The original work was written by Op Taipan.

An important fact, when we were brainstorming a tittle for the chapter, I was the one who gave him the title of Parents and Heroes.

Please enjoy the finale of Book Earth.


BOOK ONE:

EARTH

Finale

Parents and Heroes


"All right! Everyone ready to start?" Izuku asked his fellow players, juggling the football he brought with him using his legs.

The boy stood with his team of Badgermoles on the left side of an Earth-ball field they had constructed, using small indents in the ground to signal the court's edges and goals.

"Wait a minute…" Izuku squinted his eyes once he gazed over his team, noticing one of them was missing, "Chima! Where are you?" he called out loud, "We can't start without you! Four-on-five isn't fair!"

"*Whir! *"

The boy turned around when he heard the loud drone he was oh so familiar with, finding his best friend walking around a stalagmite and making his way towards them. Behind the youngling, Izuku could see Chima's parents following behind, their heavy footsteps almost leaving indents in the moss-covered floor of the cavern.

"Hey there, buddy!" Izuku ran and met Chima in the middle, ruffling the fur on his snout.

He received a lick on his cheek before Chima went and joined the rest of the team, his parents squatting down to watch the game like a couple of proud parents.

"Okay… Everyone ready now?" Izuku asked again, looking over his team and the enemy's. Seeing that everyone was in place, the boy positioned himself in the middle of his team's territory.

Izuku held the ball under his right foot, an eager smile on his face. "Ready or not, here we go!"

The boy winds his leg backwards and kicked the ball as hard as he could, raising his arms in a curve to create an angled ramp for the ball.

The ball climbed on it without issue, rolling along its trail which went around an enemy Badgermole; heading straight towards the goal.

Reacting quickly, the enemy goalkeeper stopped the ball with a well-timed pillar, sending it back towards Izuku's team.

Chima was the one to intercept it, catching it with his paws before passing it along to a teammate.

The Badgermoles began to pass the ball to one another, building up speed as the ball hit one earth pillar after the other.

"I'm open! I'm open!" Izuku called out, flailing his hands in the air.

Not even a second later and the ball was heading his way. Squinting, Izuku stomped the ground and thrust his hands forward. A column burst forth from underneath the ball, sending it flying towards the goal in high velocity.

Try as they might, the enemy team couldn't intercept the ball in time, unable to do anything as it sailed into their gate.

"GOAL!" Izuku laughed, running around in a small circle, celebrating the small victory.

"We did it, Chima!" It was with a smile that Izuku turned around to face where his friend should be, celebrating as well.

He saw no one there.

"Huh?" Izuku smile faded into a confused frown, "Chima?"

The greenette made his way to where Chima was supposed to be, the scene around him fading as he did so. The fireflies that usually floated in the ambiance faded away, giving away to dust particles that began to block his field of vision. The moss that was on the floor withered away with each step he took, the soft ground losing its' life and becoming hard and cold. Finally, Izuku felt the sweet scent of the cavern, and the cool humidity that accompanied it, slowly decaying away. The boy scrunched his nose at the foul air that replaced it. Beneath a predominating lair of smoke and ash, Izuku's nose picked on rotten food, animal excrements, and the metallic scent of blood. The malodor was foul and suffocating, making any intake of breath almost torture; it was like setting foot in a burned dump.

"What is going on?" He asked aloud, his voice echoing out in what could've been a dusty void for all intents and purposes.

The dust began to thin out eventually, thanks to in part of Izuku fanning it away.

The new sight that greeted him was nothing like the old one.

He was back in the pens of the Tōu Liè Zhě base, the last place he ever wanted to visit again. The cages that were built into the walls were jam-packed with all the animals of the cavern, packed together so tight that they were piled one atop the other. All the beasts stared at him with tired, bloodshot eyes, either asking for his help or blaming him for their current situation.

But it was the sight in the pens' middle that affected him the most.

A large heap of burnt flesh, bones, fur, and claws rested in the room's middle, small fires still burning on it as columns of smoke got sent out into the air.

The bodies of Chima and his parents laid in front of the boy, skewered by burning metal and crushed by debris.

Izuku collapsed to his knees, his eyes wide and his stomach churning at the image. "N-noooo…" A chocked sob escaped his dry mouth, his heart beating a mile a minute.

"heHaHaHa…" A dry and imposing laugh reverberated through the air, reminding Izuku too much of crackling flames eating away flesh. The boy looked up and found his gaze locked with that of the man who reeked of ash.

The branch leader stood on the bodies of Chima's family, his flaming whips feeding into the fire that consumed their remains.

"You didn't think you could really save them, did ya?! Worthless Deku?!" The man cackled, staring down the terrified and mourning child.

"YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELF!!!"


The flames from the Badgermole's bodies spread out and, in all directions, slowly eating away at the nightmarish site.

Izuku's body was locked in place, staring helplessly at the bodies of his best friend and those who meant the world to him.

And then, the flames consumed him as well.

"GGYYYAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Izuku screamed and shot upright, finding himself in his room, sitting on his bed. "It was a dream…" the boy panted, his voice shaky, "It was just a dream…"

Izuku closed his eyes and focused, trying to even out his labored breath.

Even without the scream, it was quite evident the poor child was not in the best of states.

Bandages and gauzes covered almost every single spot on the boy's body; warping around almost every patch of skin not covered by his clothes, hiding the injuries beneath them. Cold sweat ran down his body, some of it absorbed by the white fabric of the bandages or his All-Might themed pajamas.

The boy hugged his blanket closer for comfort. But even the wrinkled image of the smiling All-Might on it failed to draw a smile from him, something the kid once thought impossible.

"Squee…?"

A soft and high-pitched squeak came from behind the boy, and Izuku stopped his panting. "Huh?" he turned around to its source, an apologetic smile that didn't reach his eyes on his face, "Sorry, Mimi. I woke you up." [2]

Laying on the bed, near Izuku's pillow, was a groggy-looking Lop-eared Rabbit. The small rodent looked exactly as she did a week ago when Izuku met her: the same white fur with specks of black on her back and right eye. The only 'difference' one could spot was the squashed down fur on her side, a result of a sleeping Izuku draping his arm over her.

The black & white quadruped blinked up at the boy, concern evident on her features.

"I-it's nothing…" The boy averted his gaze, "Just had a nightmare again…"

The small rabbit made no sound in reply, having been in this exact situation almost every day for a week now. Instead, she stood up and sat on the boy's lap, allowing him to pet her and calm down.

"Thanks." The boy absent-mindedly stroke her fur, letting the only sound in the room be the gentle chattering of her teeth [3].

*Knock - knock – knock! *

At least until someone knocked on the door.

"Izuku, are you okay in there?" A masculine voice called out from the other side of the room's door, quickly followed by it being opened and the head of Hisashi Midoriya poking inside, "I heard a scream, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, dad." The son replied, the rabbit on his lap glaring at Hisashi as if he was about to attack them, "Just had a bad dream…"

"Oh. Do you want to talk about it?" Hisashi asked the same question he and Inko did for a week. And just like before, his son merely shook his head in denial. "*Sigh* Breakfast is ready. Although, considering the time, it could be lunch."

Izuku was not surprised when he heard that, he had been waking up late ever since he got discharged from the hospital.

Hisashi soon walked out the door, leaving Izuku to change out of his pajamas and join them on the table.

"He had another nightmare." Hisashi sighed as he sat in front of Inko, not paying any mind to the re-heated breakfast they made a couple of hours ago.

"Did he say anything about it?" Inko asked, her expression and voice as concerned as her husband's.

"No…" Hisashi dropped his head in shame as if it was his fault their son was so tight-lipped about what was bothering him. "I-it's just… that… it's eating me alive seeing him like this!" The man blurted out, his eyes still not looking up. "He had been like this ever since he woke up in the hospital. He doesn't speak to any of us, he shuts himself in his room all day; and for the entire week, whenever I walk past his door I… I hear him cry…" Hisashi's voice broke, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "We don't know anything about what happened to him, and he refuses to tell us! What if it happens again?! What if next time he will get hurt even more?! What if-?!"

"Hisashi…"

The man stopped rambling when he felt a warm hand rest itself on his. Looking up, he found that it was Inko's.

"Breathe…"

He did as he was told, letting his heart calm down.

"I'm worried about him too…" Inko started, " I remember how he acted before he got his quirk, it broke my heart seeing him so depressed all the time…" She frowned at the memory of those months, "And now it's even worse. We need to talk to him about this, whether he wants to or not."

