Chapter three has arrived, and I'm aware of the anticipation it has generated. There's even been speculation that I might abandon the story, which is unfounded. My goal is to remain ahead with my updates. At the moment, I'm engrossed in crafting chapter eight, which is proving to be quite the challenge. Despite this, I persevere. A heads-up: this chapter isn't particularly my favorite, yet it lays the groundwork for what's to come. Enjoy, and please, continue to read and review. Your feedback is invaluable.

Chapter 3: A New YOUTHFUL Life

Mitsuki did her best to make the weekend fun for Izuku. The apartment her modeling agency kept for her in the city was nice and large, easily three times the size of his own. A fact that only made it feel emptier without his mom.

Still, the pair spent the entire time staying as busy as they could. Izuku found that Mitsuki was experiencing her own level of guilt. The pair would work themselves out with different routines until neither could move any longer, a process that took profoundly longer for Izuku, and then they would talk.

At first, the pair would talk about nothing at all. They just chatted about life in general or laughed about old times. It was nice, but came to an end all too soon.

The conversation turned heavy when the blonde woman began apologizing. Tears struck down her face as she lay flat on her yoga mat. The fact that her son was acting in such a way tormented her. She'd always been a hothead herself, gotten into her share of fights, and assumed her son was just like her. Mitsuki had no clue that her son had become such a thug, bullying everyone around him to assert his superiority.

"What kind of shitty mom must I be, eh Izuku," she chuckled mirthlessly.

Despite his burning core, Izuku sat up and turned to face his aunt, "You aren't a bad mom, and neither is mine. You aren't responsible for the decisions we make. That isn't youthful at all. You all did your best to raise us, and considering that we're smart, strong, and healthy, I'd say you both did good jobs."

Mitsuki sat up and shook her head, still feeling guilty, "But the way he turned out, it's like he got all of my worst qualities and dialed it up to eleven."

"You're wrong," Izuku said with a big smile, "Your son has all your best qualities. He's strong and determined; Katsuki never quits and takes every challenge presented to him to push himself forward. He wants to be the best, and that's not a bad thing."

"Then why..."

"Because people aren't perfect. Katsuki has made many mistakes, and you can blame yourself, or those idiots at school for always building him up and never punishing him for screwing up. But, at the end of the day, Katsuki can only blame one person for his actions- himself," Izuku said resolutely.

"Katsuki's personality is a result of his own fanatical beliefs, his need to be the best, and society's influence. That said, Katsuki will never compromise on his beliefs. Even if he failed to get into a hero school, he would never turn to villainy," Izuku had to admit that he might become a vigilante, but he didn't feel that would help at the moment, "He's too strong to ever be tempted down the path of evil. What Katsuki needs is someone willing to stand beside him, someone who he can see as an equal to temper himself."

With hopeful eyes, Mitsuki asked the question Izuku dreaded, "Can you...be that person, I mean?"

Sadly, Izuku shakes his head, "I can't, but not because I don't want to. There's still a part of me deep inside that wants my old friend back, but I can't help him take this first step. That has to be all him. The main issue with the two of us is that he can't see me as his equal the way he is right now. He still thinks quirks are the most important thing about a person, a view shared by way too many."

With a nod the mother sighs and stands up, "I hope so. I am that little shit's mom and refuse to just give up on him. I'll beat that attitude out of him if I have to."

Izuku sighed with a grin and shook his head. Some people's youth was weird.

The weekend ended well and Izuku was ready to go home. Moreover, he was ready to see his mom. What he wasn't ready for was what he came home to, and what he didn't.

She wasn't there. Izuku looked all around the house but couldn't find his mom. It was way too late for her to be out running errands. Finally, sitting on top of his bed, Izuku found a letter.

Dear Izuku,

Oh, my sweet baby boy. It's so hard for me to write this letter because when I think about all the wrong I've done to you I just can't quit crying. How much pain have you endured because of me? The thought makes me feel ill.

Thinking back, I can clearly see how misguided I was. I wanted so desperately for you to stay safe, that I was willing to hurt you to keep you that way. I know, it doesn't make any sense. But that's desperation, I guess.

Izuku, you need to know how proud I am of you. You've come so far with so little help, with no real support. I am ashamed of the mother I have become, what I've reduced myself to. I love you more than anything in this world baby, and that's why I've come to a decision. I'm going to become a mother worthy of the amazing man you are becoming.

