To say that Izuku Midoriya was anxious would be a complete understatement.
The green-haired teen had been standing in front of the door to his home for about 10 minutes straight, unable to move a single inch.
Although it wasn't that he didn't want to go inside, he was unsure if he'd be able to face the person he'd inevitably have to see.
'... I-I can't move... M-My legs are still shaking...' He mentally commented in anxiety, 'I don't know if I can face her...'
Sure, her texting him proved that she was still willing to talk to him, but he was still anxious nonetheless.
How could he even face her? He pretty much unfairly blew up in her face just for being worried about him, even though that was her job as a mother, and ran out.
Maybe he should just walk away and never come ba-
SMACK!
'No! I can't keep running away from my problems like a coward!' He scolded himself with a hard smack, 'If I don't tackle them head-on, then I won't ever be able to grow stronger...!'
Plus, even though they hadn't seen each other for just a day, he really did miss being with his mom...
With his resolve now strengthened, the greenette calmed himself with a deep breath and placed his hand on the doorknob before finally opening the door and entering his home before he could get cold feet.
As soon as he got inside, the first thing that greeted him was his anxious mother sat at the dining table, twiddling her thumbs.
Her eyes darted towards his figure, and they slightly widened in a mixture of surprise and relief.
"I-Izuku...?" She silently uttered his name.
"U-Uhhh... Hey, mom..." He sheepishly greeted as he rubbed his hair and averted her gaze before pulling out his phone, "... I-I got your text earlier. Y-You said you wanted to talk...?"
"...Y-Yes. I did." She confirmed before looking a bit downcast, "... But, if you still don't want to see me then-"
"N-No no no, it's fine!" He hastily assured her, "I-I actually wanted to speak with you too."
His assurance surprised her, but she was slightly relieved nonetheless.
"O-Okay... Then, do you mind sitting down...?" She asked.
"N-Not at all." He replied as he took a seat opposite her at the dining table before a brief silence overtook the atmosphere.
'... I'm getting a bit of déjà vu here...' He thought to himself.
"Izuku..."
"... Y-Yeah?" He responded a bit apprehensively.
"I've been thinking about our conversation from yesterday, and what you said during our argument..." She revealed somberly.
He stayed silent but listened attentively as she spoke.
"... And I think you're right."
"Huh?!" Izuku uttered in shock, not expecting her to say that at all.
"I haven't been supportive to you at all..." She stated in a solemn tone, "I should have broken the news to you lightly and talked to you about it... But instead, I just pulled you out of U.A and told you my decision without even giving you a choice."
'Wuh... What is she saying...?' He mentally asked in near catatonia as he watched her tremble.
"... I'm supposed to be the one person in your life that supports you no matter what you do and yet I haven't put any faith in you or your dream despite knowing how much it means to you..." Inko was starting to tear up as she continued to berate herself, "I-I've been a terrible mom, and I'm sure you think the same..."
... He couldn't listen to this anymore.
"... I-I asked you to come home so I could tell you that... I-I'm so-"
"Stop!"
"A-Ah?!" Inko was startled by his sudden intervention, "I-Izu-?"
"Stop that..." Midoriya seriously demanded, "What the heck are you saying...? What the heck are you saying sorry for? The only person who should be giving an apology here is me!" He exclaimed.
"H-Huh?" The older Midoriya widened her eyes, "But, Izu-"
"No, mom." He cut her off and closed his eyes, "It's the truth..."
He opened his eyes and gained a remorseful expression as he went on.
"You didn't do anything wrong... At the end of the day, you were just doing your job as a mother, which is to look out for your son and protect him. You didn't want to see me throw myself into a career that would inevitably lead me to an early death. Anyone would understand that." He looked down in regret, "And yet I blew up at you like a child and ran off to have a temper tantrum..."
The teen clenched his fists on his lap, signifying his anger at his own actions, "I felt so bad when I realized what I did. It made me feel like a total jerk, which I was..." He insulted himself, "I almost ruined our relationship just because I was too stubborn to face a reality that's been in front of my eyes for so long... I was afraid that you'd never want to speak to me again after our fight..."
The last part visibly shocked Inko, "W-What...??" She gasped, "Izuku... I... I'd never stop talking to you...!"
"I know that but... M-My mind was just being plagued by a lot of negative thoughts... I was too angry and too miserable to think clearly..." He looked his mother in the eyes with a serious gaze, "... But I'm not here to make excuses for how I acted. I want to make things right between us... So I'll do it the only way I know how..."
"W-What do you mea-?"
The older Midoriya's confusion was replaced by surprise when Izuku suddenly got up from his seat and got to his knees before bowing to the floor right in front of her in the dogeza position, which shocked her.
"I-Izuku?!"
"I'm sorry, mom."
"Ah?" Inko was caught off guard.
"I'm sorry for lashing out at you last night... And I apologize for being an ungrateful son..." The younger Midoriya apologized with closed eyes.
"You aren't a terrible mom, you're far from it! A terrible mom wouldn't have been able to singlehadedly raise me and support the both of us all on her own!" He fervently stated, "All the comics I have, all the video games I have, all my All Might merchandise...? I only own those things because you're the one who used your money to buy them for me!"