"It's easier said than done, Inko." Hisashi crossed his arms, "We tried asking him the entire week. I doubt more goading from our part will change anything."

"Hummmm…" Inko hummed, "I think I might have an idea…?" She murmured, unsure of herself, as she took her phone out of her pocket, "If anything it's worth a shot… maybe this new approach will yield us results…"

Before Hisashi had got the chance to ask his wife about her 'new approach' to handling their boy, the topic of the conversation entered the kitchen. Izuku slugged his way to his sit with Mimi following him, just as his mother got off her phone.

As per the week-long tradition in the house dictated, both parents regarded the rabbit with a raised brow, a bit of curiosity, and a sense of apprehension.

The rabbit, or 'Mimi' as Izuku called it, was something neither of them understood. Either way, Izuku seemed to be feeling more at ease in its presence, so, for now, they both held their tongues about their opinion of her.

Mainly the opinion of its habit of jumping on the table during meals.

Izuku, on his part, remained unresponsive as he ate, poking his rice with his chopsticks. He didn't even mind that Mimi took nibbles out of his sliced vegetables.

"Izuku,"

The boy lifted his head, his dull eyes staring at his mother.

"You need to eat your vegetables. They're for you, not the rabbit." Inko chided.

"Ok…" The boy muttered, taking the vegetables Mimi hadn't touched and shoved them into his mouth.

The rest of the meal wasn't any different. Only the occasional short sentence spoken between them as Izuku played with his food halfheartedly.

"Izuku, it's time to replace your bandages!" Inko told her son after they were done with breakfast.

The boy grimaced but nodded none the less. Izuku followed his mother into the bathroom; leaving his father alone to wash the dishes.

He took off his clothes, rending his body bare of clothing except for his underwear, and revealing just how many injuries he had suffered. Large patches of the boy's skin were discolored a prominent violet, now much lighter than they were a week ago. The most noticeable of those was a giant bruise that stretched over the entire back thigh of his right leg, causing the boy to wince when he was sat down on a stool in the middle of the bathroom. More injuries were covered by at least a dozen gauze pads that specked Izuku's arms, chest, and back like large and white chickenpox, each hiding one of the boy's many burn wounds. Bandages were wrapped around the boy's body like a mummy: forming bracelets on his limbs, coiling around his stomach, and looping around his left shoulder. The most heavily dressed area, however, was Izuku's left forearm, where a thick bandage was tied all the way from his elbow to his wrist.

With her son sitting silently on the stool, Inko began to work. One at a time, the mother uncurled Izuku's bandages or peeled off a gauze, gently cleaning the revealed wound and applying lotion to it if necessary. She didn't reapply his bandages just yet, allowing his wounds to breathe as well as making it easier for her to see which injuries she hadn't treated yet.

All the while her son remained silent, only occasionally wincing and flinching in pain if she accidentally aggravated one of his wounds.

The mother felt the urge to cry every time she removed a gauze or a bandage from her little boy and exposed even more of his wounds, seeing for herself just how badly he was hurting. Her little Izuku was in obvious pain over the course of the last week, both physical and emotional if his behavior was any indication.

The mother gently brushed her hand over Izuku's left shoulder blade, smearing lotion on a large burn wound there. 'There are just so many…' Inko's expression drooped even further; Even if she was told the exact extent of her son's injuries, it did not make it any easier to see them in person.

If anything, it only made things worse…


*One week ago*

The last twelve or so hours had been nothing short of nightmarish to the Midoriya family.

It all started when Izuku didn't come home by seven; An event that had never happened before since at seven and a half on a Saturday is when they would call Hisashi. Just like any mother, that delay had made her worry. But she just shook her head and said to herself that her son probably lost his sense of time.

Her little boy was probably having too much fun with his friends to notice…

And that was what she told her husband once the weekly call between them connected:

"Izuku probably just got caught up playing with his friends, I'm sure he will open the door and walk in any second."

So the two of them waited, staying on the line for when Izuku would come barging in.

First, it was for five minutes.

Then fifteen.

Then it was half an hour.

And by the one-hour mark, both parents were frantically walking around in nervous circles in their living rooms, each in his own corner of the world.

So, like any rational parent, Inko called the police and reported her son missing.

It was at times like these that the mother was happy for the hero system. Since without it, unless she had sufficient evidence that her son was kidnapped, the police wouldn't actively search for him, leaving her to rely on a P.I to find him.

And whatever-high-deity was out there knew she and Hisashi couldn't afford that.

The husband and wife stayed on the phone the entire night, both too desperate to do anything but console each other until they were at least told their son was found.

They knew the police were searching the park near home, where Inko knew Izuku spent most of his time. But despite the small search area, the couple did not get any calls regarding their boy; and that ate away at them both.

If Izuku wasn't at the park, that meant there was a high possibility he was taken by villains! And that thought alone was enough for both parents to have a breakdown.

It was only around five in the morning when they got a call from the police.

Their son was found just outside of the park, unconscious and severely injured.

Inko was out of her apartment in less than a minute, her feat of speed only bested by her husband who had already booked a flight back to Japan.

The journey to the hospital passed by as a blur for the woman. And in no time at all, she found herself roaming the hallways of Musutafu General.

"Where is it? Where is it?" Her head turned from left to right, looking for her son's hospital room as she dodged strolling patients and hurrying doctors and nurses.

"There!", The mother stopped in front of a plain white door, one of many that dotted the hallway.

A sigh near the door read 'Room 184, patient: Midoriya Izuku'.

Without bothering to knock, Inko burst into the room and found her baby boy lying asleep on the only cot in the chamber, his body bandaged from head to toe and an I.V drip poking into his arm.

"Aaawww… IZUKUUUUU!" Fat tears specked the corner of Inko's eyes at the sight of her hurting son. She ran forward, prepared to wrap his unconscious body in a hug before the sound of a growl stopped her.

"*Grrrrr…*"

The mother jumped back in surprise, blinking in confusion at the rabbit that she found resting on her son's chest, growling at her. The small black & white rodent kept a steady gaze on the young woman, the tips of her long ears clenched like little fists.

A part of Inko wondered how she missed the quirked animal when she first entered the room. Another part of her wondered what it was doing here in the first place, sitting on her injured son like he was some couch.

But before she got the chance to shoo the little menace away, a feminine voice from behind her interrupted. " Oh! I heard you were on your way. I assume you're the child's mother?"

Inko turned around and found herself face to face with a short woman wearing the typical white lab-coat of a doctor. That lab-coat was the only indication of the woman's occupation, however, as she opted to wear a short dark green dress underneath it which was accompanied by a pair of extremely-high-heeled shoes. Adding her messy dark-blue bob cut and somewhat goth-like makeup didn't exactly contribute to her physician image, either.

The doctor pushed a stray hair out of her eye, offering a gentle smile towards the mother, "Nice to meet you. I am Tae Takemi, the doctor in charge of your son's care. And I see you have already met her…" Takemi pointed at the rabbit who kept glaring at them both, her body rising and falling along with Izuku's chest.

Inko glared back at the rabbit, clearly dissatisfied about her sitting arrangements. "What is a rabbit doing in a hospital?" She asked, "And more importantly, why is it sitting on my son? He's injured!"

Takemi sighed, "We tried to separate the rabbit from your son, miss, but there were… complications…"

Inko only raised a brow at the young doctor, silently asking her to continue.

"The police found her along with your son. Apparently, she sat near his unconscious body and refused to move, growling at whoever stepped too close. When the ambulance came and the paramedics went to take your son away, she went mad, biting and pouncing at the medics and swatting them away with those ears of hers. They actually pack quite a punch…"

Takemi stiffened a giggle at that last part, remembering an earlier incident the rabbit had with one of her fellow doctors whom she disliked.

"They decided to take her with them eventually. Both because they didn't want to deal with her tantrum, and because if word got out that there was a loose quirked animal in Musutafu, people will go nuts over it. *Sigh* She refused to leave him for even a second; luckily, she did calm down a bit once she saw us tending to his wounds. Doesn't mean she likes any of us, though."

"She… she tried to… defend Izuku…?" Inko gaped, unbelieving.

"Seems like it…" Takemi nodded, "Whatever is the full extent of her quirk it definitely boosts a part of her intelligence. She displayed cognitive capabilities that are equal, if not greater, to elephants and dolphins. She even deliberately sat on his chest; where your son is the least injured."