That...brings us to the hardest part. I've argued with myself over this decision for hours. I know this isn't fair of me, and it's wrong, but if I don't leave, I know that I'll slip back into the same habits. I'll start the cycle all over again. I've contacted someone to take care of you, she's a cousin of mine who is slightly estranged. You'll understand why when you meet her, but she's a really nice person, funny too.

Just know that I love you more than anything. And, one day soon, I'm coming back to take care of you. I am so sorry, but I'm going to fix it. I promise baby.

Love,

Mom

The Bakugos offered Izuku a place to stay if he didn't want to wait for this mystery relative. He politely turned them down. He'd wait here, the place where he lived, and look forward to the day he could live with his mother again.

Mitsuki went home an hour later, muttering about smacking his mother another few times. Izuku laughed at that and wondered if his mother had any idea what she was in for when she got back. Surprisingly, he wasn't as sad as he thought he should be.

Don't misunderstand. Izuku was sad, he missed his mom like crazy. That said, he knew that she was out there searching for the road that would lead her back to her Youth. Chapter three said that Youth lost is not easily regained after all.

Izuku smiled when he looked in the fridge and found a collection of his favorite foods sealed up in Tupperware. Some of it was even frozen. After warming up some dinner, Izuku decided to meditate. Meditation is one of the virtues of maintaining harmonious youth after all.

It was during his meditation that a sharp knock came from the door. Hopping to his feet, Izuku made his way to see who was there. As he reached the door, the knock came again. He checked the peephole, but something seemed to be covering it.

In confusion, Izuku asked, "Who's there?"

His response was a deep belly laugh. It was a woman by the sound of her chortle. For the life of him, Izuku didn't understand what was so funny.

"That was gold kid," she got out through laughs, "I knock, you say 'who's there,' you're a natural."

'Ohhhh,' Izuku reflected as the truly terrible joke dawned on him.

"Well," he asked again, "Who's there?"

"Oh yeah," the woman collected herself quickly and replied simply, "Boo."

"Boo?" Izuku questioned as he cocked his head in confusion, "Boo who?"

If Izuku had that the first bout of laughter was something then he truly wasn't ready for this one, "I know I haven't seen you in years kid but you don't have to cry about it, bwahahahaha!"

Peeking out the peep whole again, the teen was finally able to make out the other person...sort of. An orange dew rag was tied in her hair, but he could see some of her mint green locks. They were a bit lighter than his own, but it wasn't exactly a common hair color. The woman's baggy, oversized shorts didn't mesh well with her skintight tank top. However, one look at the top reminded him that this was definitely a woman.

"Unyouthful thoughts begone!" Izuku shouted and dropped to the floor to start doing push-ups.

More laughter came from the hall as Izuku did his repentance reps, "Yeah, your mom said you were a funny one too. Said you got some bit about screaming 'youth' at random times. As funny as this all is though, how about you let me in so we can figure our situation out?"

Realizing his error, Izuku hopped to his feet and opened the door, "Sorry about that, but one of the facets of living Youthfully is that a healthy mind keeps a healthy body. If one's thoughts stray into unyouthful territory, work the body until the mind can think of nothing but that and sweat out the evil! Idle hands are the devil's workshop or however that saying goes."

The cheerful stranger took a good look at him and nodded, "Well, at least you aren't all down in the dumps. I know you must be going through some stuff right now."

It looked like Izuku's smile was going to fall for a moment until he punched himself in the face and smiled even brighter, "Of course I miss my mother, but I won't be sad. She is out there searching for her Youth! As her son, I have to support her however I can!"

The woman cackled a bit more, "I think her youth is a little behind her."

"Nonsense!" Izuku proclaimed, "Youth is life! No matter the age, a person must always seek to live Youthfully! You seem to be rather Youthful yourself."

"Hmm, I think I'm starting to get it. Your 'youth' isn't the same thing as being young. Hahaha, that's hilarious kid. Now, jokes aside...well, one joke, because I'm right here," she belly laughed again, "I'm Emi Fukukado, your cousin, and the pro heroine Ms. Joke. Nice to meet you kid, put her there!"

Doing as requested, Izuku returned the handshake only to get shocked by a joke buzzer in return. Joke laughed at that, but was used to people being a bit put off by it. Izuku, however, maintained the same smile.

"Ms. Joke, the smile hero! Laughter is your Youth! I understand," Izuku shouted in joy.

The boy followed up by seemingly to producing a notebook from thin air, "Can I get your autograph?"

"Hahaha, of course! Anything for family," Emi cheered before pulling out a comically large pen from the same place Izuku must keep his notebooks, "To-my-favorite-cousin. Joke's-on-you."

