A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry I've been so quiet! I'm at university at the moment and although I've had time to write, I've been struggling to. I currently have myself a proof-reader, who is checking over and correcting all the mistakes in Chapters 1-31, and from this chapter onwards, I will truly take it upon myself to make this story, flawless. Sorry for the wait, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
"You're sure you want to do this?" Aizawa asked, climbing out of the car with All Might, who stared up at the apartment building the Midoriya's called home.
"What choice do I have..." All Might grumbled quietly.
"If Ms Midoriya doesn't wish for her son to return to U.A, then she should be free to decide that on her own." Aizawa stated calmly, climbing out of the car after him.
"You say that like you've forgotten what that boy is at U.A for." All Might replied a little sternly, looking over his shoulder and watching Aizawa walk up beside him.
"I understand, but you're not his parent. In the end, it will be for her to decide." He replied coolly, pushing his hands into his pockets and looking up to the same apartment block as All Might was.
"Come on then, let's get it over with." The long-haired teacher sighed, starting off ahead of the former One For All user. All Might hadn't been looking forward to this at all, not since the letters were first sent out. He knew he would have to put in a lot of effort to convince Izuku's mother to let her son come back back to the school.
He'd been through more pain, more fights and more trials than any other student before, and if All Might was in the shoes of Izuku's mother, he would be uneasy letting him go back to a school like U.A too. The school was meant to keep their students safe, and although that was always U.A's top priority, All Might felt as though they'd dropped the ball.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and quickly followed after Aizawa. He'd forced himself into his muscle form just before getting out of the car, and he was ready to do everything he had to do to get Inko's permission to let her son return.
"You have to want him to return too?" All Might muttered to himself.
"Of course I do." Aizawa retorted quickly, walking alongside All Might before dropping back and following him up the countless flights of stairs.
"I may not have the same connection to him as you do, but he is still my student, and he deserves a future as bright as all the others. I want him to return, but I'm prepared for our request to be declined." He added, lowering his voice as the started up the stairs. All Might felt like responding, but his mind drew a blank on what to say, so he didn't bother.
"You're awfully defeatist, aren't you?" All Might asked, trying to put a little humour into the mix, and break the tense atmosphere hanging over them.
"No, I'm realistic." Aizawa responded, raising his eyebrows at the other teacher. "So, what do you think about this dorm idea? Do you really think it'll detour the villains?" Aizawa asked, lowering his voice a tad.
"I think it's a good idea because it means we're always in a position to keep them safe. We'll be living at school too, so we're never too far away." He responded confidently.
"I don't understand those morons. What sort of a plan is launching an attack on a training camp full of pros?" Aizawa grumbled angrily.
"Who knows. We'll never be able to understand the workings of a villains mind." All Might replied with a shrug.
"Izuku, dear, are you in here?" Inko asked softly, slowly opening his bedroom door and poking her head through the gap. He was laying there, staring up at the ceiling, his hand hovering over his face as he closely analysed his heavily scared hand, his fingers now even more crooked than before, although still not massively noticeable.
There was a scar on his forehead, hidden by his fringe, and a small number of scars on his legs, now visible thanks to his shorts. Finally, the black compression sleeve on his right arm, designed to support his damaged elbow. Even after help from recovery girl, and the surgery he'd had to help heal his elbow, it looked like nothing had happened to him unless you'd known him well beforehand, or you looked really close.
He still ached all over, and he was so worried to see classes 1-A and 1-B again. He hadn't seen any of them since after their visit, and the last time he'd seen Pony was after his breakdown. Maybe she didn't want to talk to him anymore after he'd become so dangerous back then.
Finally, though, his biggest concern was Mina. All weekend he'd heard nothing from her, and now, with school only tomorrow away, he was really beginning to worry. In fairness, he could've messaged her as well, but he had no idea what to tell her or what she'd want to hear. He couldn't simply text her after everything that'd happened and simply say "Hey Mina, how are you x."