Inko probably would've gaped at the small rodent even more if not for Takemi's last sentence. At once, she remembered her reason for being here, berating herself for forgetting about it. Her expression soured almost immediately, her gaze falling back on her son's beaten face.

Seeing what Inko was looking at, Takemi sighed and combed over her writing board, she hated how packed it was. "While, luckily, your son seems to have no fractures, there are quite clear indicators that Izuku suffered from severe blunt force trauma. Approximately 23% of his body has bruises ranging from light and mild to serious ones. On top of that when he got here, he also suffered from dehydration and physical fatigue. His blood tests showed dangerously low levels of blood sugar and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals. Frankly, it's as if something drained away his vitality and then he had to endure massive physical strain, maybe even quirk overuse."

"Izukuuuuu…" Inko sat on a chair near Izuku's bed, clasping her hand in his. The rabbit growled at her proximity for a couple of seconds, quieting down after seeing she wasn't moving any closer.

"We'll have to keep Izuku in the hospital for a couple of days, at least until his blood sugar is back to normal. After that, he will be discharged and allowed to go home with you. Though I don't recommend letting him go outside for at least a week after that, his bruises will still need to heal, and it will hurt for him to move too much because of it. Hopefully in two weeks, he will have recovered completely."

Inko sighed in relief when she heard that, her baby will be okay.

"Well… almost complete recovery…"

"W-what do you mean?" Inko asked the doctor, fear evident in her eyes.

"In addition to all the injuries I listed so far, your son seems to have several burn wounds on his body, and they are what troubles me most…"

Inko looked over her son's body again, seeing for herself that he was covered head to toe in bandages. So far, sans the burn wounds, Takemi hadn't listed an injury that would warrant them.

The mother blanched, "A-a-are… a-all t-those… b-burn wounds?"

The doctor only solemnly nodded back at her, confirming her fears. "Yes, they are. There is a total of twenty-four of them. Luckily, most are only first degree and they will heal naturally on their own without scarring. But, Izuku does have a few superficial partial-thickness burns and one deep partial-thickness burn; second degree. Keep in mind that if the lighter ones won't be treated properly, they might scar too."

Inko nodded, making a mental note to go to a pharmacy as soon as possible and procure more burn cream for her son.

"Now, I just want you to know that there is a possibility that a few of those minor second-degree burns will scar, even with proper treatment, so don't go blame yourself should it happen," Takemi explained further, her gaze landing apprehensively on the boy's left forearm. "As for his deep partial-thickness burn, I'm sorry to tell you but it will scar, badly. You might want to look at skin grafts, but I would hold off on that for now. Izuku is still young, so the scar will fade exponentially over time. There is no reason for running the risks of a skin graft for something that will barely be noticeable in ten years or so."

For a beat, silence dominated the room; the doctor letting the mother digest the information dump.

"Is… Is there anything more I need to know?" Inko asked, her tone barely above a whisper as she watched her son's frowning and twitching face; even in sleep, he wasn't allowed peace.

"Concerning his injuries? No, I told you everything." Takemi replied and he saw Inko's shoulder relaxing just the tiniest bit. "Though there is one thing you might need to know…"

The mother looked back at her, urging her to go on.

"Seeing that we don't know what exactly happened to your son; an investigation will more than likely be opened about it. Considering the nature of some of his injuries, such as his burns, it led some of us to believe your son was assaulted by a villain."

"A-a villain..." Inko tightened her grip on Izuku's hand, as if fearing he would disappear if she let go, "Are you sure?"

"I am almost certain." The doctor nodded "His injuries… they definitely didn't come from an accident."

Having finished her report, the doctor went on and did a quick check-up on Izuku before quietly leaving the hospital room, reminding Inko to call for her should Izuku wake up or something went wrong.

The mother was left to blankly stare at her child as he slept a troubled rest on the cot, every one of his injuries hurting her as if they were inflicted on her body…

'A villain did this to him.'

Izuku wouldn't wake up until the afternoon of the next day, the first sight he saw was the concerned faces of both of his parents. Ever since then, Izuku shut himself in and didn't tell anyone what happened; acting like an unbreakable wall in the faces of his mother, father, and the police officer who came to ask him questions.

Inko felt Izuku shudder under her touch; the rabbit on her son's lap casting her an accusatory glare as a result. "Sorry sweetie," The mother pulled her hand away, eyeing the burn mark on her son's shoulder to make sure she hadn't missed a spot with the lotion. "We're almost done, only the burn on your arm is left."

The boy silently nodded, extending his left arm towards her. He looked away, not wanting to see the wound that was there.

Inko couldn't blame him. Treating her son's wounds was hard as is, but that injury was by far the worst.

She fumbled with the bandages around his forearm for a second, her hands shaking.

Slowly but surely, the bandages fell to the floor, their descent as slow as a feather.

It was as hard to look at as it was the first time.

The mark started below his wrist before it began to climb up his upper forearm, curving a bit before it came to a stop a few inches away from his elbow. Small tongues of light pink skin protruded from the main scar, like the flames that seared his flesh were obstructed there by something. The rest was a crimson red, deepening and thickening at the center of his forearm, taking the most violent shade of carmine Inko had ever seen. The skin there felt dry and wrinkly to the touch, feeling more akin to that of an elderly man rather than a small boy's.

It looked as if the most blazingly rapacious flame imaginable decided to imprint its image onto her son, using the most aggressive way possible to do so; leaving her poor baby scarred for life.

After she was done with the wound on his forearm, Inko began to re-dress his numerous injuries, one at a time until he was bandaged from head to toe again. Now done, Izuku got up from the stool and put back on his shirt and pants, trudging back to his room with Mimi following behind him.

*Knock - knock – knock! *

But before he managed to reach the door to his room a soft knock was heard from the front door, someone was waiting outside.

"Oh! She's here already?" Inko looked at the clock that was hanged on the wall, confirming for herself that it was past noon. "Yukimura-sensei's a bit early… then again, today's Saturday so they have only a half-day in school. Izuku, can you open the door for her?"

Ever since Izuku was injured he had been unable to walk outside, much less go to school. Refusing to let one of her students fall behind like this, Yukimura-sensei took it upon herself to personally come over to Izuku's house and tutor him on what he missed, though even to her Izuku turned the cold shoulder. Inko and Hisashi were quite thankful for her efforts, insisting that she stayed a bit longer after she and Izuku were done for tea.

Nodding his head, the boy pivoted and changed his course to the front door, fully expecting to find his homeroom teacher on the other side.

However, after he unlocked the door and opened it up, letting the light of the sun creep into the apartment, it was not the young teacher whom he saw.

Instead, Izuku found himself face to face with a small girl about his age. Her short dark-purple hair looked exactly like it did the day the two met, her fringe now almost covering her violet eyes.

The boy almost recoiled back in his surprise, his shoulders tensing and jerking back for a second. "J-Jiro-b-san?" He squeaked, half surprised half afraid of the young girl.

Jirou herself stared at Izuku with wide eyes, her gaze flickering between the many bandages that wrapped his body. "W-what i-in the world happened to you?" She murmured; her voice struck with horror.

Izuku averted his gaze, his eyes shadowed by his curly hair. "I…I don't want to talk about it…"

"S-sorry! I just blurted it out!" Jiro's hands fumbled in the air, her face reddening. "It wasn't my place to ask you that!"

Before the two could continue with the 'conversation' further, Inko's voice called out from within the apartment," Izuku, don't keep Yukimura-sensei outside! Invite… her…" It was by that point that Inko appeared behind her son and saw for herself why it took him so long. "…in…?"

"Oh!" Inko exclaimed, "You're not Yukimura-sensei! Are you one of Izuku's classmates?"

"Y-yes!" Jiro nodded, "Yukimura-sensei was busy and couldn't make it. She asked me to bring the homework to Midoriya-san and help him with it." It was only then that Izuku noticed that her backpack was particularly bloated, probably holding all the assignments he would need to do.

"Awww! That's so nice of you!" The green-haired woman beamed at the girl, "Why don't you come in. Do you want anything to eat?"

"N-no! There's no need!", the purple-haired girl denied as she walked in, "I hate imposing on you as is…"

"Nonsense! You are helping my son catch up on his studies! That's the least I can do!"

With that Inko hurried over to the kitchen, leaving Izuku to lead Jiro to his room.