In confusion, Izuku read over the last line, "Joke's on you?"

The teen was soon out of breath as the woman jumped onto his back, "Now steed, take us to the kitchen. I just got off of patrol and I'm huuuuungry!"

The woman's point was emphasized by her grumbling stomach, something that caused them both to laugh. Izuku just supported the extra weight like it was nothing and heated his new family member up some katsudon.

"Sho," Emi said with comically stuffed cheeks as she ate, "What wash wif da unjoyful foughts earwier?"

"Thanks for reminding me," Izuku said as he dropped immediately back to the floor and started pushing, "I'll do one thousand push-ups as recompense. If I can't do that, I'll do two thousand crunches, if not that then I'll run ten laps around Mustafu, if I can't then I'll-"

"Bwah ha ha ha," Emi sputtered out, some small bits of food she hadn't swallowed going flying, "Oh kid, ya gotta stop. You're going to choke me here, and I'm supposed to be the one that leaves everyone choked up! Get it!"

After the laughter faded, Emi realized Izuku was still doing push-ups. It dawned on her that, funny as it was, this wasn't just some bit. Izuku really was holding himself to some strange code.

"Okay kid, calm down, we really gotta talk," the heroine groaned, "And quit making me be the voice of reason, I don't do dry comedy."

Izuku hopped up and pouted slightly, speaking while slightly winded, "I only made it to six hundred and twelve."

Emi whistled, remembering how firm he felt when she jumped on him, "Jeez, you really are a beefy little cinnamon roll."

Suddenly her face was stricken with panic, eyes widening and mouth agape, before she put both hands on his shoulder, "Izuku!"

"What?!"

"You've gotta choose one or the other! You can be sweet and meaty! You'll start a food court monopoly! Bahahaha," she chuckled to herself, and Izuku found himself following along.

It wasn't that the joke was all that funny, but the woman's laughter was downright infectious. Eventually, the pair did simmer down and both sat at the table. Izuku found himself making tea, just like his mom always did. The thought filled him with Youthful warmth.

Setting the cup in front of her, Izuku smiled, "Here is your Youthful green tea."

Emi giggled at that, "And why is it youthful?"

Izuku shrugged, "The author felt like he hadn't used the word enough since the start of the story."

"Bwah hahahahaha, that's a good one," but once more Izuku didn't flinch, "I tell you what kid, if you make it as a hero, I'm making you my sidekick. You've got some great one-liners. You can be my Mr. Punchline."

Izuku grinned at that with glee, "I think I might have to be 'The Doctor'."

"Why's that?" Joke chuckled a bit and cocked an eyebrow, having an idea of where this was going but knowing you never ruin the joke.

"Because it seems like your laughter is contagious," Izuku gave a shy, more embarrassed smile now as he chuckled softly at his joke.

Emi, however, had fallen out of her chair and was literally rolling on the floor laughing, "Oh god kid, ya gotta stop, you're killing me."

"W-When," Izuku stopped and took a breath, "When do you think mom will come home?"

Emi stopped laughing, propped up on her elbows, and gave him a sad smile, "I don't know bud. When she called, she seemed almost desperate. As a hero, I distanced myself from my family so that no villains would try and go after them to get revenge on me. Never expected to have a reunion with you like this."

"Sounds lonely," Izuku remarked, deflecting from his situation.

"Yeah," Ms. Joke smiled, "It can be. Still, I wouldn't trade it for anything, just like I know your mom wouldn't trade you for anything."

"I'm just... not sure where to go from here, I'm just a kid," Izuku said with his smile still on his face, unshed tears holding firm in his eyes.

"Bring it in little guy," Izuku chuckled at her unintentional joke and hugged his cousin.

Izuku didn't want to cry in front of Ms. Joke. Family or not, he loved underground heroes like her. They were the backbone of heroics. Sadly, he lost the fight with his tears.

Oh well, manly tears were Youthful too.

Six months passed from that day. It seemed like so much longer, and like only days ago at the same time.

Izuku missed his mother every day but understood that she was doing this for both of them. It wasn't as if they had no contact though. One week into her absence, a strange diary showed up on their kitchen table. Flipping through it, Izuku found that only the first couple of pages were written on.

It was a note from his mother. Admittedly, this was quite the long note, but she had to explain what this was and wanted to tell him what she had been doing. She was trying to recover her lost Youth, just like he thought. She even used the word 'youth'!