"Almost everyone disregards or pays no attention to me just because I don't have a quirk... But not you!" He reminded her, "When you found out I was quirkless, you didn't ignore me or abandon me unlike him... But you kept on taking care of me and showing me affection because I'm your son... And if it weren't for all the love and support you've shown me over the years... I-I would have probably been even more miserable..." He quietly uttered as he started to tear up.
His mother could only listen to him go on as she stared at him in disbelief.
"I'm sorry for making you feel like you weren't good enough because of my own insecurities... You're the best mom that anyone could ask for, and I sincerely appreciate everything you've done for me... I... I love you, mom!" He shakily declared, "So please..."
The teen finally raised his head, revealing a tearful expression on his face.
"Please forgive me!" He pleaded.
By the end of his speech, Inko was left utterly speechless. The passion in Izuku's words and his apology had filled her with great befuddlement, as evident by her wide eyes.
Eventually, she was able to fully take in his words, and she began to tear up herself.
"O-Oh, Izuku..."
The older Midoriya suddenly rushed toward her son and hugged him as hard as she could.
"No matter what happens between us, you're still my bundle of joy...! There's nothing you could ever do that would make me stop loving you...!" Inko tearfully declared.
"I know you'll insist you were the only one that was out of line last night, but I still could have handled it better too rather than reminding you of how you don't have a quirk and making it seem like I had no faith in you." She still took some of the blame before separating and looking her son in the eyes, "I forgive you, Izuku... And I'm sorry... Do you think you can forgive me too...?"
Izuku still wanted to argue that she shouldn't be apologizing since only he was in the wrong, but he knew his mother wouldn't budge on her stance, so he offered her a tearful smile to signify his relief at her own forgiveness.
"Of course, mom... I forgive you too..."
His response made his mom gain her own tearful smile, and she hugged him once again, which he had no problem reciprocating.
"Thank you, Izu..." She quietly thanked him.
"No. Thank you, mom... Thank you so much..." He replied in gratitude. He truly did miss his mother despite it not being a full day that he hadn't seen her, and from how tightly she held him, she clearly shared the feeling.
The mother and son stayed in their current position for a while as they silently cried in each other's arms, feeling immense happiness at their successful reconciliation. It seemed no matter what happened between the Midoriyas, their maternal bond was too deep to be broken.
They eventually separated and wiped their respective tears.
"*Sigh* I've been almost restless amd worried since last night... I really needed this." Inko commented with a soft smile.
"Y-Yeah, same here..." Izuku agreed with a small chuckle, rubbing his eyes, "I'm glad we were able to patch things up."
"I feel the exact same." Inko agreed, "I'm also glad you were willing to come see me after I asked you to."
"Well, you're still my mom." The younger Midoriya stated with a smirk, "I could never ignore a call from you no matter how angry or spiteful I get."
His comment made her giggle as she hugged him again.
"I'm so blessed to have such a kind son." She stated.
"I got it from the best." He replied with a grin, making her laugh a little as they separated and got up from the ground.
"Well then, now that we've put last night's events behind us, I think it's best we end the night with a nice mother and son dinner!" Inko exclaimed, "And I'll be sure to make your beloved Katsudon too!"
"Now that I can get behind!" Izuku enthusiastically agreed.
Inko chuckled at her son's eagerness to eat his favorite food that she was all too familiar with and moved to the kitchen.
"I'll make sure this is a very good one for you then." Inko figured as she gathered the cooking supplies and ingredients, "After all, I'm sure you were feeling pretty hungry while you were out."
"Heh, not really." Izuku answered, "I actually grabbed some lunch after I-"
The greenette slowly trailed off as his eyes suddenly widened.
"After you what, Izu?" His mom asked, still focused on preparing dinner.
He didn't hear her, however, as a certain fact that he had forgotten about just came back to him.
'I totally forgot... She doesn't know about my new superpowers!' He realized.
The teen had been so caught up in reconciling with his mom that he had forgotten to address his recent development involving his new meta-ability!
'Crap...! S-Should I tell her...?? Can I tell her...?! H-How would she even react?!' He mentally debated over telling his mom about it or not.
He wasn't sure if she'd react positively to him suddenly gaining a "quirk' out of nowhere. There's no doubt that she'd be emotional, but still! Not to mention that she'd probably try to take him to doctor after his revelation, which would only further complicate things! Although, if he told her about what actually led to him getting his powers, there's no doubt she'd either get a heart attack or ground him for life! He didn't want to potentially upset after they literally just made up! What should he do??!
Before he could mentally panic any further, the teen shook his head to block out his nervous thoughts.
'Okay, let's calm the heck down here for a sec...' He instructed himself. Asking himself questions he didn't have the answers to wouldn't get him anywhere. He had to think rationally about this.
'Hiding it from her is obviously a no-go since she'd have to know about it before I can enroll in U.A, and I definitely can't tell her about what went down at the docks...' The teen mentally weighed up his options, 'So I guess that leaves me with no other option than...'
It looks like he'd have to resort to his last choice...
"U-Uhh, mom?" He called out.
"What is it, sweetie?" His mother responded from the kitchen.
"Do you mind giving me your attention for a sec...?" He awkwardly requested, "T-There's actually something important I have to tell you..."
"Hm?" His mother turned to look at him, signifying that he caught her attention, "How important is it?"
"Um... Really really important." He emphasized with his hands, "Like... Seriously, important..."
