Izuku couldn't remember what he was doing the last time he was awake. Everything was a blur. He couldn't make out what he was dreaming about. But whatever it was, it couldn't be something good. He remembered that his mother was..injured, and then, everything blacked out.

What caused the injury? Or rather, who?

Try as he might, but even with the extensive effort that he had put into recalling the events that happened prior to his hospitalisation..

What happened...?

He moved his gaze onto his hands. What he saw was disconcerting. His knuckles were bruised. It hurt. Felt like he had just rammed his hand straight through concrete.

He needed to get out of here, but he could hardly move. His rib was straining him, betraying his will to bring himself up from the bed.

Broken ribcage. That's a new one. I wonder, what else...?

He tried to scout for other possible injuries, but he was none-the-wiser. It seems that he had sustained a mild injury to the ribs.

Then..

Mom!

He had to move. He had to check on her. He had to know if she was okay.

Then, a doctor opened the door to his room. As he closed it, he approached the ailed boy, "How are you feeling, Midoriya-san?"

"...What happened?" Izuku decided to cut to the chase, "My mom, where is she?"

"She's okay, of that, I can assure you." The doctor said, sitting besides the bed, "Did you remember anything that happened right before you passed out, Midoriya-san?"

"I... don't."

The doctor frowned, "You don't?"

"I don't. Really."

"Mild amnesia, perhaps?" The doctor inquired.

"Doctor, I need to see my mom." Izuku insisted, every inch of his desire to recover permeated at the thought of his mother, "Please."

But his pleas were in vain. The doctor said, "Your mother is undergoing an extensive surgery as we speak, it would be preferable if you stayed put and didn't disrupt the procedure."

"Surgery- What?"

"It was... I'm sorry to say this, but it is possible that your mom will be permanently paralysed."

Izuku's expression was pale. He couldn't comprehend the thought of seeing his mother in that state. All because of...

All because of...!

"What happened to her?" Izuku said, his voice inciting an unbridled rage underneath.

"Young Midori-"

"Tell me." Izuku insisted, his jaw clenched, "What- no, who did this?"

"If you don't remember, it's best if you were to stay th-"

"TELL ME." Izuku's roared, his eyes blazing with uncontained indignation.

...

"Bakugo. Bakugo Katsuki." The doctor finally conceded.

"K- Kacchan?" Some of the hazy memories that had been locked way began to resurface themselves, "Wha..but.."

"It was over a disagreement between the both of them. Though she could've given it a much softer approach, I suppose I can't blame her for being angry, given how much of an abrasive brat Bakugo is," The doctor scoffed, "Can you imagine? He didn't even want to be treated. He insisted on recovering all by himself. A tough nut to crack, that boy."

Izuku's eyes widened, his mind processing the information. Then, he noticed one crucial piece.

Bakugo is in this hospital.

But he was recovering from what, exactly?

"What happened next?"

"...I don't even want to tell you."

"Doctor, please." Izuku pleaded, "What happened?"

The doctor looked unsure. On one side, he looked like he thought Izuku deserved to at least know parts of the truth, but on the other...

He also looked rather conflicted, whatever it was about.

Izuku clenched his fists, gripping the fabric of the bed he was laying on, "Doctor."

Then, it was at this time that the doctor faltered from keeping his stand, finally revealing the truth, "Midoriya, you might not like hearing this but, you-"

Unfortunate enough, he was interrupted by a person entering the room. He turned around only to see a man of tall stature with a black hair and somewhat rectangular eyes. He was wearing formal clothes, befitting of a detective.

"Ah, Detective Tsukauchi. I would be honored to have you as our guest, but I must ask, why are you here?" The doctor asked, "Don't you deal with the more critical cases? This-"

"With all due respect, doctor, a detective of my caliber is eligible enough to deal with this case." Tsukauchi interrupted, "Is he ready for questioning? Or do I have to wait?"

"He isn't undergoing any form of surgical process right now, so, yes." The doctor nodded. Detective Tsukauchi then gestured to the door.

A scrawny man who looked like he hasn't eaten for a long time entered the room, his sunken, blue eyes spoke of weariness, "Pardon for our intrusion, doctor, but we really need to question the young boy."

