Thirty-six hours.

Thirty-six hours since Kamino Ward.

Thirty-six hours since the League disappeared.

Thirty-six hours since the death of their mysterious leader.

Thirty-six hours since All Might's hero career was officially over.

Thirty-six hours after the dust had settled, Midoriya Inko was on a mission.

Whatever it took, she was going to find her son. She could only hope…

No.

No, she was going to find him, and she was going to find him alive. She refused to give up on him, refused to believe she had lost him for good this time.

But…

But she also knew what Katsuki had told her: that Izuku, her baby, her little boy, had been horrifically wounded by the leader of the League of Villains before he disappeared in the arms of a young man.

A young man with light blue eyes and burn scars across his face and hands.

She knew that it was probably a long shot, but it was also the only clue she had to go on. And so Midoriya Inko marched out of her apartment that Saturday morning and took to the streets of Musutafu, hands clenched by her sides and purposeful strides as long as her short legs would allow.

It was still rather early when Inko reached Todoza Ramen and Udon, so she wasn't surprised to see that the blinds for the main eating area were still lowered and the door closed. The sight didn't immediately deter her; Shokuko-san and his family had told her that their door would always be open if she needed help, and she desperately needed help now. But even she hesitated when she saw the brief, hand-written note taped to the door.

Due to a family emergency, our shop will be closed for the next week. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and thank you for your continued patronage.

A family emergency? Was Shokuko-san alright? Were his children alright? Had Touya-kun been injured at Kamino?! Or was the Shokuko family in mourning because her son had been-!?

No!

No, Izuku was alive. He… he had to still be alive, or-

"Mreow!"

Inko jumped, looking down with wide eyes as something brushed against her bare ankle. A gray cat wearing the red vest of an emotional support animal threaded its way between her legs, purring loudly, gazing up at her with huge, luminous eyes. The woman's breath hitched, and the tears that she'd been fighting all day welled up before she could stop them. Choking on the surge of grief, the woman fell to her knees, allowing the cat to shove its face in her hands and climb up on her lap, the comforting purr still rumbling in its throat.

"Stanley, where're yo-! U-Uh! Midoriya-san!?"

Inko startled again, her head snapping up, her dark green eyes growing impossibly wide as she recognized the person that had called her attention through the tears still spilling down her cheeks.

"Shokuko-kun!" she gasped.

Shokuko Touya quickly schooled the expression of shock on his face as he hefted a bulging satchel bag a little bit higher on his shoulder-It was bright pink and purple and decorated with a unicorn on the front, a stark contrast to his black jeans and long-sleeved grey top; why did he have an accessory so clearly intended for a young girl? He didn't seem the type-his blue eyes flicking around the street, almost as though he were expecting to see someone else. "Ah, sorry about Stanley; he managed to slip out the door as I was heading out. Is… Is something wrong?" the young man prompted, his eyes returning to her face, his discomfort obvious.

"I-I…" Inko stuttered, scrambling to wipe at her eyes. She'd been so focused on getting here, she hadn't really thought about what she would do or say once she arrived. "I-I'm so sorry! I shouldn't intrude, and I read the note; I know that your family is going through a difficult time, but I… I…" The tears welled up anew despite her efforts to hold them at bay. She had thought she'd cried herself dry in the last couple of days, but apparently her tear reserves were as limitless as Mitsuki had always teased.

"H-Hey! Uh… Shit… Uh, do you… need water or… something?" Shokuko-kun hovered anxiously in front of her.

"N-No, it's… that's k-kind of you, b-but I'll b-be fin-ne," Inko hiccupped through her tears. She swallowed hard, fighting to keep her overactive tear ducts under control and brought her eyes up to meet the young man's still-anxious gaze. "Shokuko-kun… where is my son?"