"Oh..." Inko uttered in slight surprise at the urgency in his tone, "... Okay then."
She couldn't help but be a bit confused and concerned by his statement, but nonetheless, she placed the pot she was about to use on the kitchen table and moved to meet Izuku in the living room.
"What exactly is it that you want to tell me, Izu?" She asked curiously, "Is something wrong?"
The aforementioned teen took a deep breath to mentally prepare himself.
'Here goes nothing...'
"O-Okay, so... You remember how I ran off after our argument last night, right?" He reminded her.
This caused his mom to sigh, "Izuku-"
"I-I know you don't want to talk about that again but just hear me out!" He hastily pleaded, raising his hands in defense.
His mother was still a bit uneasy but she relented nevertheless and nodded for him to continue, which made him sigh in relief.
"Okay, so... You already know that I was pretty much feeling angry and sorry for myself..." Izuku jogged her memory once again before sheepishly looking away, "But, the thing is... I-I haven't exactly told you about what else happened to me while I was out there..."
"What else happened?" Inko repeated in confusion before she suddenly became alarmed, "W-What do you mean...?? Are you alright, baby?!"
"I'm fine! I'm fine! It's not that serious!" He hurriedly assured her, "W-Well, I-I mean... it is, but, not in a bad way, o-or at least that's how I see it... I-I mean, i-it's a pretty big deal, but not too much of a big deal... A-Actually, wait, no, it's a really big deal, b-but I assure you it's not something you need to worry about! If anything, it's a very positive development, so you don't have to-!"
"Izuku, dear." Inko awkwardly uttered his name, snapping him out of his rambling, "You're muttering."
"Shoot! S-Sorry, mom..." The teen sheepishly apologized, rubbing his head like he usually does whenever his mom witnesses his habit of murmuring.
"It's fine, dear." She assured him with a comforting smile, "Just, take your time and tell me what it is you want to tell me. I'll listen, no matter what."
Hearing that slightly calmed the greenette's rapid heartrate, so he went on with his revelation.
"Okay... So like I was saying..." He got back on track, "When I ran out of the house, I couldn't help but focus on all of my negative thoughts..."
"I got so angry and bitter about my own hopelessness that I started ranting to myself like a lunatic..." He stated solemnly, "... And at some point, I smashed my fist into a wall." He stated, causing Inko to wince in concern.
"But I was so caught up in my emotions that I didn't realize there just so happened to be an electrical panel on that wall..." The teen then scrunched his face to sell the story, "A-And I kind of, sort of... gotelectrocuted." He said the last statement in such a haste.
However, that didn't stop his mom from hearing exactly what he said.
"WHAT?!!" She exclaimed with bug-wide eyes.
"J-Just calm down!" Izuku frantically tried to calm her down, "I told you that I'm fine!"
"What do you mean you're fine??!!" Inko asked him as if he were crazy, "You came in contact with an electrical panel barehanded!"
"But I'm still alive, aren't I?" He countered, "How come I'm still standing after having an electric current pass through my body?"
His question caused the woman to halt her worry-induced hysteria and digest his point.
"I... I guess I can't argue with your logic there..." She conceded, slightly calming down, "I suppose when you touched that panel, you thankfully only received a tiny shock rather than getting electrocuted." She figured with a sigh of relief.
"... W-Well, that's what I thought too at first." The younger Midoriya sheepishly began, causing Inko to look confused, "But, when I tried to assess my body for any damages... U-Uh..."
"This happened..." He finished before closing his eyes.
Inko's confusion only furthered as she stared at her son, who had his fists clenched as if he were preparing to do something big.
"Uhm, Izu...?" She called out in uncertainty, "What are you do-?"
Her question died in her throat and her confusion quickly transformed into shock when electricity suddenly started crackling around her son.
The teen generated a modest amount of electrical energy that was a bit weaker than the amount he emitted in the morning so he could not only safely demonstrate his electromagnetism to his mother but also avoid causing an accidental power outage in the living room. No matter how strong or weak the display was, the fact that he had a superpower at all was still flooring his mom, judging by her gobsmacked expression.
After a few seconds of demonstrating, the greenette decided it was enough and deactivated his spark show. He opened his eyes to see the bewildered expression on his mom's face, which he expected.
"S-So uh... Surprise!" He finally exclaimed with a sheepish grin and dramatically raised his hands, "My quirk manifested!" He finished with an awkward chuckle.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Mom?"
"..."
Izuku received no response as his mother continued to stare at him while being comically frozen in place, and it was starting to worry him. He had expected her to almost immediately start freaking out over him having a 'quirk', not stiffen up and gape at him like a fish.
'Well this sure isn't the reaction I was expecting...'
"U-Uhhh, mom...?" He unnervingly called out, "... Errr, Hello...? A-Are you o-?"
The greenette let out a sound of shock when his mother's eyes suddenly rolled to the back of her head and she began to faint, falling flat on her back. Out of instinct, Izuku shot an electric bolt toward his mom thankfully kept her suspended.
"Phew!" He uttered in relief while putting a hand over his heart, "That was close..."
'... I-I honestly should've expected a reaction like this...' He awkwardly remarked with a sweatdrop.
It was then that he realized his mother was still out cold and didn't seem to be in pain despite being engulfed in electrical energy.