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but, to what end, exactly? This is no villain case. It's just one of those cases where arguments tend to go south." The doctor asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Detective Tsukauchi didn't answer, much to the doctor's displeasure. He then sighed, conceding his pursue to decipher their motives, however vague they may be, "Ah, I suppose I can't begrudge you on your little 'mission'. My apologies, I will be leaving this room shortly."

As he exited the room, Izuku was left under the care of these...

Whoever they are.

Shame. He was so close to finding out about the truth, but perhaps they can fill him in. Even if it's partially the truth.

"Young Midoriya," It was the scrawny man's turn to speak, "We apologise for coming on such a short notice, but what happened to you is.."

"And what exactly happened?" Izuku demanded one more time.

"We will get to that, but first, I need to ask you this: Did you remember any of the events that happened prior to your blackout?" Tsukauchi asked.

"No. I don't. Maybe parts of it, sure, like the fact that my mom is injured, but now that I find out that Bakugo is the one who caused it in the first place, I.." Izuku trailed off, not finding the right words to describe what he was going to do.

To Bakugo, particularly. The primal rage inside of him was burning.

"So you only remember..partially?" Tsukauchi asked again."

"Yes."

Truth.

Tsukauchi looked at the scrawny man, as they nodded at each other.

Izuku raised his brow, but he kept it locked inside.

"What did you feel right before you passed out?" The scrawny man asked.

"I remember feeling...angry? Resentful?" Izuku asked, looking at his hands, "...vengeful."

"Vengeful?"

"Yes." Izuku said, clenching his fist, "I think... it's coming back to me."

Tsukauchi eyed him in intrigue. Izuku then spoke again, "I remember feeling so much..rage. I remember wanting to bash that bastard's skull in, and...and I did..." Izuku found himself petrified at the thought of it alone.

Everything was hazy. Trying to remember is as easy as trying to slip through a narrow space. He found himself pushing, and pushing, and pushing...

...

"I almost killed him." Izuku said, his face scrunching at the sudden revelation, "I almost...I- I almost.."

The heartbeat monitor besides him began to beep rapidly. Tsukauchi went to his side, "Breathe with me, Midoriya. Everything's alright."

"It's not.. It's not! I almost.." Izuku's eyes closed, holding the burning tears that threatened to squeeze through his eyelids, "And my mom.. It's no excuse..It wasn't...!"

"Young man!" The scrawny man went to his aid, "Please, calm yourself! Tsukauchi, get him some water!"

The detective was about to comply when something interrupted him.

Izuku's mind gave up. His hands limply fell into the edge of the bedroom, dangling freely above it.

All that remained was darkness.

...

His mom was laying on the sidewalk, her spine fractured.

Izuku went for the blow, hitting Bakugo straight in the jaw. Naturally, Bakugo took the hit head-on, before going in with an attack of his own. An explosion emitted from his palm bruised the left side of Izuku's ribcage.

But Izuku was relentless. He kept pushing through the pain, enduring as Bakugo mercilessly spewed his explosions towards his direction.

"What the hell. DID YOU DO?!" Izuku threw a violent punch into Bakugo's cheek, splintering his bones. It was stronger than it naturally was. But that fact alone didn't phase him.

"It..It wasn't on purpose, you fucking idiot!" Bakugo screamed back, ready to defend himself at a moment's notice, "I..I...I was..!"

"And that somehow justifies your fucking outburst!?" Izuku yelled back, "You self-absorbed, ego-inflated, twisted scumbag!"

Bakugo lunged at him, but Izuku ducked under the trajectory, delivering a consecutive amount of hits right into his left cheek, his ribs, and his chest, disorienting him. He was inhumanely fast. Faster than he's ever been.

Bakugo tried to retaliate even further, but Izuku charged forward, slamming his face into the ground with his palm, creating a crevice that extends upwardly. Izuku began to pound on him, his next hit harder than the previous.

"She's all I have!"

With every hit, Izuku's voice began to crack down, just as Bakugo's consciousness began to wear out.

"AND IF YOU TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME..!"

Just as Izuku was about to deliver another blow, he saw that Bakugo had already lost his consciousness. He stopped, retracting his fists.

His eyes fluttered, his mind felt heavy. Then, he collapsed on top of the unconscious boy.

Darkness reigned on his vision.