As soon as Tsukauchi and Tanuma pulled over near the crime scene, they both knew today was going to be a long one.

It started out normally for the duo. Come to the precinct, sit at the desk, maybe grab a third cup of coffee; the usual routine they developed over the last week. The monotony was soon broken, however, when Tanuma received a call from an old acquaintance.

Apparently, something big went down in southern Shizuoka, and they requested them specifically to help deal with it. Which is how the two of them found themselves in Tanuma's black 184 Mirage, heading towards the Izu peninsula.

Back in the present, both detectives stepped out of the car, looking around at the scene.

A small army of police vehicles was parked in front of a massive facility in the middle of the woods, surrounding it with a barrier of cars and vans. In front of the barrier of metal was another one made of yellow police tape, though its purpose was negligible seeing that no civilians were present anywhere in sight.

Heroes and cops stood in front of the building and held numerous conversations, watching more heroes and cops exit the building and bringing out either cuffed individuals or people in body bags.

To his right, he saw Manual talk to Snatch as they pushed along a braided villain in a stretcher. The black-haired man appeared to be suffering from severe burns on his arms; the wounds poking out of his shoddily done bandages. The heroes, with the help of some cops, loaded the man onto an ambulance, sending him off to a villain hospital. Best Jeanist and Edgeshot, both top ten heroes, were busy talking to Endeavor in Taukauchi's peripheral. And while only the flame-hero's face was visible, it was apparent all three of them wore scowls on their faces. Up near the facility's entrance, Tsukauchi could see half of the wild-wild pussy cats, Mandalay and Ragdoll, along with half of the Water Hose duo. Since he couldn't see the other half of either team, he inferred they must be inside the facility.

It almost appeared as if every hero in southern Japan sans All Might was present, either talking to cops or helping with the loading of dozens of criminals into custody.

The rookie detective had to struggle and not gape at it all. This was probably the largest raid Japan had seen in almost a decade!

"So you're finally here…" A drawling voice called out to them both, causing the detective to pivot and confront the man who called them.

Tsukauchi found himself staring at a young man with long and unkept hair and a ragged black outfit; the man stared back at him, his expression not betraying anything about what he felt. With his unshaven face, blood-shot eyes, and drab choice of attire, he could've easily passed himself off as a hobo. However, even those with a little experience in them could easily tell otherwise.

"Ah, Eraserhead!" Tanuma greeted the man with a friendly wave, "Long time no see! How you've been?"

The man, Eraserhead, grumbled at Tanuma's jovial tone, "It's not rational to hold chit-chat in a crime scene, Tanuma. And that's certainly not why I called you here."

"Then why did you?" Tanuma asked. "While I do like seeing old friends, I don't see why you need me and Tsukauchi here." He said, pointing to the tall detective as he spoke, "From the looks of it you already have everything covered."

"O-Oh! I-I'm Tsukauchi, nice to meet you." Tsukauchi extended a hand to shake when he felt the hero's stare linger on him.

Begrudgingly, Eraserhead shook his hand, murmuring a "Likewise…" before going on to explain the situation.

"Earlier this week, a local hero apprehended a villain in the outskirts of Izu. After bringing the villain in for questioning, the police found out that he was a part of the Tōu Liè Zhě, the international poaching organization that's been active in Asia for almost two hundred years."

'Tōu Liè Zhě…? Didn't Tanuma and I talked about them a week ago?' Tsukauchi recalled.

"Obviously, the villain didn't talk." Eraserhead continued, "But thanks to some investigation, and the fact no one saw the man in any populated area recently, they managed to guess a rough idea of where he came from. After a few days of searching, the police found this place, and just this morning we heroes raided this facility."

"You already raided it?" Tsukacuhi asked, looking around him. While there were a few scuffs and bruises on some of the heroes, most of them seemed just fine.

That was suspicious.

He participated in his fair share of raids before as a beat cop. He knew firsthand how often people, heroes and cops alike, had to leave the site on ambulances, all the more so when a raid was as big as this one.

"Yes, we did." Eraserhead nodded, "Since the Tōu Liè Zhě is one of the largest criminal organizations in the world and we had no idea what we would be dealing with, the Commission decided to bring in as many heroes as possible."

Eraserhead took a deep breath before continuing, "Imagine our surprise when we got in and found the place already in ruins."

Tanuma's eyes widened, "What happened? There's obviously no way that a hero was responsible, he would've reported it."

"We're not sure." Eraserhead admitted, "Apparently, a large portion of the base's manpower fled days ago. The only people left were either already dead or had complete loyalty to the organization. We are currently bringing them all out."

Both detectives frowned upon hearing this. Who knows how many villains got away.

"FUCK YOU, ATAMA!"

Someone behind Eraserhead yelled, causing all three men to look at the voice's source.

They saw Gunhead there, carrying towards one of the police vans a tall man who looked suspiciously like him, only shorter and with darker hair.

"Oh, come on, cuz! Don't be like that!" Gunhead replied with a jovial voice, "Auntie's been awaiting your return for years! After you've done your time, we'll welcome you back to the family with a huge party! I can hardly wait!"

The three men sweatdropped as Gunhead loaded his cousin onto a van as the man kept throwing profanities at him, chiding him to be a 'Good boy' in prison so he could get out sooner.

"Anyways…" Eraserhead moved on after casting one final look at the cousins, "After a thorough search of the facility we found a pens facility in the lowest floor, pretty standard stuff for a poaching organization. The catch was that it was empty, and there were evident signs of struggle throughout it. In other words, whatever happened there resulted in either the theft or release, of potential dozens of quirked animals."

"This is big." Tanuma muttered, his chin held in his hand. "Have you questioned the villains yet about what happened?"

"Not all of them." The hobo-looking man replied, "And most of them were obviously lying when we questioned them. Hell, one of them even told us a kid with a fire and earth quirk did this."

"That's the problem when dealing with an organization…" Tanuma sighed, "The criminal's loyalty can be a tough wall to break. Not to mention that with so many people it's going to be almost impossible to discern which statement is real and which is fake… I assume that's why you called us, then?"

"Yes." The hero nodded, his gaze – as well as Tanuma's – landing on the rookie detective.

"I want you to be a part of the investigation on what happened here." Eraserhead told Tsukauchi, "This case, while being kept under wraps, is definitely the largest incident we had in years, with ramifications that could be catastrophic for all we know. So far, the best-case scenario we can think of is that we have hundreds of quirked animals and criminals on the loose; imagine how much damage they could cause if they stumbled into a city."

He did, and he did not like it.

"That's why we need to figure out what happened as quickly as possible, which means we'll have to get and read through dozens of different statements from uncooperative individuals. We don't have much time to spare, and your quirk can be just the time saver we need."

"That's why I, Eraserhead, a licensed pro hero, give you permission to use your quirk however you wish to solve this case."

Tsukauchi nodded, understanding the responsibility that had been entrusted upon him. "When do I start?"

The door to the boy's room opened with a soft creak, the two kids stepping in in silence.

"Wow. That's… a lot of All Might." Kyoka was the first one to speak, darting her head from one side to the next in an attempt to comprehend just how much All-Might memorabilia was in the room.

"Yeah…" Midoriya's cheeks turned pinker, "He's my favorite hero…"

The two maintained an uncomfortable silence for a while after, neither too sure what they should say next.

Kyoka still wasn't sure what she was doing here. She wasn't the smartest student in the class, she didn't live the closest to Izuku, and she certainly wasn't close to him as friends. Hell, they didn't even so much as speak since they met on the first day of first grade (Though, admittedly, that was kind of her fault).

'But Yukimura-sensei asked me to help Midoriya… why?'

The girl decided to leave that be for now. She said yes to her request anyway, might as well follow through with it. After all, it wouldn't be very rocking to go back on her word.

Midoriya's mom and dad soon came into the room, one holding a plater full of snacks and juice for them and the other bringing in another chair. "Good luck with your homework, Izuku!" Hisashi called, "We're entrusting him to you, Jiro-san! Call us if you need anything." They cast one last look at their son before leaving the room, rendering both kids oblivious to the identical thought that ran through their heads:

'Izuku has a girl in his room! He grows up way too fast!'

The two kids remained silent after they left, looking at one another like the other was an exhibit in the zoo.

It was only the almost-silent thump of feet hitting wood that finally broke through the staring contest, causing both Midoriya and Kyoka to dart their gaze to the desk.