"Huh... It seems like I can use my levitation on people too without electrocuting them." He noted in surprise, "Well, that's good to know, I guess..."
He floated his mother's unconscious body to the couch with both hands and gently laid her down.
'There we go.' The teen mentally sighed before sitting next to his mom, 'I should probably wait for her to wake back up.'
'... It might take a bit long, though.' He commented before smirking, 'So maybe in the meantime...'
A small groan could be heard as a Inko Midoriya finally came to.
"Mmm..."
The middle-aged woman stirred from her spot on the couch as she slowly opened her eyes.
"Huh...?" She quietly uttered as she gazed at the ceiling.
The sound of pages being turned suddenly filled her ears, and she slightly shifted to see her son sitting next to her on the floor while also being deeply engrossed in a certain comic book.
"Izuku?" She called out.
The teen immediately closed his comic at the mentioning of his name and rushed to his mother.
"Mom, you're finally awake!" He beamed.
"It would appear so..." She replied as she sat up and rubbed her eyes, "But that's strange. As far as I remember, one moment we're having a conversation and then all of a sudden I fall asleep out of nowhere. Was I really that tired?" She wondered.
"M-Maybe so, maybe not." Izuku awkwardly chuckled as he knew the real reason for her sudden slumber, "All that matters is you're awake now."
"Hmm... What's even more strange is the odd dream I had." She commented.
"... What was it about...?"
"Well, I don't remember too much of it..." She stated as she thought deeply, "But what I do remember is that you somehow manifested your quirk despite not having one for all these years..." She revealed, sounding a bit dejected at the reminder of her son's status.
To her surprise, however, Izuku suddenly started to chuckle.
"Huh? Izu?" The older Midoriya looked at him in confusion.
"Yeahhh, about that..." The teen couldn't help but smirk at the stunned expression on his mom's face as he used his levitation to place his comic book on the table, "That wasn't a dream."
'Hopefully, she gives a reaction that doesn't involve fainti-'
"W-Woah!"
The greenette was greatly taken aback when his mother suddenly rushed over with speeds that would put All Might to shame and hugged the bejesus out of him.
"Ohmygoshitwasn'tadreamafterall! You have a quirk!" Inko enthusiastically cheered, "My baby has a quirk!"
"Y-Yeah, I really do!" He affirmed with a pained chuckle, "A-Also, I'm kinda losing oxygen here!" He all but wheezed, alerting his mom.
"Oh! S-Sorry about that, dear!" She frantically apologized after immediately getting off of him, allowing to him to catch his breath.
"It's alright. I'm good." He assured her with a smile.
This wasn't the first time his mother had given him a bone-crushing, so he was able to quickly recover.
"Thank goodness." She sighed in relief before reverting to her cheerful state, "But more importantly, you've finally got your quirk, Izuku! I'm so happy for you, I can hardly contain myself! I almost can't believe it!"
He lightly laughed at her comment.
"I couldn't believe it myself either." The teen admitted as he rubbed at his hair, "But with the proof right in front of me, I couldn't deny the undeniable truth." He remarked as he generated some electricity in his hand.
"Not like I'd want to deny it though. I was actually really excited when I discovered my quirk!" He "revealed" with a wide grin.
A part of him felt pretty guilty knowing that he was hiding the truth about his meta-ability from his mother, but he couldn't take any risks. Plus, her cheerfulness was way too sweet to be shattered.
"Even though I wasn't there to witness it, I can already imagine you bouncing with joy like a toddler again." Inko stated with a giggle.
Then, an important question popped up in her mind.
"Oh! So, do you know what exactly your quirk is, sweetie?" The woman asked curiously, "From what I've seen, it must have something to do with electricity, am I right?"
"Well, sort of." He answered, "I think the name for my quirk is Electromagnetism."
"Electromagnetism?" She repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah. See, when I was trying to figure out how I was left unharmed after touching that electrical panel, I realized that I had absorbed its electrical energy, and before I knew it, I suddenly started emitting a crazy amount of electricity from my body, like what you saw earlier." The boy explained, "That's when I figured out that I had the ability to generate my own electricity."
"And earlier this morning when I went to go freshen up in the restroom, most of the electrical devices in the room started running without me even touching them, and some of them even started floating towards me like I was a magnet." He added, "All of this led to my conclusion that Electrokinesis and Mechanokinesis are part of my list of abilities."
"..."
"I-It means I can create electricity and operate electronic devices just by touching them." He clarified.
"Oh! T-That makes sense..." Inko uttered in understanding.
"Anyways... After I took note and factored all of my abilities, it led to my deduction that I can manipulate electrically charged particles." Izuku stated as if he were a university professor, "And since the entire concept of Electromagnetism deals with the physical interaction among electrically charged particles, magnetic moments, and electromagnetic fields, it'd only be natural to assume that that's my quirk. Hence the name, Electromagnetism." He finished off.
By the end of his explanation, his mom was staring at him in awe.
Since he was born, Izuku had always shown himself to be a smart kid with an inquisitive nature, a fact she got to know very well as she raised him over the years... but the levels of intellect he displayed sometimes seemed like they were beyond that of a mere kid.
... Well, he wasn't one of the smartest kids in his class for nothing.
"W-Wow, Izu... Well color me impressed...!" She praised him with a smile, "After hearing all of that, maybe we don't even need to have your quirk examined by a doctor."