As usual, he was probably overthinking the situation, but it felt like it wouldn't be a decision he could make carelessly.
"Izuku!" Inko exclaimed. The One For All user quickly picked himself up and looked at his mother with a distant expression. "Are you okay in here dear? You've barely come out all weekend." She smiled, making her way inside and sitting down beside him on his bed.
"Sorry... I've been training but it's still kind of uncomfortable." He explained, resting his head back down on his pillow and sighing.
"I know." She muttered in that kind way all mothers empathised with their children. "You still want to go back to U.A then?" She asked. Izuku nodded.
"Of course I do. Not only are all my friends there, but it's the only hero school I can ever see myself attending." He responded honestly.
"I know... I know..." Inko replied. He could tell she wasn't truly on his side, but he didn't expect her to be, not after recently. Even he was shocked she hadn't already signed him down for leaving the school.
Then, there was quite a heavy knock at the door. A stereotypical knocking rhythm. Izuku sat up and frowned past his mother and out into the hallway. They almost never, nay, they never had visitors over, so who was at the door now?
"Wonder who that is..." Inko muttered to herself. Izuku picked himself up from his bed and followed after his mother, his eyes fixed on the front door. "Just a moment!" His mother called, speeding up to a brisk walk. Izuku stopped by the sofa and watched her walking to the door, cocking his head slightly. Maybe Mina had come over to see him. I had messaged her this morning but had yet to get a reply.
"A-All Might!" His mother cried. Izuku jumped and his heart almost flew up out of his mouth. All Might and Mr Aizawa, both standing in the doorway. The hulking muscle form of his mentor loomed in the door, and Aizawa's blank expression peered past his broad arms.
"Greeting Madam Midoriya!" All Might beamed.
"Must you be so loud-." Aizawa muttered before being quickly cut off.
"I am here to have a word!" The blonde-haired pro hero beamed before his shaded eyes turned in Midoriya's direction.
"Young Midoriya... Good to see you well again my boy." He smiled softly, almost like the proud father Izuku had never had.
"P-Please... C-Come in..." Inko breathed, slowly turning and looking at Izuku with wide eyes, mouthing "Oh my god!" To him.
"W-Would the two of you like any tea? Anything small to eat?" Inko asked as the four of them took their seats at the dining table.
"I'm fine, thank you." Aizawa said, giving his mother one of the first genuine smiles Izuku had ever seen.
"I am quite alright, Thank you Ms. Midoriya." All Might smiled.
"Alright then... So... What do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" She asked. Izuku felt a little part of him cringe, watching his mother try really hard seem respectful.
"I'm here to talk to you about the letter that was sent through to you after the incident at the training camp." All Might said, his tone becoming a little more serious. Izuku's mother's face fell, but Izuku stood his ground. He knew this was what he was coming to talk about as soon as he saw the two of them. There was a slim chance his mother would want to let him return to U.A, especially since he was her only remaining blood family.
"I'm here to humbly ask you to allow young Midoriya to return to U.A, and study under me and the other teachers." All Might said, bowing his head at Inko. Izuku fired a glance at his mother. She looked surprised, but he could tell she wasn't going to be so easily convinced.
"I will try not to dwell, and waste your time, as I'm sure there are much better things for two pro heroes to be doing than sitting around in my silly little home..." Inko started, still flattered to have All Might and Erasure Head sat opposite Izuku and herself.
"But... I don't want to let my son return to U.A..." She said sternly. Izuku's heart fell, even though he knew this was what she was going to say. This was his dream, and he knew of all the risks as soon as All Might first bestowed his grand Quirk upon Izuku's weak self.
"As I think you may know, Izuku is my last blood relation. My parents died a few years ago, and my husband, Izuku's Father, left when he was very young, and I've not heard from any of his family, or himself, since then. And so, I do not want to risk losing the last of my family, and I don't want to let him return to a school where his safety is not guaranteed."
The four of them were silent after this. Izuku didn't want to get involved, because he didn't think it was his place to. It bothered him that it was his future that was being debated, and he didn't really have a say in it, but then when his life was on the line in some of these cases, he understood why his mother wanted to take control of the situation.
