Midoriya Izuku slowly opened the door with a spare key, stepping into the dimly lit apartment, "I'm back."
The smell of decay, trash and something unnamed hit him like a wall as the boy entered. Coming from the fresh outside air didn't help much. It wasn't anything new though and he'd get used to it in minutes, like he always did.
The voice was hardly above a whisper as Deku sneaked into the kitchen to put the stuff away. Dodging all the bottles and other trash, the boy carefully made his way to the fridge.
A cockroach ran across the floor, making a beeline for the cupboards. The bug would be disappointed as there wouldn't be anything edible in there. Not that the boy cared, he didn't need any competition.
"Deku? Come here", a low grumble came from somewhere in the living room.
The apartment was rather small. It consisted of a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom and a bedroom. Like the outside of the place, the inside had seen its better days as well. The wallpaper was stained and the ceiling had some water damage to it. Bugs and other pests roamed free within the piles and piles of trash on the floor.
"Yes, father", Deku mumbled as he slowly walked to his father's side. There was no use disobeying or he'd be dragged there. Might as well walk.
Hisashi Midoriya was a fairly well-built man in his thirties. He was taller than most around him and currently sitting on an armchair watching TV. A can of beer hung from his left hand.
"What time did I tell you to be home?" the father asked as he noticed his son had made it to his side, "Sit down. On the floor."
"Yes, father. At six", Deku told him, lowering his head. He knew what was coming.
"Did you get the stuff at least?"
"Yes. It's in the fridge", Deku handed a carton of cigarettes to the man.
"Watch me in the eyes when you speak!" the man roared, hitting his son to the head with the half-empty can, "You can't even do that?! You really are useless."
"Yes, father."
"Why were you late? Did the girl in the store ask those stupid questions again?" Hisashi lit a cigarette with a blow of breath, "I swear she's a cop or something. Don't talk to her."
The man had a Quirk which gave him the power to breathe fire. It wasn't anything super powerful but could cause some serious damage when used properly. It was something Midoriya had learned.
"I haven't", a little white lie. Deku was good with those.
"Then what was it?" the man was getting impatient, Deku could tell it by the way he fidgeted with the smoke in his mouth.
Midoriya did know when to tell the truth. He might seem like it sometimes but the boy wasn't stupid.
"I-I met this man at the park. He gave me a tissue when Kacchan beat me up again", he said.
"It's the Child Protective Services for sure! They just knocked on the door the other day!" that wasn't the reaction Midoriya was hoping, although he knew his answer wouldn't be taken well anyway. He was hoping for his father to laugh at him for getting into a fight with the blond again. The man always seemed to find it very amusing that a kid beat his kid.
The men and women from the Child Protective Services were a common sight around this part of the town. They visited the Midoriya residence almost monthly yet never managed to find solid proof of anything. Make-up and threats for the boy, a quick clean-up and a couple friendly smiles was usually what it took to chase them away. They never had the time to search things any further or even do their job properly.
"I-It's not! I'm sure!"
"How can you know shit? Did you tell him anything?" another hit to the head.
"N-No. We did the groceries together and then he left."
"So just an individual wanting to do something nice to someone less fortunate to make themselves feel better for the rest of the day?"
Midoriya nodded, not really understanding what his father was talking about. The boy didn't know of egoism or such. He believed in kind people and doing good things, not chasing one's own good. He didn't like heroes for nothing. Practice what you preach.
"But that doesn't change the fact that you were late", the man finished and stood up. He didn't feel like arguing today. He was too tired.
Midoriya knew not to stand up with him. His father loved to watch him anticipate the attack, quiver in fear of what was to come.
"What should I do to such a useless little boy this time? Tell me, Deku", he sang as he took a quick look around the room, checking to see the arsenal of weapons he had for tonight.
"Are you going to cry for mommy? Poor little Deku. You should've done like you were told."
Deku knew very well that even if he had decided to cry out for his mother, it would've been useless. There was no one to cry out for.
The boy had only seen his mother in the pictures they had on the walls, now dusty and dirty. He had never really heard anything more than what his father mumbled about her when seriously drunk. But what Midoriya could guess was that she had been a really nice person. She was always smiling in the pictures after all.
Deku's father always blamed his son for his wife's death. I was only logical. Inko Midoriya had died during childbirth. It didn't help either that the son born was a spitting mirror image of the man's lost wife.
The two had the same green hair, though Midoriya's was an untamed mess while Inko's had been straight. The large eyes were from her as well and it ticked Hisashi to no end.
He sometimes hit his son just because he looked at him like Inko had sometimes done.
Finally, a blow came from behind. Hisashi also liked to attack from behind. It wasn't weakness or anything. He just enjoyed that Deku had no way of expecting him from there. Bare fists were the weapon of choice tonight.
The boy's face smashed right onto the aluminum cans on the floor below him.
Deku let it happen. He knew that crying or even squeaking in pain would only result in more injuries. If he was still and quiet his father would get bored with him very quickly. It didn't change the fact that the cans digging to his face hurt a lot. Deku just didn't cry, he did feel the pain.
"What will you do next time when you go out?" the man cooed, rubbing Midoriya's face into the stained carpet.
"Come straight home and not talk to strangers", Deku echoed the instructions he had heard so many times before. He had a bad habit of forgetting the time when outside and this was definitely not his first time late. Not during this month or even this week. He had the bruises to prove that.