"Mimi!" Midoriya almost yelled, lifting the rabbit up and away from the snack tray. "That food is for Jiro-san! You can't just take what you want!". The boy then turned to Kyoka with an apologetic expression on his face, "Sorry about that, Jiro-san."

"Wha-what is that?" Kyoka stared at the rabbit in Midoriya's hands with wide eyes. The rabbit, or Mimi if she heard right, looked up at her with a small scowl, as if she blamed her that she wasn't allowed to eat what she wanted from the tray.

"That's…" Midoriya paused as if he wasn't sure what the answer was himself. The boy sat down on a chair slowly, taking care not to aggravate his wounds, and let the rabbit-like creature sit on his lap. "Her name's Mimi… and she's… my rabbit…?"

"Her ears…" Kyoka murmured as she stared at the rodent, her face gaped in awe. "I never saw an animal with a quirk before… where did you get her?"

"I… I found her in the park…" was all that he said, his voice low.

But the girl did not miss the detail that Midoriya's gaze turned away from her, now directed at one of the All-Might posters with fake curiosity. She eyed once more his many bandages, feeling a bit weak in the knees from the sight of it. 'That rabbit definitely has something to do with his injuries…' she inferred, comparing his current expression to the one he made when she asked him about his wounds. But it wasn't her place to pry, so she wouldn't. Still though, she felt bad about getting the boy in the dumps like that…

"She's beautiful…" Kyoka stated, both attempting to alter the mood and actually meaning it. The girl extended a hesitant hand forward, "Do you mind if I pet her?"

Midoriya shook his head, his gaze once more focusing on her. "Not at all. But Mimi's kind of aggressive towards anyone who isn't me. She might bite you if you come too close…"

"Easy there…" Kyoka's hand was mere centimeters away from Mimi's head, the appendage shaking a bit in agitation.

Mimi sniffed apprehensively at the extended hand, her head craning just the tiniest bit forward.

The two slowly but surely got closer to one another; until, eventually, they both met.

'Her fur is so fluffy…' Tiny sparkles danced in Kyoka's purple irises as she gently caressed the white fur on top of Mimi's head.

Mimi's teeth were chattering gently, her eyes closed as she savored the touch of the girl's soft hands.

From the corner of her eye, Kyoka could see Midoriya's gaped mouth slowly shift into a small smile; the first she saw from him since the last time they talked… on the day they met.

"Hey, Midoriya-san?", Midoriya's gaze left Mimi and focused on Kyoka's face. The girl maintained eye contact, though it appeared she was struggling to do so. "You remember the day we met? When I used my quirk on you after you mistook me for a boy?"

Midoriya nodded, rubbing his ears as if they still hurt.

Kyoka sighed, 'Here goes nothing…'. "I'm sorry for that. You made an honest mistake and I lashed out at you. So… I'm sorry for hurting you."

"N-n-no!" Midoriya jumped back, holding his hands out like he was asking her to stop. "I insulted you! You had every right to lash out! I should be the one apologizing!"

"But you didn't mean to!" Kyoka shot back, "You didn't mean to hurt my feelings, you just made a mistake. I was the one in the wrong! I need to apologize!"

"*Growl…*"

"Huh?"

The two would've probably kept arguing if not for Mimi's intervention. The small rabbit growled aloud with a high-pitched grumble vibrating from her throat.

The kids stopped and looked down at her, the rabbit returning an annoyed glare in return; as if saying: 'Get on with it!'

"He…hehehe…Hahahaha!" Small giggles escaped Jiro's mouth, quickly evolving into full-blown laughter which was accompanied by chuckles from Midoriya.

"I *chuckle* can't believe I got scolded by a r-*chuckle*-abbit…!" Kyoka heaved between fits of laughter. "Let's just say we are both sorry?" she asked after they both calmed down, "It happened a long time ago anyway."

Midoriya nodded his head up and down, a small confirming hum escaping his throat.

"Glad we worked that out!" Kyoka sat down on the second chair, "We need to start working if we want to finish with the homework today."

The girl opened up her bags and dropped a large pile of books atop Midoriya's desk, an impressive thump accompanying their landing.

They spent the next couple of hours helping Midoriya catch up on the schoolwork, Kyoka explaining everything he had trouble understand. Occasionally, one of them would take a snack or drink a sip of juice from the tray, leaving all the cut-up carrot sticks alone for Mimi to indulge.

Neither was aware that Inko and Hisashi Midoriya would sometimes peek into the room through the crack they left in the doorway, spying on both kids as they solved questions and held small talks.

It was on one of those spying-sessions that Inko's phone began to quietly vibrate, notifying the woman that she had a message. She opened Line [5] and read the message with a small smile, quickly typing her reply, and pocketing the device.

Yukimra Aguri: Did it work?

Midoriya Inko: Like magic.


"Shuzumu failed to attend today's meeting, Madame," Kraven told his boss, speaking in Mandarin.

Madame Gao nodded her head, staring at the man's face on her screen "Yes. And he also failed to inform us beforehand, nor had he attempted on making contact since the meeting ended four hours ago. According to protocol we should consider his branch as compromised."

"Yes, according to protocol… The real question is whether or not it's true." Kraven raised a skeptical brow, "You and I both suspected he has been plotting something behind our backs, and it was you who decided that every action he takes should be taken with a side of salt."

"True." Madame Gao agreed, "However, even if he did plan on betraying us, he wouldn't have done it like this. For all his faults, Shuzumu was no fool. He wouldn't have done anything to raise any alarm bells; most likely opting instead to strike from the shadows while pretending to be clueless. Considering this, I truly believe there is a high probability the Japanese branch is compromised."

"I see…" Kraven uttered, his expression thoughtful. "How do you want to handle this, then? If Shuzumu and the Japanese branch are gone, then we lost our footing in the country. Should we prepare to reestablish our presence there?"

"No." Was the woman's immediate answer. "The Japanese authorities would be on high alert for any of our activities if they really found out about or branch there. It would be unwise to go back so soon… Besides, the Japanese branch had hardly ever been profitable, I see no reason to rebuild it at the moment."

There was a moment of silence once the woman finished her explanation, the two leaders each stewing in thought.

"Though I am curious, Kraven." Madame Gao whispered in a low voice, "Just what Shuzumu planned to do behind our backs."

The evening soon fell on the Midoriya household, the day coming to its conclusion alongside it. The small family currently occupied their apartment's small living room, the lights of the dusk painting the room an orange hue. The family's son sat on the green couch in the room's middle, gently petting his pet rabbit on the head. His expression was the most relaxed it had been in a week, much to his parent's joy and relief. Inko and Hisashi were also seated on the coach, watching the news whilst they mouthed a conversation about their boy.

Thanks to Jiro, who had left an hour earlier, Izuku was in the best mood he had been since he woke up in the hospital. And while he wasn't anywhere near his usual bubbly self, it was a step in the right direction.

This was the best chance they had all week, and they would be damned if they missed it.

"You do it!" Inko mouthed to her husband, watching her periphery to see if Izuku was still distracted.

"You need to start, Inko!" Hisashi mouthed back, "You know you're better than me at this!"

"Don't give me that excuse Hisashi! You're his father!" Inko bit back.

"And you're his mother! I knew we should've got his grandparents involved!" The husband retaliated.

"It's too late for that now!" Inko shot back, "Both of our parents are out of town and we can't wait for any more than we already did with him!"

The two held each other's gaze for a bit longer, silently fighting for dominance.

Naturally, being the wife in the argument, Inko won.

Hisashi sucked in a breath, he was a fool for not knowing it would end like this. "Heeyyyy, my little heroooo…" he called for his son, purposely heightening his voice.

Both parents noticed the boy's body twitch a bit when Hisashi called him 'hero' as if Izuku found himself unworthy to be called that. Nevertheless, the son slowly turned his head to look at his father, the boy's solemn expression alien for the patriarch, "Yes, dad?"

"Huhhh…" Hisashi droned, not having an idea of what to say exactly, 'Shit!'.

"How are you feeling?"

Hisashi didn't need to see to know that his wife was facepalming. 'Please! Cut me some slack Inko! You know I'm not good at this!' The black-haired man thought miserably.

"M'kay…" Was all that Izuku said in response, his gaze shifting back to Mimi who looked at the father, unimpressed.

"You're losing him, Hisashi!" Inko mouthed to her husband before taking a deep breath. "We can't screw this up! This is the best chance we had all week to make Izuku open up!"