"Believe me, Miss. Midoriya, I understand your concern. Izuku is one of our top students and he has incredible potential. By the end of the course, he could easily be one of the best heroes of this generation. It's a really difficult journey, but I have no doubt he will manage. All Might said, keeping his eyes fixed on Inko's the entire time he spoke.
"I'm begging you, Madam Midoriya... I'm begging you, allow young Midoriya to return to U.A, and study under me. With the new dorms coming into the system and opening for good tomorrow. I give you my word, to watch over your son, and protect him with my life. I swear to you... Please allow him to return." All Might pleaded, getting up from the table and standing back, kneeling on the floor and resting his forehead on the polished wood. Izuku could only stare, and Aizawa looked just as shocked as Izuku his mother looked.
"Mum..." Izuku muttered, taking her hand under the table and looking straight into her eyes. "Please... Please let me go back. I'll do my very best to stay out of harm's way. I'll stay with All Might and Mina... Please..." Izuku begged.
"This has been my dream since I was a kid... Please mum..." He pleaded, a small lump forming in his throat. He couldn't imagine life without U.A in it. What would happen to his and Mina's relationship if he didn't return? Would he and his friends still stay in contact? What would happen to All Might, and One For All. His mother still didn't know about this, so she obviously wouldn't realise the weight behind this decision, but his future depended on this.
"He's a hard-working boy, Miss. Midoriya. I've never seen a teenager with as much drive and passion as Midoriya. I'm never one to do this, but I agree with All Might. I will give you my word to protect Izuku, as I will with all my students. Please allow him to return to our school." Aizawa spoke up now, getting up from his seat and bowing deep.
Izuku was stunned. Aizawa had always seen it as unfair. A boy with so weak a body, given one of the most powerful Quirks, to fill the shoes of the number one hero. That kind of burden didn't seem fair to a lot of people. Yet, here he was, trying to convince Izuku's mother to allow him to return.
He knew All Might needed Izuku at U.A, and he wanted Izuku to achieve his dream, but things were more serious after the events at the training camp. There was no knowing when Shigaraki Tomura could return, the Nomu would probably be his weapon of choice, and if that was the case, then Izuku would no doubt be killed then.
He could see the pressure on his mother. She wanted to badly to let her son live his dream, but not if it meant she would lose him. He meant what he said. Of course, whenever he got into danger, it was never intentionally. Sometimes it was because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and other times it was because he was trying to save someone else.
"I know I won't convince you Izuku, but I don't want to see you get hurt anymore. I want you to have the normal life of a sixteen-year-old!" She exclaimed, teary eyes and now clutching her son's hands. "Don't go back Izuku, please..." She begged, pulling on his hands a little, with pleading eyes.
"I love you mum... But this is my dream. I've come so far, and I've been through so much to get where I am... I'll do everything I can to stay safe, and I'll be back to visit you as often as I can..." Izuku responded. He had to be strong now.
He wasn't lying when he said he'd been through the wringer during the few months he'd been enrolled in this course, and there was no doubting that things were going to get harder, but he was gaining more than he was losing, and it was one of the best things that had ever happened to him. Inko took a deep breath as a small tear rolled down her cheek but smiled at her son.
"I know you will..." She sighed, her small, soft hands were gently trembling, and it pulled at his heart seeing her so upset, but this was what he wanted.
"I'm going to trust you to keep him safe. If anything happens, I'll never forgive you." Inko said sternly, looking now at All Might and Aizawa.
"I understand completely, and I will protect him, and the others, with my life." All Might said, bowing deeply to Inko and Izuku, before picking himself up again. The four of them stood in awkward silence for a few moments, before Aizawa got up from his chair, and let out a gentle sigh.
"Well then, I hope to see you tomorrow Midoriya. Thank you for your time, Ms. Midoriya." Aizawa smiled, before turning to All Might. "Come on, we best be off." He said, turning and heading towards the door.
