lightly toward the living room. "She should be home by now."
After locking the front door Izuku went straight for the living room. All the light's in their dwelling they usually turn on when it's dark were on but no sound could be heard threw out the house. It was quiet but comforting for Izuku knowing he was in a environment he knew all to well. Finally being able to drop his guard a little bit till he settled in for the night so he can prepared himself for the coming morning. Witch he wished would just hurry up and arrive already since he hated every second of this day and wanted it to end. Now!
Entering the living room, Izuku was about to call out for his mom one more time till he spotted her on the couch.
Fast asleep with a book in one of her hands.
Inko sleeping position looked somewhat comfortable in many way. She was sitting at the end of the couch with one hand clutching on to a book in her lap and her other hand and arm on the armrest of the couch propping her head up. Both of her feet were on the ground and her chest calmly went up and down as she breathed, while making such a quietly snoring sound that sounded so cute a sleeping kitten couldn't even compete with it. But why was she up this late on the couch reading a book? She should be in bed at this hour.
'She was waiting for me to come home… again.' Izuku thought to himself with a grin.
But as Izuku stood their in the doorway to the living room he quietly approached her not wanting to wake her from her needed slumber. Standing almost above her he watched her sleep, enjoying seeing his mom sleeping so peacefully and so innocently that she could proudly represent a loving angle with a soul so pure it was incredibly inhuman. Izuku could almost see the two feather like wings white as snow sprout from her back and stretched their self's to their fullest length showing off their beauty to the world. Along side a golden bright halo ring hovering directly overhead simply showing that she was indeed a being from a heavenly world you wish you could visit at least for a day.
These are the moments Izuku like to remind himself how good and grateful he is for having a mother like her in his life. A force of good nature that could turn the twisted of minds into a straight and narrow path revamping them to the next level of understanding how life is precious to those who hold it and life is only given once when you have it. Seeing her like this put Izuku mind at ease, after the night he had he needed to see and witness something that showed he still have something to come back home to. He thought about waking her up and telling her what he just experience a hour ago but he couldn't.
"She look so peaceful." Izuku said, quietly.
Inko worked long and hard hours at a big grocery store called, 'Mubi Wood.' They sold clothes, food, electronics, sport equipment, school supplies, and cleaning supplies but his mom just worked as one of the many plane normal average cashier. Of course her paycheck is nothing to brag about but she made a lot more than he did and Inko been telling Izuku about her golden opportunity of becoming a manager at the store but sadly her chances were quickly decreasing due to the fierce competition for the spot.
Not only that but her job was so far away it was literally on the other side of the city. In other for her to get their on time she have to take a long train ride and walk two or three miles to work just to reach it location. Just the thought of the tiring long travel bothered Izuku to the core, he couldn't believe she had that much will power to do that almost every day. Witch is probably one of the many many reasons why Izuku admire her so much. Her will power.
So Izuku decided not to tell her.
Besides… she needed the rest.
'She'll probably won't believe me anyway.' Izuku thought, sadly. 'Wouldn't be the first time…'
After that quick decision, Izuku notice his mother Inko steered a little bit in her sleep. But her eye's remained closed still confirming she was still confined in the land of gentle slumber. So in a act of kindness towards his mother he gently lifted Inko feet off the floor and on to the couch. Making her whole entire body lay comfortable sideways at the same equal level on the coach while Izuku placed his mother head gently down on one of the couch cushions. After that he grabbed a neatly folded blanket off of their recliner chair in the living room and draped it calmly over and across her body while making sure it covered every inch of her except her head.
Now seeing she was in a more comfortable state of sleeping threw the night Izuku prepared to head off into the kitchen. Already knowing his mother always leave his dinner fully ready in the microwave whenever he got home late at night. But before he took a single step towards the kitchen Izuku took one last look at Inko, taking in her peaceful look of her slumber state she desperately needed. But very slowly Izuku lowered his head to her face and placed a very quick but loving kiss on her noggin and said…
"Goodnight, Mom." Izuku whispered.
With that done and his mind made up Izuku went to the kitchen and opened up the microwave to collect his dinner. Witch was his favorite food in the whole universe, his Mom homemade Katsudon. But after heating it up in the microwave for a good minute Izuku decided to just eat it in his room at his work desk. Already knowing he probably just going to jump right into bed anyway whenever he finishes it. But after entering and shutting his bedroom door with his food in hand, Izuku sat down and turned on his desk lamp because his whole room is pitch dark right at the moment. Starting to dig in and enjoy his mother cooking that she was somehow so good at that it always washed the thought of his troubles away in a instant the substance entered his mouth.