The younger greenette had to force himself not to visibly react after her comment made him remember his visit to the doctor's office.
"U-Uhh, actually, we don't really need to have it examined, if you think about it..."
"Huh?" Inko was caught off guard by his statement, "Wait, you don't want to have your quirk inspected, Izuku?"
"I-I mean, you've seen for yourself that I already have a pretty good grasp on my quirk and it's various aspects, mom." He awkwardly reasoned, "Sooo, wouldn't that make consulting a doctor kind of pointless, heh heh?" He sheepishly grinned with an awkward shrug.
"... But, wouldn't it be safer to have your quirk examined professionally?" Inko asked, "It's not that I don't trust you, honey, but still, better safe than sorry."
"Y-Yeah, I-I get that but, uhh..." The teen trailed off as he began to sweat a bit
'Crud... If I can't come up with a convincing argument then it'll only be a matter of time before mom takes to a doctor and finds out that I'm somehow still quirkless!' He mentally panicked, 'Come on, brain... Think of something! Anything!'
If only there was physical evidence he could display to his mom that could undoubtedly prove he's better-suited at analyzing his "quirk" than any doctor-
Wait...
"THAT'S IT!"
"W-What?!" Inko nearly had a heart attack at her son's sudden outburst.
"Just give me a second, mom!" Izuku requested before suddenly dashing toward his room, leaving behind a stupefied Inko.
"*Sigh* That boy..." Inko shook her head as she calmed herself down from the sudden scare.
She didn't need to wait long as Izuku almost immediately rushed back into the living room, holding what appeared to be a notebook and a pen.
"Here!" He offered the notebook to his mom with a confident grin, "If this doesn't convince you then I don't know what else will!"
Inko accepted the book and glanced at the cover before blinking in recognition.
"Is this one of your hero notebooks?" She mentioned as she read the title on the cover, 'Hero Analysis for the Future No.13.'
Now here's a fun fact. Apart from playing video games and reading comics, one of Izuku's favorite activities since childhood was analyzing pro heroes and their quirks when they're in action and jotting down his observations in a series of notebooks he dubbed the 'Hero Analysis for the Future.' At first, it was just a hobby he picked up to distract himself from his quirkless hellhole of a life, but at some point, he realized he could use them as an aspect of heroics training, and he dedicated a lot of his time to adding new entries, which slowly became his a passion of his.
"Yeah!" Izuku confirmed as she opened it, "You've seen for yourself that I'm seriously into analyzing heroes, and I don't mean to toot my own horn but the observations I've written down are incredibly detailed and precise! Not to mention that they've gotten even better over the years!"
"So if I'm great at examining the quirks of heroes, then wouldn't that make me suitable to examine my own?" He questioned.
Honestly, his reasoning was very sound, and glancing through the contents of his notebook was only proving his points to Inko. His observations were indeed very in-depth and proved he had a good understanding of other quirks. She was undoubtedly impressed...
But still a bit hesitant.
"Mmnnn... I-I don't know, Izu..." She sheepishly gazed to the side. Although, it was clear to her son that he was starting to win her over, so he just needed to give her one final push.
"Besides, if you leave the quirk analysis to me, you wouldn't have to book another examination, which would save you money!" He pointed out, "Sure, it's not like we're broke or anything... but still!"
"... You're not wrong." Inko couldn't argue with that, "The cost of your examination was quite pricey..."
"Exactly!" Izuku exclaimed, "I'm not just suggesting this for myslef, but to take stress off your shoulders too. It'll be beneficial to both of us!"
"Come on, mom. Pleeease...??" He gazed at her with puppy eyes as he pleaded with clasped hands.
The older Midoriya felt her resistances slowly crumble as she took in her son's points, not to mention how much he looked like a cute puppy begging for treat, and before she knew it, she eventually gave in.
"*Sigh* Okay, Izu. I'll leave it to you." She conceded with a smile.
'Yes!' Izuku mentally shouted, fist pumping at his success, "Thanks, mom! And don't worry. I promise to be safe and not do anything too drastic or detrimental to my wellneing."
'At least not yet...'
"That's all I ask." Inko accepted with immense gratitude, "But if you ever change your mind, don't hesitate to let me know. Okay, dear?" She seriously advised.
"Of course." Izuku nodded, knowing damn well he was definitely not going to change his mind.
Inko nodded, satisfied by his compliance, and handed him back his notebook.
"So, are you ready to get registered tomorrow, honey?" She asked, much to Izuku's confusion.
"Registered?" The freckled teen repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"Well obviously you'll have to get your quirk registered now that it's manifested, silly." She lightly teased.
"Oh!" He slightly jumped in realization before becoming a bit embarrassed, "U-Uh, yeah! Of course! The earlier the better, right??"
"Mhm." Inko nodded before smiling coyly, "After all, it wouldn't make sense for your U.A. application sheet to have you listed as quirkless anymore, would it?"
"Eh- My application sheet...?" Izuku repeated in confusion before what she said slowly registered, causing him to widen his eyes, "Wait... H-Hold on... A-Are you saying-?!"
"I know what you're thinking, dear... And the answer is yes." She confirmed his unfinished question before gaining an enthusiastic grin, "I'm allowing you to go to U.A.!"