"Indeed... Thank you so much for your time." All Might beamed, somehow even wider than normal, bowing deeply to Inko again, before turning and following Aizawa towards the door. Izuku felt tenser than ever before, and that was saying something considering how tame this exchange was compared to the other confrontations Izuku had been through.
Izuku looked over to his mother as All Might and Aizawa left their home, and she let out a gently sigh, relaxing into her seat and lowering her head a little. He would never really be able to understand what she was feeling right at this very moment. It was one thing to feel like you could lose the last of your family at any moment, but with the addition of that person being your only child. No-one could understand that weight.
"I don't know why I'm letting you do this." She muttered, slowly looking up to her son with watery eyes. "I know you want this with all your heart, but I don't know how much more pain I can take. If you're really one thousand percent sure you want to go back, then keep your promise, and ensure All Might keeps his. I'm trusting you to do at least that for me." She explained, grabbing him and tightly and looking at him with loving, but very stern eyes.
"I promise mum... I promise I'll do everything I can." Izuku replied. He wasn't sure what to say. He was upset that his mother was hurting, but he was happy he would be able to return to his girlfriend, his friends, and his teachers. He missed them all so much, and after being so close to death's door, and being cooped up all weekend, he wanted nothing more than to see them all again. Mina especially.
"You should call Mina. I'm sure she's really worried about you." Inko said softly, letting go of Izuku's hand. He sat for a moment, looking at his mother, before getting up and sighing.
"Alright... Thank you, mum." He replied, crouching down and pulling her into a hug, burying his face in her shoulder. "I love you." He whispered.
"I love you too dear..." She replied, squeezing him close and tenderly patting his back, before letting him go. "Now, go on, give her a call." She ordered. Izuku did as he was asked, and let her go, firing her one last smile before making his way back to his room, and to where his phone was.
Mina laid across the sofa, staring at the ceiling with her hands hanging at her side. Still nothing from Izuku. Last she'd heard about him was his message on the group chat, which told them all he'd been fixed up and discharged from Hospital, but that was all they knew.
She had been unimaginably worried about him since the incident. She hadn't been told about whether he would be allowed to return, because she knew his mother wouldn't want him too, and she wasn't sure if he was damaged permanently in any way. She needed to hear him or to see him. She wanted the warm feeling he gave her to come again.
This had felt like the longest, slowest and most gruelling weekend of her life. She hadn't met any of her friends, she hadn't really left the house, she wasn't motivated to study or train, and everything felt like a chore. However, according to the conversations they all had over the phone, this wasn't just a feeling she had, but a feeling the entirety of Class 1-A was feeling. The busiest people were Momo, Todoroki and Uraraka, but that was mostly with home hobbies like gardening, cleaning or cooking.
It wasn't like she hadn't been just laying around pointlessly. For hours at a time, her mind would dwell on what it was those villains were looking for, or more importantly, what Shigaraki Tomura, was looking for. What was his plan? He attacked Izuku at the Mall, then, Mina felt like, he was the one who coordinated the attack on the training camp two days ago. It had to be him, because to Mina, that only made sense.
Did he know about Izuku and All Might's relationship? About One For All? If he did, there was a lot more at risk than she'd realised. But this was nothing but a guess, and there was a chance it wouldn't be true.
Then, the gentle buzzing of her phone, and the Lo-Fi ringtone she was so fond of, began to play. She didn't move straight away, shifting her eyes to the device and trying to read the name on the screen. 'Midori' followed by three red heart emojis.
She quickly got up, almost throwing herself off the sofa and quickly grabbed her phone, fumbling it a little as she tried to answer it.
"H-Hello, Midori?" She asked quickly, getting herself comfortable and sitting dead straight.
"Mina... Hi..." He started slowly, chuckling nervously.
"Hey. Are you okay hun? I haven't heard from you all week." She said, both lovingly and sternly.
"I know... I'm so sorry Mina... I've had a really hard weekend..." He responded softly. She could tell just how genuine he was being because he sounded nothing like he usually did.