Okay, that came out much more confrontationally than Inko had intended, but frankly, she was at her wit's end. Shokuko-kun seemed startled by the somewhat-abrupt shift, his bright blue eyes widening briefly before they flicked around the area again. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you mean-"

"Please," Inko begged, one hand clutching the fabric of her ever-present sweater, the other buried in the fur of the still-purring cat. "I-I don't know what else to do. Katsuki told me everything that happened at Kamino; he… he said Izuku was coughing up blood when he disappeared and that he'd been horribly injured even before that! Please, Shokuko-kun, what happened to my son?!" she sobbed, her hand pressed over her mouth as she gave up the battle against her desperate tears.

God, who was she kidding anyway? Just because Shokuko-kun had scars and blue eyes, it didn't mean he was at all connected to Izuku. She didn't even know if they were burn scars for cer-

"He's safe."

Inko's breath hitched sharply and her head snapped up, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed as she stared up at Shokuko Touya's face, his own eyes quietly averted from her gaze, one hand tight around the strap of his bizarrely colorful bag, the other tucked into the pocket of his jeans.

"Sh-Shokuko-kun…?"

Slowly, the young man took a deep breath, his expression hardening with resolve. "He's safe," he repeated. "But this isn't the place to discuss it. Did you come alone?"

"Wh-What? Yes. Y-Yes, my husband had to work today a-and Mitsuki is tied up with another matter-"

"No police?" he insisted.

"No, of course not!"

"Alright then. Follow me," Shokuko-kun ordered quietly.

Without another word of explanation, the young man turned and began to walk with long strides down the street. After overcoming her brief moment of shock, Inko gathered up the cat and hurried after him, puffing a little bit as their journey lengthened and she struggled to keep up. Eventually, they reached the Musutafu train station, where Shokuko-kun paid for two tickets to Kyoto-despite Inko's vehement protests once she realized what he was doing-and led the way to the appropriate train, which was already waiting on the tracks.

"Alright," Shokuko-kun sighed, taking his seat, shoving his incongruous, overstuffed bag underneath it and gesturing for Inko to take her chair beside him. "We have five hours. That should be plenty of time to answer your questions."

"You mean… You're really going to tell me everything?" Inko blinked in surprise. She'd honestly thought she would have to plead much longer before he gave in to her request.

"Sure. Or at least, as best as I can; Mido kept a lot of secrets, even from me. But he was always planning to tell you the truth when it was over, given the chance. He's such a mama's boy," he huffed under his breath, his lips quirking upwards.

Slowly, a little cautiously, Inko stepped forward and took her seat beside the scarred young man, still absently stroking Stanley. The cat was an extraordinarily calming presence; she wondered if that was why Shokuko-kun had let her bring him along.

"Well?" the young man prompted her quietly.

"What happened to Izuku?" Inko whispered. "You said he's safe, but…"

"His injuries were extensive," Shokuko-kun sighed, something grim darkening his bright blue eyes. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it; we weren't sure Mido was gonna make it at first, but he'll pull through. Kid's exhausted, but frankly he's in better shape than he has any right to be."

"But the kinds of injuries that Katsuki described-"

"I can't give you details on his treatment, but we have several accomplished medical personnel on our list of allies, and they've all given him the all clear. He'll be okay. I promise."

Inko released a shaky breath, relief intermingling with her insistent worry. "And… the psychological damage?"

"…You can't go through the hell Mido has and not come out with scars," the young man replied quietly, "but if I've learned anything about him in the last three years, he'll come out of it alright."

Inko fell silent, petting Stanley a little harder, vaguely aware that the cat had begun licking her arm with his rough tongue. "How can you be sure?" she whispered.

"How d'you mean?"

"Shokuko-kun, I've heard so many things about Izuku in the last few months that I hardly even know what to believe anymore," Inko confessed. "Who… What is Izuku now? Is he a villain? A vigilante? Is… Is he even still my son?"

Shokuko-kun sighed deeply, settling back in his seat, eyes forward. "I don't know."

"Wh-What-?"

"By the time I met Mido, he'd already been with the League for half a year. I don't have a point of reference to tell you if he's still the son you remember. You're just gonna have to decide that for yourself."

"Then… I suppose you should start at the beginning…"