The younger Midoriya almost dropped his jaw in pure disbelief after hearing his mother's sudden decision.
"You... N-No way... A-Are you serious?!!" He barely got out.
She simply nodded, stunning him even further.
"I-I... Um... N-Not that I'm not happy to hear that or anything... I mean, I definitely am." He assured, "But I have to ask, why are you suddenly changing your decision?"
"Well..." Inko adopted a serene expression as she began, "To tell you truth, dear... Even before you came back home, I was considering allowing you to attend U.A." She revealed.
If Izuku wasn't already shocked, then his mom's current revelation definitely finished the job.
"What?! S-Seriously??"
"Yes." She confirmed, "Like I said before, it wasn't right for me to just dump my decision on you without giving you a choice. The last thing I'd ever want to do is make it seem like I have no faith in you..."
"Mom..." The teen whispered somberly.
"I knew how much you wanted to attend that school, and that I should at least give you the benefit of the doubt... I was fully willing to put my trust in you and let you try." She stated, "... But I would be lying if I said the mother in me wasn't still making me uncertain."
Izuku definitely understood that. After all, worrying is part of a mother's job.
"Even if you do successfully make it into U.A., it still doesn't change the fact that training to be a hero, and being a hero in general, can be dangerous... Especially when you don't have a quirk." She reminded him, "If I allowed you to go to that school, I'd be giving you the chance to effectively chase your dream, but at the same I'd also be intentionally putting your life at risk... I wasn't sure if the decision I was contemplating was right..."
The somber expression on her face was then replaced by a soft smile, and she looked her son in the eye.
"But now, my mind is officially made up." She confidently declared.
"A-And why's that?" The teen couldn't help but ask.
"Because you have a quirk now, sweetie." She answered, "After all this time, you've been given a chance by fate... A chance to finally reach the goal you've been dreaming of your entire life...!"
"I remember... The day we found out you were quirkless..." The elder Midoriya brought up that fateful day, "Seeing how demoralized you were, and hearing you ask me that question..."
"D-Do you think... I-I can be a hero, too?"
"It broke my heart... And it hurt me even more when I realized I couldn't give you the answer you wanted to hear..." She seemed pained as she recounted that unfortunate event before she regained her smile.
"... But now I can." She stated, "So... Ask me again, dear."
"Wha...?" Izuku blinked in surprise, "I... I-I-?"
"Please... Ask me again." Inko reaffirmed.
The teen stayed silent as he mulled over his mother's question for a few seconds with an indiscernible expression, until eventually...
"Do you..." He choked, "D-Do you think... I-I can be a hero, too...?"
This time, rather than looking miserable and apologetic, Inko Midoriya flashed her son a wide and encouraging grin.
"Yes, Izuku... I think-no... I know you can be a hero." Inko finally proclaimed.
Those words...
That sentence...
That sentence he had wanted to hear...
That sentence he had so desperately wanted to hear ever since he was diagnosed as quirkless...
He almost thought it would never happen... That the idea of those words ever being spoken to him was beyond possibility...
But she said them... His mom said them.
She thought he could do it... She actually believed in him...
She thought he could become a hero...!
And it filled him with such an intense bundle of emotions that he almost started crying on the spot.
"Y-You... Y-You..." Izuku struggled to get his question out as his face scrunched up in an attempt to hold back his incoming tears.
"Y-You really... m-mean that...?"
"With all of my heart, darling." Inko proudly confirmed with her own joyful tears, "In fact, I'm confident that you won't just be a great hero... but one of the best heroes out there!"
The woman then put her hands on the boy's shoulders.
"Being a hero brings about many hardships and takes a lot of hard work... But I know that no matter problem what comes your way, you'll never give up, and you'll keep on pushing as hard as you can until you finally turn your dream into a reality...!" Inko expressed her faith in her son, "And I promise that from here on out, I'll do everything I can support you on your journey!"
"Not just as your mother... but as your hero, too..." She finished with a tearful smile.
That was what did it, and Izuku was unable to stop the waterworks from pouring in. He nearly fell to his knees until his mother wrapped her arms around him.
Inko hugged Izuku close to her and watched him sob into her chest with a soft smile. She knew his tears weren't out of sadness, but rather out of elation now that he knew she believed in him...
And the older Midoriya was perfectly content with holding her son in her arms for the second time that night...
Not only had the relationship between the mother and son been mended and possibly made even stronger, but this moment had also served as another basis for his journey into becoming a hero...
By the end of the night, Izuku Midoriya felt the happiest he'd ever been in a very long while.
After the emotional moment with his mother, they eventually did have that nice "mother and son" dinner, and yhe two of them had happily conversed with one another as they ate.
"I can't remember the last time mom and I had such a jovial conversation." He commented to himself as he closed the door to his room behind him, "It sort of felt like I was a little kid again and she was feeding me Katsudon with a spoon." He laughed a little with a slight blush.
"It's kind of embarrassing... but not in a bad way." He said with a fond smile, "Anyways, back to business..."
Right now, the greenette had just finished taking a shower and was just about ready to hit the hay... Well, at least until he finished reading Black Lightning.
'No way am I gonna go to sleep without finishing this! I gotta see what other crazy stuff he can do!' Izuku gushed with an eager grin as he flipped back to the page he left off, 'And if I can imitate them...!'