"What happened? I've really missed you." She cooed, relaxing into the sofa to listen. He was probably feeling bad about being so distant over the past two and a half days, but she had to understand, and she did. It wouldn't be easy simply talking to your friends again like nothing happened when they'd seen you so close to death.
"Nothing really. My injuries are all healed, and my compression sleeve feels good. I'm not in any pain except a little aching, and I've got a few more scars, but I feel good. I've really missed you too." He explained. Mina quietly giggled as he went on the usual round-about route he took when explaining things and enjoyed the sound of his gentle voice.
"I'm so glad to hear from you, honestly." She giggled. Izuku nervously chuckled through the phone.
"I-I am too... I'm really sorry if I worried you or anyone else. I was scared to message much, or call encase you were mad or upset with me." He said.
"No, Midori, I'm not mad at all, I've just been worried about you is all. You shouldn't apologise." She said, smiling to herself. "There was something I wanted to ask you..." She added.
"O-Oh? Sure..."
"What did ya mum say? aboucha comin' back to school I mean." She asked. "My parents said it was fine for me to go back. They were super worried but I'm really glad they let me go back." She added
"Yeah... Well, All Might and Mr Aizawa just left. They both came over specially to talk to my mum and convince her to let me go back. All Might begged her, which was really nice..." He explained. She could practically see the embarrassed glow on his cheeks from where she was sat.
"Wait... What!? Aizawa did too? That can't be right..." She exclaimed, frowning to herself.
"I was shocked too, but he was surprisingly nice, in his own way. Mum is letting me go back but she's really worried about it... It's not her fault, but I feel as though, even though I've got my own important reasons for returning to U.A, I feel like it's the wrong thing to do." He explained.
"Midori... Look, I know everything you've been through family-wise, and maybe it's easier said that done, but you've gotta be a bit more selfish. You can't bend yourself to fit around what others want. I learned that when I was much younger. You want to do what's best for everyone, but you're not doing what's best for you, and in this case, that's going back to U.A" Mina explained, trying to be kind, but also stern.
"I know I do... But it's really hard. I'll be staying at the school now, and I feel as though I'm abandoning my mum-." He started before Mina cut him off.
"Right, stop. You're not abandoning ya mum. This course isn't forever, and I'm sure she can last three years. Hell, it's only a few months at a time. You've been through so much shit for you just to decide against it to make someone else happy. But think now, giving up might make your mother happy in the short term, but what about in the long term? I know for a fact you definitely won't be happy if you decided against returning." She explained. She felt like a little therapist for him at this point, which was quite nice.
"I know... Well... Ugh, I don't know. I'm going back because I really want to. I want to become a hero, and I want to make All Might proud... But I don't want mum to be alone." He replied, sighing heavily.
"I know it's hard Midori, but once you become a pro-hero, it will all be worth it. I promise you, hun, it'll be alright." She cooed.
"I love you Mina... I'm sorry for not being in touch sooner." He said, clearly smiling as he spoke. Mina's heart fluttered at those words. It wasn't like he'd never told her he loved her before, but there was something so strange about how confidently he said it this time.
"I love you too, and don't worry, you've called me now and I'm really happy you have. I'm gonna go take a shower now, but I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Kisses!" She beamed at the phone, before making a kissing sound into the microphone.
"K-Kisses..." He chuckled nervously, before hanging up. Mina gently put her phone on the table, before squealing like an excitable schoolgirl and squeezing one of the pillows to her body. She was so close to being able to hold him again, and she couldn't wait. Not only that, but they'd be moving into a dorm together with their class, which meant they'd be with each other a lot more often.
She was still desperate to get him to meet her parents, and she knew he really wanted her to meet his mother too, but so far, it felt like everything was working against this happening. There was no way she'd let it not happen though, and the first chance she got, she wanted them all to meet, whether himself and his mother came to their home to see them, or the other way around, she wanted it to happen as soon as possible.