Bust sadly after what just happened tonight, Inko cooking is not enough to dissolve the ongoing conflict which is still battling within his mind. What he saw and what he been threw could've not been fake. It was far to real and far to bloody with the color of red splattered across the dense cement scene. The thugs, the poor beaten down older man, and the aching pain he felt threw out his body from the punches to his face to the kicking toward his chest were still manifesting within his being. Not only that but the fear of it all is still something he couldn't get over.
Those three delinquents towered over him like skyscrapers which only increased the tensely of the situation. Their eye's were cold and their scent were disgusting and every time Izuku thought back on it he couldn't think or say one descent thing about them. Their entire appearance was nothing respectful to cheer for and their presence sucked him dry of all the good he had within him like a black hole. But the detail in their skin and the action they perused were far to accurate to be some random delusion he thought up in his head.
'Their no way that couldn't been real.' Izuku thought, pausing from eating.
But besides of all the brutal and bloody things he saw tonight, what really bothered Izuku is that the thugs called him a… 'Hero'.
'But why did they have to call me a Hero…?' Izuku sadly thought to himself, staring endlessly at his food beneath him. 'Of all the things they could've call me… why that?'
Izuku is not a Hero. He knew that plain and simple like everyone else. He had no strength, no quirk, no special abilities which mean their no way on God green earth that he can smoop in save people form the face of danger. In this world men were not designed to inherit quirks, men were not designed to be leaders, and men were not designed to handle the responsibility's women held upon their shoulders everyday. The path they walked and the thing's they endured just to get to this point is groundbreaking to discover.
For century's they proven time after again why they remain on the top of the food chain. They strongly proven they hold the world in the palm of their hands and they are not interested in sharing with the other. The male population is nothing but a lower floor in the basement while women are the higher-ups on the rooftops. They called all the shots and have the final say in everything which give them the advantage in everything that matter. No matter the size or the trouble in any given predicament that come across women had the final say in the conversation.
Izuku knew all of this and he knew their no changing it but… he couldn't help but think what if he could become a hero.
Still remaining sitting in his chair Izuku bend his upper half torso to the floor. Silently glad that his bed is literally right next to his work desk, Izuku reached his arms under his bed till he grabbed something that felt square and rectangular. He pulled the object from beneath his bed and out into the open air which revealed it was normal old shoe box covered in dust. The box looked like it haven't been touched in years which explained why it looked so ancient. But Izuku removed the lid from off the top of the box showing it inside's while also showing what it contained.
"I haven't look at these in years." Izuku said, smiling at the happy forgotten memories that returned to his head.
What the shoe box contained was notebooks, 13 notebooks precisely in total that looked exactly the same and all having exactly the same title on it's front cover. They were called 'Hero Analysis for the Future' and all 13 of them had that exact same title written in black bold marker. But after gazing at them for a good second Izuku lifted the notebooks out of the shoe box and onto his desk. While making sure to push his dinner bowl out of the way a bit to the side Izuku grabbed a single notebook and opened it up.
Grinning like a child on Christmas morning, Izuku flipped threw pages while memorizing back on all the hard hours he put into these notebooks. Each 13 notebook within his reach contained nothing but hand written information about hero's. Every hero who operated in Japan and probably in the U.S. are defiantly in these notebooks. But not just only hero's but also the hero specific quirk that they contained. Izuku remembered when he was very little used to love learning a woman quirk and analyzing the quirk to the absolute fullest till he knew the in's and out of it. That was Izuku way preparing himself mentally for the coming day when he got his quirk and finally become a hero he always dreamed of becoming…
But… that day never came.
Now… looking back on these notebooks felt like a punch to the gut to Izuku, the countless time's he thought he would become a keeper of the peace and the savior of the innocent are dead and buried. These 13 notebooks are only a unforgettable mark that shadow's over him from right beneath the comfort of his own bed. Hiding and growling like a made up monster hidden in the small confinement of a child closet. The pages he continued to flip threw are now just stained, stained of a invisible liquid that mocks the foolishness of his youthful child like self he used to be. Constantly nagging him with the same old repeated lecture he got since day one… that he will never become a hero.
Only women can beHero's.
"What was I even thinking? I'll never become a hero." Izuku sadly said, carelessly closing and tossing the notebook on to his work desk.
Slouching back into his chair Izuku mind wondered off into the sadness that plagued his body. Not even wanting to finish his dinner his mother made for him, Izuku face fell to despair once again accepting the fact he'll never become a hero. But after a minute of rolling around in his own despair… a sudden unwelcomed chill went up Izuku spin in a instant.