It's a common ritual for him to spend his weekend nights reading comics or playing video games, though his mom wasn't a fan of him staying up too late, so he usually slept at around 12 or 1.
He was about to jump right back in when his phone suddenly started ringing.
"Huh? Who could possibly be calling me at this time of the night?" The teen asked in confusion before looking at his Caller ID and widening his eyes in realization.
The name at the top of the contact was, 'Lizardy', and he knew exactly who that name referred to, which caused him to immediately answer the call.
"Hello?"
"Hey there, Green Bean~" The familiar sultry voice of his new female friend, Setsuna Tokage, greeted.
"H-Hi, Tokage!" He responded with a slight stutter, "Uhh, h-how are you? Did you get home safely?"
"Aww, you're worried about little ol' me? That's so sweet of you, Izzy~" The dinosaur lover cooed in an obviously playful matter, flustering Izuku.
"E-Er... I-I mean, we did say we'd text each other when we got back home, didn't we?" He sheepishly reminded with a tint of red on his cheeks.
"You say that as if you didn't ghost me when I texted you like 3 times."
"... Wait what...?" The boy uttered.
"Uh, yeah, dude." She deadpanned, "Have you not looked at your phone at all since we left the beach?"
The greenette quickly navigated through his phone to find his messages and widened his eyes in shock when he saw that she indeed had sent him a text, along with a few others.
'C-Crap! I must've not even registered these since I was so busy talking to mom!'
"I-I... U-Uhh..." He struggled to voice out a response.
"Sheesh, Izzy... I thought you and I were having so much fun together." Setsuna commented in an overly-dejected tone, "Are you sick of me already?"
"W-What?!N-No, of course not!What are you saying?!I-I'm totally not sick of you, Tokage!" The freckled teen frantically tried to assure her in panic, "Ihadsomuchfunspendingtimewithyou!I'dnever-!"
The teen stopped in the middle of his rambling when a certain thought hit him.
"... H-Hold on... A-Are you really upset or are you just teasing me?" He asked.
The other line went silent for a few seconds before he got his answer in the form of a boisterous laugh, causing him to sigh.
"Damn, looks like you've figured me out, Izzy!" The other greenette exclaimed, "How'd ya know I was just joshing?"
"W-Well, I just remembered all of our conversations from earlier today and how much you like to fluster me, so it wasn't that hard for me to put two and two together." He revealed.
"Huh... It looks like I'm starting to get predictable..." The lizard girl commented in a thoughtful tone, "I'm definitely gonna have to improve on that if I wanna get more reactions outta you!"
"Please don't." He requested in exasperation, earning another laugh.
"But, S-Sorry for not texting back." He apologized, "I-I was, uh, sorting out some personal issues with my mom which kept me occupied."
"Oh, that's cool then. No worries." She accepted his reasoning.
"...Thanks for understanding." He replied in a grateful tone.
"Why wouldn't I? I may be a pretty eccentric chick, but it doesn't mean I'm an ignorant one too." She playfully commented with a grin, earning a chuckle from Izuku, which she considered to be a fulfilling achievement.
"Yeah, I can't argue with that."
"Anyways, what's up, Green Bean?" Setsuna changed the topic, "You up to anything?"
"Oh, uh, not much." He answered before smiling, "I'm actually reading Black Lightning right now!"
Setsuna couldn't help but snort, "Now how did I already know that's what you were doing before you even told me?"
"W-Well, what can I say? It's a really cool comic book." Midoriya replied with a sheepish grin as he scratched his cheek.
"Heh heh. I hear you there, Parsley." She agreed, "I actually sped through the new Dino Force issue I bought a while ago."
"You're done with it already?" He asked in surprise, "... Well, you did say you're a superfan of that series."
"Eyup!" She confirmed, popping the "p", "That I am!"
Izuku chuckled at her comment, "I mean, it is very underrated, so I don't blame you at all. Now you've kind of got me wishing I bought the latest issue too instead of Black Lightning." He remarked, making the lizard girl laugh.
"Aw, don't worry, Izzy. There's always tomorrow." She playfully consoled him, "Hell, if you want, I can even bring it during our next hangout so we can read it together."
"Oh, that would be ni-"
Midoriya paused when his brain finally registered a certain part of her request.
"Wait... N-Next hangout?" He repeated in slight surprise.
"Yeah! Our next hangout!" Setsuna affirmed, "What? You didn't think this would be the first and only time we'd hang out, did you?"
"U-Uhh... W-Well, no, I-I... It's just..."
"Words, Green Bean."
"*Sigh*... I-It's nothing." He quickly dismissed, "Don't worry about it."
Judging from his sudden surprise at hearing her mention them hanging out again, along with his quick dismissal, Setsuna had a feeling there was more to this than meets the eye, but she kept it to herself for now.
"A-Anyways... I-I'd love to hang out with you again, Tokage." The freckled teen sheepishly stated, "I really did have fun spending time with you today, and if you want to go out again, I definitely wouldn't mind."
"Go out?" Setsuna repeated with a gasp in faux shock, "Izzy! I never expected you to be so straightforward! Do you really miss having such a gobsmacking beauty like me next to you that much?"
"?!" Midoriya suddenly froze in a way that resembled a blue screen of death.