"What do you want me to say, then?!" Hisashi asked.

"We need to approach this carefully..." The matriarch whispered, "We need to build up a conversation before we ask him…"

Both wore a contemplative expression on their faces for a moment, wondering just how they were going to engage the boy. In the background, the TV was still on, showing footage from the debut of a pro-hero. It showed the scene of a de-railed train in one of the many wards of Tokyo, a few of its cars dangling over the edge of the elevated tracks.

Swinging up and around the train was a young man who was dressed in a blue jump suit, his gauntlets and boots seemingly made of wood. Vines made of lumber held the man in the air as he sailed, coming in and out of the wreck with civilians carried on his back.

Hisashi got an idea.

"Hey, Izuku," He called for his son again, "What do you think about this new hero?"

The boy's head perked up towards the TV, small sparkles kindling in his eyes. He watched transfixed as the new pro carried more and more people away from danger and towards safety, not stopping for a moment as he summersaulted in the air like a professional acrobat.

"So cool…" Izuku murmured, his hands slightly twitching with the instinct to grab a notebook and write everything down. The two adults both noticed this and smiled, their son was beginning to resemble himself again.

Even Mimi was intrigued by the hero as he jumped about. Though, in her case, it was probably the yummy roses that dangled from the hero's belt that got her attention.

Now having a topic, the two parents immediately capitalized and dove into a deep conversation with their son, dumping every bit of hero trivia they knew to keep it going. They talked about the new hero's, Kamui Woods', quirk for ten minutes straight, from strength, weaknesses, uses, to cooperative potential with other heroes. Then they moved on to another hero, giving her the same treatment Kamui Woods got before moving on to the next.

Then the next after that.

And after that.

And after that.

By the time they got to their sixth hero of the evening, Izuku could've been mistaken for his usual self if not for all of his bandages. The boy mumbled out a storm of quirk analysis, completely incomprehensible for anyone who wasn't his parents.

It was at that moment that Inko and Hisashi were ready.

"*Sigh* Izuku, there is something we wanted to talk to you about…" Hisashi told his son after they were finished with the analysis on Edgeshot, his tone more serious than before.

The boy, sensing the change in attitude, worriedly glanced at his father as he brought his knees to his chest, curling in one himself.

"You're not in any trouble, sweetie." Inko soothed, sitting closer to her son and starting to stroke his fluffy curls, "We just want you to tell us something; We're worried about you."

Now the boy knew exactly what this was about, his solemn expression returning with vengeance. "I don't want to talk about it." He made his way to get up and run to his room but was stopped by a firm hand on the shoulder.

"Please, sweetie…" Inko urged, "We promise not to bother you anymore after you tell us." She pleaded, hoping to buy him over. "But we need to know. So please… be our little hero and tell us what happened?"

Inko didn't care that her eyes began to damp as she talked. She didn't care about the lump in her throat that was growing bigger by the second. Nor did she care that the same was probably happening to her husband behind her.

No. All she cared about at the moment was the boy that she held in her arms, his chubby cheeks cupped in her hands. Izuku stared into his mother's eyes without saying a word, maintaining eye contact in silence.

"FUCK!"

Aruku Kūki cursed as he stumbled, his tubby body falling to the ground. "Ughhh…" The man groaned, struggling to get up and away from the dirty pavement. He dusted his clothes and took a breath, scanning the area around him for any threats.

Aruku was in a deserted street at the edge of a small nameless town somewhere in the Izu peninsula. The narrow asphalt road was squashed between two rows of run-down houses, their paint peeled and chunks missing out of their grey roofs. Apart from him, no living soul could be seen in the area, only the occasional bird flying above the power lines.

The fat man leaned on his knees as he panted, savoring the precious oxygen that flew through his lungs.

The past week had not been kind to the man.

After he had escaped the Tōu Liè Zhě's Japanese Headquarters (with many people trying to stop him or calling him a traitor), Aruku was left to wander about the Izu peninsula. Having no supplies, money, or any helpful connections left him with little options other than skipping from one small town to the next; nabbing whatever food or money he could steal from unsuspecting residents.

It was absolutely humiliating.

He was once the second in command to one of the largest criminal organizations in the country, his words amongst his men almost as absolute as the big man himself.

It was bad enough that he was almost crippled three years ago, rendering him with the physique of someone likely to die of heart failure in their late forties; Gaining multiple bad habits along the way and losing the respect of almost everyone he knew.

Honestly, he used to think he hit rock bottom, destined to live the rest of his days as the branch's laughingstock.

Yet here he found himself. In the middle of nowhere, stealing from grandmas just to get by and fill his stomach.

The fat man groaned into his hands in frustration, cursing once more the stupid green kid that in one night ruined his life. It was because of the brat that he had nowhere to go now. The Tōu Liè Zhě was through, with it going all the resources, safe houses, and comrades he used to have. Finding another group to join was out of the question too. He had nothing to offer them, and he knew only a fool would take him in as he is now.

And working for a fool was never a good idea.

Continuing to contemplate his situation, Aruku wandered aimlessly through the town, soon growing tired. The man sat down on the sidewalk, his back pressed against a fence as he went through every option he thought available.

'Maybe I should go straight…?' Aruku snorted once the thought crossed his mind, 'Yeah, right. Like I could do that with my record…'

The man slumped, burying his head in his hands and letting his thin hair curl around his fat fingers.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but he couldn't bring himself to care at all.

He didn't care that the sun had long since sat, living the faulty streetlights his only source of light. He didn't care that the chilly wind penetrated his thin clothing, causing his body to instinctively shiver. He was numb to the occasional passerby who went through the street; not caring at all if the man or woman whose gaze lingered on him for just a second was one of pity or disgust.

So naturally, he didn't react when a tall man stopped and stood in front of him. He didn't care that the well-dressed man was smiling at him like a predator nor did he care about the fact that the man extended a hand towards his head. Only once the man gripped his face did Aruku looked up at him, finding himself staring at a white-haired man with sharp facial features that radiated the most potent killing intent he had ever felt.

Suddenly, he did care.

But it was too late.

"GGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


Izuku didn't know what to do.

The boy sat there, staring into his parents' concerned eyes with his own damp ones as a ruminating storm raged within him.

He didn't want to talk about it. He really didn't. Just thinking about what happened made him want to curl up and bawl his eyes out until there was nothing left in him. The villains' faces, the fighting for his life, the animals, Chima's parents…. Limp and lifeless… Those images still haunted him, whether he was lucid or dreaming.

And all that was when he fought with his life to push those thoughts away.

But to talk about it?!

To verbally describe what he had gone through? Willingly letting those memories resurface to the forefront of his mind before he uttered that horror word by word?

He wasn't ready for that… Probably never will be…

It should've been an obvious answer.

To shut himself off again; run to his room and hide beneath the safety of his blankets until he was sure his mom and dad would drop it off.

That was the easy solution.

Yet he didn't move from his spot, staying seated on the coach with his mother cupping his cheeks.

Because there was a part of him that wanted him to keep talking.

Earlier with Jiro, and now with his parents; when he talked to them, he was the happiest he's been the whole week. Just talking about school, heroes, or whatever came to mind; focusing on the ones before him was what made everything that worried him fade away. He felt lighter thanks to them, the memories that threatened to resurface resting for just a moment, granting him peace as long as the conversation kept on going.

He wanted that feeling to remain.

He wanted that pressure in the back of his head to be gone, and he wanted the ache in his heart to disappear. And while he wasn't sure if they would ever go away… He at least knew that he could forget about them… even if only for a moment.

Which was where his dilemma laid.

"Please, sweetie…" Inko urged, "We promise not to bother you anymore after you tell us." She promised, hoping to buy him over. "But we need to know. So please… be our little hero and tell us what happened?"

That was the question which racked his brain. Should he just tell them once and let it be over, or should he keep it all bottled in as it was?

All that went on in his mind as his parents stared silently at him, trying to get an inkling of an idea on what he thought through his expression. For a few moments, one could here the sound of a pin drop in the small apartment; even the sounds of the outside world not permeating the concrete walls.

It was with bated breaths that both mother and father watched their son let out a small sigh, slumping his shoulder. The eight-year-old swallowed hard, ridding his mouth of moisture before locking eyes with the two adults, clutching Mimi a bit closer to him.

"O-okay…" He whispered, his voice subdued and strained, "I'll tell you… everything…"

And so, he did.