"Woah…? W-What?" Izuku said, rubbing his back. "I just got a chill."
But right after the sudden chill, Izuku suddenly got a uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. But Izuku actually felt like he was being watched… again. Just like during his walk home he actually felt like he was being watched from all sides. But that was impossible, Izuku is in the sanctuary of his own room he shouldn't be feeling like he have a set of strangers eyes staring him down from head to toe. So not knowing what else to do Izuku look towards the only window in his room. But during that moment he did Izuku felt or maybe heard something that told him to come closer to the window.
'Come… Closer…'
"W-What?" Izuku said with a little fear in his voice. "W-Who's said that? Is someone here?"
'Come… Closer…'
Out of nowhere, Izuku unwillingly stood out of his chair and walked slowly towards his bedroom window. But in pure reality Izuku had no idea why he was doing that. Almost every bone in his body was telling him to stop and retreat to the living room and warn his mother of the mysterious voice. But his body constantly refused that request and continued forward to the glass window like it was it's life purpose. Driven to stand next to that that glass square that allows us to see the outer world just to please the hazy voice.
Izuku leg's and limps were not in his control, his vessel is under certain spell that set it in a very possessive state. With every step his feet made on the carpet floor it was a step not in his making.
They carried him to their destination for no specific reason but just because a unusual voice with no authority told them to. It was fearful and somewhat scary just knowing you have no say or judgement in a given situation that involved you and your own well being. But due to Izuku predicament is didn't matter or even concerned the unknown because… he had no control.
"W-Why can't I…?" Izuku whimpered, in total fear. "I can't control my leg's."
'Come… Closer…'
Finally making it to the window, Izuku stood their in one spot still wondering why can't he move in his own free will. But due to his own darn curiosity Izuku gently moved the window curtain's slightly to the side just to get enough of a gimps outside. But once he did Izuku saw something that terrified him to his core.
"It's him, the man in the suit." Izuku said, shocked.
Standing their in the late night while being under a tall light post, Izuku saw the older man. The same older man who was wearing the black suit while getting mugged by those three thugs in park was standing right outside his apartment complex on the other side of the street. Looking up at him at his bedroom window like the older man knew he was looking out the window at this very exact moment.
Due to the street light overhead Izuku still couldn't see the older man face. The light from the single street light casted a very good amount of shade over the older man head giving more of a sinister look. But as Izuku stared the older man down he suddenly realized the dark presence that he felt that was following him home was the older man. The man he tried to save followed him to his sanctuary like a lost puppy looking for a new home. Except this puppy wasn't a small defend less puppy but a creepy prowler who have hidden personal intentions for the young boy. And that alone made the situation even more scarier…
Snapping out of the staring competition Izuku quickly closed the window curtain not wanting to look at that man for another second. Izuku already know the older man saw him looking out the window, they were basically staring at each other. And with that in his thoughts Izuku was more afraid than ever because the man now know he defiantly lived in this complex and now the man knew witch apartment he lived in.
'W-Why is he here?' Izuku thought, sweating with nervousness. "W-W-Why did he follow me home?'
Izuku two hands gripped the window curtains in pure frustration. The veins on his hands could be easily seen as they pumped and bulged with continuous blood because of the mighty grip Izuku fingers had on the fabric of the curtains. But from his head from his toes Izuku started to shake like his inside's were going threw a process of a destructive earthquake that could level a entire city. He couldn't move he couldn't speak Izuku couldn't even take his mind off the fact that this could be life or death situation.
His mind told to just breath and calm down, his heart told to run and warn his mother of the shady follower outside, but body refused to do anything but stand their and shake like coward Izuku already know he is. This day was a total devastation in many ways but this night is a endless struggle for him to keep moving forward threw obstacles he had no chance in conquering. But what should he do? Izuku had no exact proof or evidence that proved this man is a threat but what the point of following a kid home and standing outside the kid home in the bitter dark of the nighttime like some creep with dark idea's.
'M-Maybe he's here because… h-he wanted to thank me.' Izuku thought. 'But wait… t-then why did he disappear at the park than?'
Not knowing what else to do Izuku reopened the curtains again wanting to see if the older man was still their. But he wasn't… the older man was no longer under the street light. The unsetting presence he felt creeping up his spine is no longer their either.
The older man disappeared once again.
"W-Where did he go?" Izuku said.
Author Note - Hey everyone, I hope you enjoyed. If you see any mistake's be sure to tell me and I'll fix it when I get the chance to act on it.