"W-WHAT?!N-No!I-Imeanyes!I-Imeanwaitwait!I-I-I-I!!Y-YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I MEANT!" He almost yelled into his phone with a furious blush.
At that point, Setsuna was downright cackling and thrashing around in her bed like a total maniac, and the sound of her laughter caused a tick mark to appear on her friend's ear.
"Man, this is just way too fun! Hahaa!" She exclaimed with a laugh.
"*Sigh* You're insufferable..." Izuku half-heartedly muttered in exasperation.
"Oh, I'm sure I am, Greenie~" Tokage smugly responded, knowing that he didn't mean that, "But for real though, I really do wanna hang out with you again, Izzy. I know I said it before, but you're a super fun guy to hang with!"
It still surpised him a bit to hear that, but it didn't make him any less grateful... and flustered.
"T-Thanks, Tokage..." He sheepishly thanked before clearing his throat, "So, err, when do you want our next hangout to happen?"
"Would tomorrow be good?" She asked hopefully.
"Oh, well, I have to go somewhere with my mom tomorrow but it shouldn't take long." He informed her, "I'll probably be back by early afternoon so I'll let you know when I'm free."
"Sounds good to me!" Tokage responded, "When it's time, let's meet up at the comic shop again. That cool with you?"
"Y-Yeah, I can do that." The greenette agreed.
"Awesome sauce!" Setsuna cheered with a fist pump, "I already can't wait to see your cute face again~"
'... I-I'm starting to think that being flirty is her default personality trait.' Izuku mentally commented in slight irritation with a tint of red on his cheeks.
"*Sigh* Yeah. Me too." He couldn't help but smile before a particularly loud yawn escaped his mouth.
"Ooh, somebody sounds tired." Setsuna teased.
"S-Sorry..." He shyly apologized, "I-I guess so much happened today that I didn't realize how weary I was..."
"It's cool, dude." She assured him, "We did spend a pretty long time hangin' out, after all."
"Y-Yeah, you're right." He agreed, "I'm not too tired though. We can keep on chatting if you want."
"Now normally, I would say yes, but I think you and I both know that you're just itching to dive back into Black Lightning, aren't you?" Setsuna asked with a knowing grin.
"W-Well... That's n-not exactly untrue..." Izuku answered with a weak chuckle, making the lizard girl laugh.
"It's fine, Greenie. Besides, I've got some of my own stuff I gotta deal with over here." She informed him, "So I'll let you get back to it."
"O-Oh, okay. I guess we'll see each other tomorrow, then?"
"You bet!" Setsuna enthusiastically affirmed, "Don't forget to gimme a call when you're ready, 'kay?"
"Yeah, will do!" He replied with a smile.
"Good!" She smiled as well, "See you tomorrow, cutie~"
"!"
"Y-Yeah, you too, Tokage...!" He sheepishly responded, "B-Bye!"
He heard her laugh one more time before he hung up, causing him to sigh.
"That girl is gonna be the death of me..." He brought a hand to his forehead.
However, the teen suddenly froze in place and widened his eyes when he fully registered the phone call that just transpired.
"Oh gosh..." He suddenly started shaking.
'I CAN'T BELIEVE I TALKED TO A GIRL ON THE PHONE! I-It's like she was whispering in my ear...!'
'... But, i-it did feel nice...' He admitted to himself with a sheepish smile and a slight blush.
Even with all her teasing, he really liked talking to Setsuna, and getting to see her tomorrow was definitely the thing he was looking forward to the most!
... Well, that and testing out his powers again.
The teen then remembered the comic that was lying on his bed and he immediately picked it back up.
"Now, where were we?" He asked with an eager grin as he went back to reading his comic.
Things were really starting to look up for the once moody and dejected teenager. In just a day, he went from being a powerless kid with no friends to having a potentially strong meta-ability and gaining not just a friend, but an amazing female friend! And not just that, but he managed to significantly improve his strained relationship with his mom in one night!
He didn't know what he did to have such positivity enter his life all of a sudden, but he wasn't stupid enough to not welcome them.
After he eventually finished reading the comic on a satisfying note(and mentally promising to buy the next issue), the greenette decided to call it a night and succumb to the inevitable sensation of sleep.
And for the first time in a long while, Izuku went to bed with a smile on his face...
So uhhh... Hey, everyone XD
I know it's been like, almost a year since I updated this fic, and frankly that's on me. I kind of lost interest in this fic back when I last updated because I got into Persona 5 and the Persona franchise as a whole, which caused me to write fics for that franchise and ignore this fic. Recently though, I started thinking about this idea back in November and it really fascinated me once again, not to mention that watching Season 6 when it came out slowly restored my interest in MHA as a whole. And before I knew it, I was motivated to continue this story, which was what led to me pumping this out. The only reason it didn't get released any sooner was because I took a break during all of December to spend time with my family, and I had a lot of fun! So, to make up for my absence, here's my New Year's Gift to you all!
Anyways, lots of stuff has happened here! Izuku made up with his mom, revealed his not-quirk to her, and is officially going to be working towards his dream of being a hero! And of course, he had a pretty lively chat with his new lizard friend.
The next chapter is definitely going to be a joy for me write! How will Izuku navigate through his life with his new electric powers? Stay tuned and find out!
As always, I hope to see you guys then, and I'm wishing you all a great and successful 2024!
Until next time,
RinOta, out!