"Good boy. Now go make me something to eat", Hisashi kicked his son as the boy went to stand up, just to make sure he understood his punishment, "And clean up. This place stinks."
"Yes, father", Deku mumbled, emotionless.
Midoriya went to the kitchen. At least he was safe in there. His father hardly came into the room. He'd just call for a beer rather than fetching it himself.
After going through the contents of the fridge, Deku decided to make an omelette. Yes, a single omelette. There was no way he was going to get to eat a thing after coming back home that late. He might get whatever was left on the plate, though his father usually finished his meals.
Midoriya was used to going to bed without a meal. His father usually wasn't in the mood to give him anything. It was a good thing the boy had sneaked a piece of bread in the morning. It had been a bit stale but better than nothing for the whole day.
A small smile found its way onto the boy's face. He thought of the kind man and their promise. He couldn't wait until tomorrow. He'd show the man all his secret places to play and maybe they could go for ice cream too.
Deku would do his chores extra good tonight and tomorrow morning. Maybe then his father would let him out. If not, Deku could always sneak out when the man was out working.
Deku didn't exactly know what his father did for living. He could sometimes be out for days only to return with a wad of cash or something else. Sometimes he brought his friends in and they'd drink and talk about something. His father had told him that they were making plans and that he shouldn't disturb them. Deku didn't like the men. They were all mean.
The food was done and Midoriya placed it on the cleanest plate he could find. He only found a fork and a spoon but those would have to do. Taking a fresh can of beer from the fridge, Midoriya brought the meal into the living room.
"Omelette? Couldn't think of anything else?" the father sighed as he eyed the plate, "Didn't you make this just the other day?"
"No, father. I'll make something else tomorrow", Deku said, watching his father wolf down the meal.
He didn't let himself drool or his stomach to make a noise. His father would just tease him for it. Deku was always forced to stand by his father as he ate.
"You better", the man huffed, giving the empty plate back and cracking open the can.
Deku briefly thought of licking the plate clean but quickly decided against it. If his father ever found out that he had done something like that, he'd never hear the end of it. Scraps would have to do tonight.
Finishing the mountain of dishes, the boy got to cleaning the rest of the apartment. The cans and bottles alongside all the other trash would go into a bag and outside. The dirty clothes would need to be washed and hung out to dry.
They didn't own a vacuum cleaner. A mop and a bucket was all Midoriya had to make the place shine.
"Quit making such a racket! I'm trying to watch TV!" Hisashi shouted from the living room, throwing a can towards the noise.
Good thing that the trash was almost gone. Midoriya could retreat into the bathroom to take care of the laundry. Hauling the last bag out, the boy wiped his hands into his shorts and picked up the pile of clothes he had collected throughout the apartment.
The clothes went in. At least they had a washing machine though it was in the same state than the rest of the apartment. It had flooded the whole bathroom last week. Of course the boy had been blamed for it.
"I should take a shower too", Deku mumbled, undressing and throwing the clothes into the machine as well. He wanted to look as good as possible for tomorrow.
He climbed to a stool and checked the mirror to see if his face had suffered any damage. Nothing serious, just a couple scratches and a bruise. Midoriya would clean those up and cover them with bandages before bed. A first aid kit was something his father always made sure that they had. Going to a hospital wasn't an option for him. Midoriya would need to take care of his injuries himself.
Stepping into the bathtub the boy turned the knobs as far right as he could. His instructions were to take a cold shower, no exceptions. He was used to it.
Sitting in the bath the cold seeped deep into his bones. Shaking, Deku took some soap and tried scrubbing his hair and body clean. Of course a once-over wouldn't be enough but that would have to do today.
Drying off, Midoriya got ready to take out the laundry. It would be hung inside on the many wires he had hung in the bathroom. The apartment didn't have a balcony and if they would hang the stuff in the yard, they wouldn't have them tomorrow.
The clock was well past midnight when Midoriya finally got to go to bed.
The father's snoring echoed throughout the apartment. He had fallen asleep in his chair. With the TV still on and everything. It had been a long time since the man had actually slept in his bed. He'd be mad in the morning with a sore neck and a headache. Midoriya mentally prepared himself already.
Midoriya's room was a closet, around a meter by two meters. Located near the entrance in a small hallway.
The boy curled on top of a mattress from a baby's crib and pulled a faded orange sleeping bag over his body. He didn't have a pillow and couldn't remember the last time he had had one.
A plug-in nightlight was the only light source in the room. Deku switched it on and crawled to his backpack. Most kids of his age were afraid of the dark. He wasn't. The monsters hiding in the dark were nothing like the ones he lived with.
He took out one of his many notebooks. A nice lady in the library had given them to him. She had also helped him write 'Hero Observation Diary' onto the front. Midoriya was learning to write. He knew most of the basic characters like other kids his age but learning kanji was going very slow. The woman taught him whenever he came to the library.
This notebook was already half full with drawings of different heroes. Deku made sure to follow the news so he knew whenever there was a new hero in town. He'd also write info next to the pictures, like what their Quirk was or something else important.
A pack of color pencils came out next as well as the All Might figure.
"I think red suits him the best", Midoriya whispered, placing the figure on a plastic box left over from when they moved into the apartment years ago. He used it as a table.
"It's the color of heroes", he carefully wrote 'Mr. Yagi' on the top of the page.