All Hisashi and Inko could do was gawk with their mouths agape as their son recalled the events of the past three years.

He spoke of his times with Chima. Talking about how he played with him every day, shared Inko's food with him, and trained his quirk with him. A small smile graced the boy's lips as he talked about his best friend, recalling all the good memories they shared one after the other.

Then he told them about the underground caverns. Izuku's eyes sparkled as he talked about that ecosystem that no man had ever seen before. He described every small detail about the cavern: the magnificent stone arches and columns that dotted the cavern; the raging river that split the cave's floor; the teeth-like stalactites and stalagmites; the crystal-clear underground lake; the hot springs; the green glowing crystals; and the animals.

He talked about the animals for more than an hour.

Even when researching quirks and heroes his parents seldom seen him so animated. Each new beast their son described became grander and grander in comparison to the previous. From the colorful bugs that flew through the cavern; the small rodents that scurried their way on the cave's floor; the reptiles and fish who called the river and lake home; to the gigantic mammals who held powers that would cause some heroes to become envious.

He described each of the animals with a wide smile on his face, his eyes sparkling in youthful wonder as if he had just encountered them for the first time.

But, when he reached the point of the events that night one week ago, that smile, and enthusiasm, began to fade.

All the joy he accumulated from recalling the good times left his heart as he told them both what had happened.

He told them how two men snuck up on him and Chima and knocked them out, kidnapping them and throwing them both into cold metal boxes.

He told them how he got out and broke Mimi free, his rage at the villains palpable in his voice.

Tears cascaded down his face as he spoke about the battle in the pens, every sentence he spoke accompanied by a broken hiccup that devolved into full-blown bawling once he was at the story's end.

The sun had long since sat once he was finished with the tale, leaving the Midoriya family in the dark as the two adults were still hugging their crying son.

The only light in the room came from the still turned-on TV, and the mere thought of getting up and turning the lights on was currently alien to either Hisashi or Inko.

They just held their son as he cried for the longest time and loudest volume they had ever seen. The boy sniffled and hiccupped into their stomachs, tears and snot damping the fabric of their shirts.

Eventually, the boy calmed down. Sapped of any energy, Izuku's sniffles turned to soft snores as his breathing evened out and the arms he held around his parents relaxed.

Only when both were sure he was asleep did they break the hug.

Slowly, they lowered Izuku's head and rested him on the couch, tear stains still on his cheeks and his nose runny. Mimi, who until now was watching the family hug, climbed up on the boy's chest and rested her head against his jaw; allowing the boy to instinctively wrap his arms around her.

Both adults were lost for words.

They sat there, staring buffaloed at their sleeping son, their expressions frozen and minds abuzz.

"I-I can't believe this…" Inko muttered, her voice hollow. It was an empty statement, and both knew it.

As much as they wanted it to be so, the way the story was told left them with little room for doubt.

They tried to come up with a way to explain how their son made the story up, each line of thought leading to a dead end.

There was no way the child was faking it; his reaction was way too genuine for it to be so. Even the world's best actor could not stage the sort of breakdown their son just had.

It couldn't be a fixture of imagination or delirium, either; even though they both wanted it to be. Because Hallucinations were just that, they weren't real. If he really did imagine it all they could merely explain to him that it was all a bad dream and get on with their happy lives.

But they couldn't. Because it was all real.

Izuku's injuries were real.

Mimi was real.

And Chima, whose name sounded familiar to Inko, was probably also real.

Hallucinations, no matter how realistically and detailed were described, could not change reality.

They couldn't injure their son like this, and they couldn't materialize Mimi into existence.

But what hurt them most, especially Inko, was how much that story made sense.

It explained way too much, too many pieces fell into exactly the right place.

Inko recalled how adamant her son was about not letting his 'friends' come over. How he tended to tense up whenever Inko suggested the idea. He would always come up with a half-baked excuse about why they couldn't, immediately rushing out the door to 'meet with them'.

She remembered the parent-teacher conferences with Yukimura-sensei. How Izuku's teacher would talk about her concern of her son's lack of friends in class; and how she raised a brow when Inko replied that her son had plenty of friends that he ^" Hangs out with all the time…"^

Hisashi thought back to the few weekends when he was home these past three years. Noticing now that his son was missing most of the day then, ^"He's off with his friends"^, his wife told him. Izuku would always come back near sunset, a bit dirty, but with a big smile on his face. He used to think nothing of it in the past. If not maybe a bit disappointed that he couldn't spend the day with his son.

All these idiosyncrasies that Izuku showcased these past three years made it almost impossible to deny, and so, their had to reluctantly accept what happened as truth.

"All this time… And I didn't even notice?" Inko whispered, her pupils shrunken in horror.

For three years her son led a secret life behind her back, 'It was right under my nose the whole time… what kind of parent fails like this?!' She covered her mouth with her hands as she once more stared at the many bandages that her son had, a grim realization dawning on her.

"This is all my fault…"

"Don't say that!" Two hands grasped at her shoulders following the abrupt yell. Looking up and away from her son, Inko found her husband staring at her, a scowl on his face.

"You had nothing to do with this!" He exclaimed, his voice loud and aggrieved. "You didn't do this to him! Those villains did!"

"It's easy for you to say!" Inko shot back, her tone uncharacteristically hostile. "You aren't around enough to take any of the blame! You don't see Izuku nearly as much as I do!" Hisashi, previously startled by his wife's tone, recoiled back even further. "You couldn't possibly have noticed anything out of the ordinary with Izuku since you spend most of your time in America! Most of the year you aren't even here!"

Inko coughed and panted after she was finished with her rant, the weight of what she said slowly dawning on her.

Inko wasn't sure what drove her to yell at him like that. Most likely it was the current state of her son, but she couldn't help but think that that wasn't all there was to it. Perhaps there were other lingering elements to this, namely her rooted frustration that her husband was away for most of the time, leaving her to raise Izuku by herself.

Whichever the case was, she had said what she said, and her husband heard her loud and clear.

Hisashi was staring at her with blown-wide eyes and shrunk pupils, horror evident on his face. He appeared as if someone just shot her or Izuku in front of him, intangible stupors escaping his mouth a mile a minute and shaking as if left out in the rain.

Her words did a number on him, hitting him like a sledgehammer. Hisashi collapsed onto the couch with a thud, cupping his face in his hands.

"Honey?" Inko whispered in a shaky voice, having calmed down. "I-I'm sorry Hisashi…" She brushed a hesitant hand through his curls, the same way she usually did to her son, "I don't know what came over me… I-".

"No." Hisashi cut her off, shaking his head. "It's okay… You don't need to apologize."

Neither said a word for a while longer. Each of them busy digesting the happenings of the evening.

Eventually, it was Hisashi who broke the silence with a three-word sentence, "So what now?"

A simple question really, easily answerable in most cases.

Unfortunately, this was not one of them.

Both adults turned to their son, who surprisingly remained deep in slumber through their shouts. Inko gently caressed his curls, "I… I don't know… there's so much we need to consider…"

Their first thought of course was telling the police, they didn't want the villains who hurt their boy to be roaming free after all. But soon, complications arose with their plan. They were both doubtful the police would believe their son's story so readily. They didn't know Izuku as they did, they would either think this was a prank or that their family was delusional. Not to mention that besides vague descriptions of a few of the villains, they had nothing substantial to report. They didn't have names or the location of their headquarters, so any credibility that might've given them was thrown out the window.

"What about all the quirked animals?" Hisashi asked once they had discarded the police idea, "Our son literally spent three years in the company of wild animals; superpowered wild animals."

Inko nodded along. Neither parent was too fond of the way their son chose to spend his time, no matter how safe Izuku made it sound like. "It's not like we can stop him," She admitted with a sigh, " ... even though I would prefer it that way..."

Both husband and wife let out a yawn at the same time. Glancing at the clock told them it was already past midnight, way past time they all go to sleep. "We should probably call it a night, Inko." Hisashi yawned, carefully picking up his sleeping son and rabbit in his arms. "I'll tuck him in, you can go ahead and take a shower."

Inko nodded, "Okay. But we still aren't finished with this discussion."

"I know." Her husband called back, already halfway towards Izuku's room. "But I think that whatever we choose, Izuku should have a say in it all."

"Are you sure you want to come with me?" Izuku asked for maybe the hundredth time today, "It will take us hours just to get there."