The notes they wrote back and forth weren't as good as seeing her, but she promised that he would understand eventually. It almost surprised him how easily he believed her. Maybe that was silly though, Izuku knew first-hand how helpful living Youthfully was.

Izuku could only assume his mother was coming home during his workouts or while he was at school. He was rather consistent with when he did his workouts and for how long. It wouldn't be hard for her to sneak in. Thankfully, between that and his cousin, who was a freaking pro hero, he didn't really need to do any shopping.

Emi, it would seem, had started teaching at Ketsubetsu Hero Academy a few years back. He hadn't even known that surprisingly. She was still quite active as a heroine after all.

Her work must have made her quite hungry as well, or maybe she just didn't like to cook, because Izuku found her coming over at least three nights a week. It was probably the latter. Still, Izuku was happy for the company. She even helped with his workouts.

She didn't do them with him. No, Emi rode on his back while he did his routines; like Yoda on Luke is how she explained it though he didn't get it. Izuku was always happy for a new challenge. Plus, her company helped keep him from feeling alone.

Still, as crazy as it seems, the most exciting thing in Izuku's life was his new training. That's right, he had finally started the ninth chapter of "Ultimate Youthful Guide to Maximizing Your Springtime of YOUTH!"

And it...was...glorious.

His youth was no longer youth. It was Youth!

The Strong Fist martial arts seemed like they were made for him. That's when he came to a realization. All of the stretching he'd been doing, the yoga techniques he'd learned, the weights he'd been wearing, and even some of the bizarre workouts... they were all to prepare him for the Strong Fist style.

Izuku was living on cloud nine. Even though he didn't get to see his mom, they felt closer than they had been in years. Whatever she was doing, it was working. Her Youthful words and thoughtfulness towards his dietary needs with his lifestyle, even though she wasn't living there, touched him. They were truly a Youthful family, and Izuku was counting the days until his mother returned. He could only trust that she would know when the time was right.

School life was even going well. The teachers didn't love him, but given his academic and physical abilities, none could deny that he had the potential to make it into a hero school. They likely hoped he wouldn't make it but weren't taking any chances it seemed and started treating him fairly.

Bakugo was another story altogether. Bakugo, of course, blamed Izuku for all of his new trouble at home, especially the therapy. He saw it as Izuku's revenge for colluding with Inko. His attempts to become even more aggressive were met with harsh responses by the teachers and an Izuku who got faster and stronger by the day. Oh, Bakugo never got in trouble, they were just stopping him from acting out to cover their asses with the world's first potential quirkless hero.

However, on this particular day, his way home from school was interrupted by a very unyouthful individual. And for once, it wasn't Bakugo.

"Huh," Izuku managed as he felt a manhole cover shift under his foot.

Before he even knew what was going on, a strange liquid erupted from the holes in the lid and covered him. Amused, Izuku moved around slowly. There was more resistance to movement than he thought there should be, making him realize this wasn't some ooze.

Suddenly, a strange gurgling laugh echoed under the overpass around, "Gotta say, you're a lifesaver kid. No one told me All Might was in town. I barely gave him the slip and I'm sure he's right behind me. Lo and behold, the perfect disguise was waiting here for me right here. A one-size-fits-me meat suit. You're a real hero kid!"

The slime's laughter was kinda funny. It was sort of like speech, mixed with the noise you make when you blow bubbles into a drink with a straw. Still, this thing was trying to kill him.

And yet, Izuku couldn't help but grin. This thing thought it was going to suffocate him by choking him with its slime body. To the youthful teen, he'd just received a new challenge. And Izuku never turned down a challenge.

Slowly but surely, Izuku trudged himself and the slime to the grass. This process took far longer than it should for several reasons. First off, Izuku just wasn't that rushed. Secondly, he kind of enjoyed the moving through mud feeling and wondering if he could replicate it for training.

As he arrived on the grass, the mucus-like villain seemed to be getting frustrated, "Why aren't you dead yet brat! I've been cutting off your air for three minutes now?"

The villain's angry yelling made Izuku boisterously laugh. Not that it made much noise. Still, this guy had no idea who he was messing with. Izuku had held his breath for much longer than three minutes.

Stretching his legs, Izuku squatted low. It seemed to worry the villain as Izuku was moving much easier now. The slime man couldn't believe he was being overpowered like this.

"What the hell are youuuuuuu-"

The villain's question was cut off as Izuku rocketed them both into the air. It had been quite some time since Izuku last saw how high he could jump.

"Neat," Izuku said as the force of the jump dragged some of the slime from his face, "I can see my house from here."