In a certain clearing of woods in a certain park in Musutafu, three people and a rabbit now stood. Two adults accompanied Izuku and Mimi in the place once reserved solely for him and Chima.

Both mother and father were now busy double-checking they brought everything they needed while their son took off his shoes.

"For the last time Izuku, yes we're sure." Inko stated as she fastened, her backpack into place, "You are not going down there without us, understood?"

"Yes, mom." The boy sighed; reluctance evident on his face. He still wasn't sure it was a good idea to bring them with him, he didn't know how the others would react to them. But they both insisted, going so far as to say they won't allow him to go there again until he took them with him.

He looked at the dark hole on the hill's side, taking a breath before securing Mimi on his shoulder, "Let's go."

The adults nodded and followed their son into the dark, equipped with only flashlights to combat it.

They soon learned that their son wasn't kidding when he said it would take hours to get to their destination. The dark tunnels they traversed seemed to stretch on for forever, sometimes branching off from one another and creating the world's largest and most complicated maze. Even the sheer size of the tunnels eventually got boring after walking for so long.

"We're almost there." They heard Izuku say after what felt like six or so hours of walking. They didn't know how he could tell, seeing as that dark void at the tunnel's visible edge remained as black as it was. But, soon enough, viridian light began to become visible, growing in intensity as they got closer to their goal.

When they finally emerged from the tunnels after what felt like an eternity, all Inko and Hisashi Midoriya could do was gawk at the sight before them.

Giant pillars of stone and rock rose from the cave's unseen floor in the dozens, some reaching all the way up to the ceiling while others stopped midway, creating earthen platforms of various heights so large one could build houses on them.

Archways made of stone connected these platforms to one another, creating a web of connecting pathways that sometimes branched off into a tunnel that led outside of the cavern. Green moss and crystals covered just about every square meter of the space. Engulfing the walls, pillars, and ceiling as well as illuminating the entire subterranean area in majestic emerald color.

Sparkling waterfalls emerged from holes near the cave's ceiling, pushing streams of water through the crevices of a forest of stalagmites that adorned the cavern's floor far below them, appearing as jagged and menacing teeth. The water flowed down through those crevices, pooling at a majestic underground lake, its waters shimmering in emerald light and its rocky beaches the only place on the cave's floor that lacked the stalagmites' presence.

It was by far the most beautiful place they had ever seen, looking more akin to something out of a fairy tale than real life. They could probably stare at it for hours and still not be completely satisfied.

A small giggle broke them through their trance. They glanced down and saw Izuku chuckle at their dumbfounded expressions; they both chuckled along with him, imagining how silly they must have looked.

"Okay, Izuku." Hisashi said, "Do you know where he is?"

The boy's smile faded. "Yes, I think I do. Follow me."

The boy led them through the cavern with the confidence of a veteran tour guide. He never once stopped to contemplated which turn to take or where they shouldn't go. Slowly but surely, they climbed down towards the cavern's floor and soon found themselves at the shores of the underground lake.

"We're going there," Izuku explained, pointing to the entrance of a small tunnel at the other side of the underground beach.

His parents nodded, beginning to tread through the beach with their son.

But before any of them made it far, a thunderous roar echoed through the air.

"RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHGGGGG!"

Both Hisashi and Inko screamed in fear once they turned their heads and saw a massive beast hurtle towards them. It appeared to be a giant Badger; with razor-sharp claws reminiscent of a mole as well as a long, naked tail. The creature had bloody murder in its eyes as it got closer to them, flashing teeth sharp enough to bite them all in half.

"Stop!" A familiar voice shouted. Both dumbfounded parents looked down and saw Izuku standing between them and the charging beast, his arms outstretched as if to block it. On his shoulder, Mimi also appeared to be on high alert; She was crouching down as if prepared to jump, her ears were pressed against her back as she growled at the much larger creature.

Inko shrieked once she realized what her son was doing, "Izuku what are you d-?!" only to cut herself off in astonishment as the monster stopped in front of the boy.

"They're with me!" The boy yelled, unwavering in the face of the towering beast.

The Badgermole suddenly became hesitant, taking a step back before growling at Inko and Hisashi again.

"GO AWAY!" Izuku screamed, stomping the ground and creating a small earthquake for good measure.

The Badgermole then turned tail, leaving the small family alone.

Both adults clutched their racing hearts in relief now that it was over. "Sorry about that," Izuki apologized in the name of the Badgermole, "That's why I didn't want to bring you here. I was afraid that they might attack you."

"A valid reason..." Hisashi whispered, still reeling from the experience.

Luckily, after that, no other animal disturbed them as they made their way through the cave. They soon entered the small tunnel Izuku pointed to earlier, descending deeper underground.

On the other side of the tunnel, they found a large grotto about the size of their apartment building. No natural light from crystals illuminated the space before them, forcing the Midoriya's to use their flashlights in order to see anything. Boring gray rocks formed the walls and ceiling of the chamber, claw marks evident on their surface and a clear indication the space was dug out. The ground here was brown and dead, its texture flaky as it crumbed between Izuku's bare toes.

Aside from them, only one living being was present inside the cave. A Badgermole, about half the size of the one that almost attacked the boy's parent. It laid on the ground at the back end of the cave, seemingly staring at a patch of ground in longing.

"Mom? Dad?" Izuku whispered, "Can you watch over Mimi for me?"

The two nodded, unsure of what their child wanted to do, but nonetheless taking the small rabbit from him.

They remained in place with Mimi in Inko's arms as their son walked deeper into the dead cave, coming closer and closer to the laying Badgermole.

"Hi, Chima…" Izuku said once he got close enough, sitting beside the large animal and bringing his knees to his chest. "How are you feeling?"

The Badgermole didn't respond, not showcasing any sign he had even heard the boy. Chima just kept his focus on the patch of earth in front of him, absently treading the clay-soil with his paws. That patch he was staring at stuck out from the rest of the grotto's floor. It was a bit uneven, the topsoil less compact, and gravel that was supposed to be on a lower lair could be found on the surface.

The boy didn't need his seismic sense to know what was buried there; Nor had he needed to be here when they lowered the bodies.

He brushed a hand through the fur on top of Chima's head, frowning a bit at all the dust it had kicked into the air once he made contact.

That didn't stop him from stroking, though. He made sure to keep physical contact with Chima.

The youngling remained unresponsive, staring into nothing and everything at the same time.

Behind them, with nothing to do, Inko and Hisashi swayed their flashlight back and forth like spotlights in boredom, illuminating different parts of the dull grotto.

On of these rays of light grazed past Chima's left paw. That was when Izuku saw it. Stretched across the appendage was a scar, a violent red clashing against pale pink.

It was another parament reminder of that night three weeks ago, joined by the one hidden under a compression sleeve on Izuku's left forearm.

Instinctively, the boy stretched out his hand and touched the scar, a throb going through the one he had in sympathy.

That action got through to Chima.

The Badgermole jolted in place, unable to ignore the touch on the sensitive skin. He whipped his head to growl at the offender, only to have his snout tackled into a hug by a familiar boy.

Chima yelped in surprise. He didn't notice Izuku was there.

In fact, he didn't pay much attention to anything at all these past three weeks. All he did was lay there, in the dark, his mind blank and devoid of thought.

Pearly tears drifted down his snout, whether they were his or Izuku's didn't matter. He only cared about the warmth he now felt, the first speck of it since that night.

"I missed you Chima…" The boy whispered into his forehead, still hugging him with all the strength he had.

"Let's get out of here," Izuku told him, a forced but genuine smile on his face, "You can't just stay cooped up in here forever."

The two turned to leave; Chima only now noticing the two people at the grotto's entrance, before getting stopped abruptly by Izuku.

"Wait!" He called, "I almost forgot!"

Turning back to the unmarked graves, Izuku squatted down and placed a palm to the ground. Under his command, the grainy and flaky earth compressed into itself, creating a solid slab that the boy swiftly picked up and planted firmly into the ground.

After one final check to make sure it won't topple, Izuku traced the slab with a finger, leaving behind indents as he went.

"Okay! I'm done." he proclaimed after a minute or two. He then joined a perplexed Chima, the two now making their way back to the grotto's entrance, "Now, I need to introduce you to someone!"

The slab of the Earth was soon left behind by itself in the darkness of the grotto, an unreadable inscription left with it:

Anakoro & Koguma

BOOK ONE: THE END

結束