And then, of course, the fall began. That doesn't sound too bad, until you realize that Izuku had just set several records for the highest quirkless jump of all time, by a lot. Izuku was laughing like a madman as they rocketed toward the earth while the villain was screaming profanities. He truly was an incredibly unyouthful individual.

To drown him out, Izuku decided to shout, "YOOOOOOOOUTH!"

Ow. Okay, even Izuku would admit that hurt. Lifting a hand to his nose, he realized it was bleeding. That was fair. He did just belly flop onto the dirt from about ten stories in the air. Seeing the slime villain splashed on the ground like a fly hitting a windshield, Izuku pondered if he could've just landed on his feet. Oh well, there's always next time.

"Ah," a dramatic throat clearing sounded announcing a new person's presence, "That was quite the interesting way you decided to deal with that situation, young man. That's some impressive strength quirk you have there."

"All Might," Izuku gasped the name and was almost immediately standing before the man in a blur of speed, "This is certainly a most Youthful day! It's so very Youthful to meet you. My name is Izuku Midoriya. May I have your autograph?"

The big man chuckled, "Sure thing kid, right after I put a lid on this situation."

Izuku chuckled boisterously, he might've been spending too much time with his cousin, "Put a lid on it...because you're going to put him in a bottle! That's hilarious! Have you ever worked with Ms. Joke, she loves stuff like that!?"

In a blur of his own, All Might collects all the important bits of the villain and shoves them in two large bottles. Izuku was left to marvel at the speed the man moved. He could follow it with his eyes but it was far faster than he could move. Of course, to Izuku, seeing the heights of speed and power he hoped to one day achieve left a sensation inside him boiling over.

"YOUTH!" Izuku shouted uncontrollably.

All Might merely chuckled, "Now that he's all wrapped up where's that-"

Before the number one hero could even say the word 'notebook' one seemed to materialize before him. Inside of it was a collection of notes. All Might couldn't help but graze over them as he looked for a fresh page.

All Might handed back the notebook with a grin and watched the boy practically vibrate as he squealed in joy, "Young Midoriya, while I only glanced over them, it is obvious that you are quite skilled in the art of analysis. With your quirk and observational abilities, I certainly hope you are considering a future in heroics."

"Of course," Izuku chirped, replicating one of the youthful poses he found in the book with a wide grin and a thumbs up, "I live on the path of Youth! As heroics is the most Youthful profession out there, I have dedicated myself to its pursuit. I believe, however, you are somewhat mistaken. I have no quirk, I'm quirkless."

A dark look played across All Might's face for a brief moment, but Izuku didn't miss it, "No quirk, but certainly you must? To fall from such a height would kill most men."

Izuku considered that logic for a moment before he shrugged, "Perhaps they simply aren't as Youthful as I am. Though, I admit, the villain's body may have cushioned my fall slightly."

"Young Midoriya, are you certain you have no quirk?"

"Of course," Izuku nodded firmly, that hadn't bothered him in years, "I was diagnosed when I was five."

Doing his best to be comforting, All Might placed a large hand on the boy's shoulder, "I must be off now, this villain requires tending to. However, before I go, I must advise you to find a new path. There are several fields in heroics, and with your skills as an analyst you could go far. That said, I must impress upon you the dangers of being a hero. We risk our lives every day, and even I have been hurt many times. For someone to become a hero without a quirk, such a thing is impossible."

Izuku couldn't believe this, couldn't believe what he was hearing. The man he looked up to most, aside from Might Guy that is, just told him he couldn't be a hero. In one fell swoop, the number one hero had just denied his dreams. It was all so...so...

"UNYOUTHFUL!"

The hulking pro nearly stumbled back a step at the strong rejection, "I'm sorry you think that my boy, but I must be off! Good luck in the future!"

And with that, All Might was gone.

A/N: Chapter Three Completed! Many of you had some rather strong feelings about Inko, both on ff dot net and AO3. I get that, believe me. I certainly wouldn't forget or forgive here. However, I'm not writing about me. I have to stay true to the Izuku I am writing. Also, this isn't just your normal Izuku who doesn't hold grudges because he's desperate for love and attention. This is sweet Izuku mixed in with Might Guy's endless optimism.

In all honesty, I'm not crazy about this chapter. It just kind of had to happen. I like some of it, but it felt more like a chapter I had to get through. Going forward we see the Izuku I really want to write in this story. I'll leave it up to you to decide how well I mesh the personalities. Brace yourself for the power of Friendship! HAHA, I'm just screwing with ya. YOUTH!