That day by the river was when everything changed; a simple gesture of concern was met with anger. For over a year, Katsuki Bakugo heard that he had a quirk; for over two years, there was nothing. It just irritated him; he didn't know why at the time. He wouldn't for years later, but when he slipped and fell off the log into the river below, the laughter of those damn extras and that stupid smile looked down at him; his anger just exploded, and then he exploded, smacking his hand away. As he got to his feet, he felt him help him, and out of irritation, he swung his hand backward. He meant to knock Deku away, but his explosion went off. Then Deku screamed, and everything froze.

He turned, and Deku was lying in the river screaming, holding his eyes. "OH GOD, IZUKU!" he cried; he hadn't used his name in over a year; it had been Deku this, Deku that, useless. That was all he was to him. Useless to Katsuki's goal of becoming the strongest and the greatest hero of all time. "GET SOME HELP!" he yelled at the stupid extras who were staring.

Deku kept screaming, holding his face; he rolled onto his knees, and Katsuki could hear him saying it burned, that it was burning. He helped him splash water on his face, desperately trying to do something. Katsuki could see the skin bubbling; it was blackened and singed.

The stupid extras ran off. he hoped to get help. Deku kept telling him how much it hurt, how the tears hurt. They kept splashing the cold water from the river, hoping it would extinguish whatever fire was burning him. It seemed like forever until an adult arrived; they immediately ran down to Izuku, pulled out their phone, and called Emergency Services. It was a blur as the adult ensured Katsuki was all right, picked up Izuku, and ran out of the woods towards the emergency services.

Katsuki ran after, but all he could think of was him screaming, the smell of burning flesh, and watching the skin bubble. He watched as he was loaded into the ambulance; the EMT approached him, trying to get some information about Izuku; he answered the EMT's questions the best he could. It wasn't long before the police arrived, and a local hero, Prism. She approached Katsuki and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hi there," the hero said calmly. "What is your name?"

Katsuki's tongue felt numb. He was having difficulty talking; he looked over at the extras. They were talking to the police and pointing in his direction. He started to shake as fear settled into him for the first time.

"Hey, it will be all right; I know this is scary," Prism said. "But right now, I need to know your name so we can call your Parents. Can you do that? Can you give me your name?"

"K-Katsuki Bakugo," he managed.

"Good Katsuki, this is my sidekick, Lasso. Can you give him your phone number so we can call home?" Katsuki nodded and recited the number to the hero, who returned the call. Prism noticed that Katsuki started to shake some. He knew his Mom, Dad and Aunty Inko would be mad, so all he could do was hope that Izuku was all right and that maybe it wasn't so bad.

"Are you okay, Katsuki?" Prism knelt in front of the boy. "Do your parents hurt you?"

Katsuki said, "No, but they will be mad."

"Why are they going mad, sweetie?" Prism said

"I hurt Izuku," he said. "It was an accident. I slipped and fell, and he tried to help, but I was mad and swiped at him, and my quirk went off. He started to scream, and…and…" His breathing quickened as the smell of burning flesh assaulted his nose, and the sight of the skin blackened and bubbling.

"Ok, Katsuki, that is a horrible accident, but it was an accident, right?" Katsuki nodded. "What is your quirk?"

"Explosion," Katsuki said, falling to his butt, putting his head between his knees.

Lasso came over and whispered something to Prism, who nodded. "OK, Katsuki, your mom is coming right now; when she gets here, we will let her talk to you, but then I need to talk to her as well." Katsuki nodded.


-Inko-

Inko was changing in the hospital's locker room. She was already running late; her 10-hour shift had ballooned to 16 hours, then to 18. The life of an emergency room doctor was always challenging. She was concerned when she hadn't received a message from her neighbor that Izuku was home; he should have been home by now unless he stopped at the park again. Inko had just gotten out of her scrubs when the door burst open, and Dr. Dayspring came rushing in.

"INKO!" she yelled. Inko jumped some and stared at her friend. "IT'S IZUKU. HE HAS BEEN HURT; HE IS EN ROUTE RIGHT NOW!"

Inko froze for 1 second before grabbing fresh scrubs, "What happened?"

"Report is there is damage to his face, specifically the eyes; Dr. Hagakure has been paged, also reports of burns." Dr. Dayspring responded, handing Inko her coat as the two women ran out of the locker room.

"I already pulled his file," her friend said as they rushed to the emergency bay. Inko was pacing, waiting. "Inko, you cannot be the lead on this." Inko turned and nodded. The ambulance pulled up, and when the back doors opened, she could see Izuku had burn bandages over his eyes; she could see the black marks peaking out around the edges and the distinct smell of burnt flesh. Inko pushed back the tears, shut down mom mode, and went into doctor mode.

"Six-year-old male, explosive burns to the face, bp 140/97," the EMT called out, as Izuku was saying that his face burned and crying.

Inko grabbed his hand, "I am here, baby; Mommy is right here."

"MOMMY, IT HURTS MOMMY, IT HURTS SO BAD."

"It will be okay," Inko said as they rushed Izuku into the emergency ward. Everything was not okay.

-15 hours later-

Inko had slept, if you could call it that; it was a light doze; she couldn't sleep knowing he was in surgery. Dr. Hagakure was the best optical surgeon; she knew he was in capable hands, and she would be in the way. Besides, hospital rules wouldn't allow her in the operating room. It was the most excruciating wait of her life; she had called her "husband," but he had yet to call her back. She was furious with him, but she would address that later. She was on her umpteenth cup of coffee when the light went from red to green. She held her breath as Dr. Hagakure and Dayspring walked out.

She looked to her friend Dr. Daysrping. The blonde girl gave her a weak smile that told Inko that at least he was still breathing; Dr. Hagakure walked over, removing her surgical cap, her pink hair tumbling free. Inko could see the look in her teal eyes that things had not gone great.

"Have a seat, Inko," Inko started to protest. "Inko sit, please," she repeated a little more forcibly. Inko sat down as the two women sat next to her.

"Inko, there is no easy way to say this, but Izuku is blind," she took Inko's hand. "The optic nerves were destroyed, and his corneas and irises were gone. I was able to save the optic sac so that he has something there, but there was nothing I could do to save his vision." Inko's eyes began to water. "The damage traveled up his optic nerve to his brain; there has been some damage done to his visual cortex, and there is evidence of a concussion as well as swelling and cerebral bleeding. We were able to get the bleeding under control and the swelling as well."

"I was able to trigger some repair of the cortex," Ce'nedra Dayspring said. "As the brain matter has not yet died, we hope to keep saving most of it; with it being regrown from scratch, it may mutate with the lack of visual impulse. Now, that is my hope. He will have a hard road ahead; we won't know more until the swelling subsides and we can see the effects."

Inko started to cry; she knew she had to let it out before she saw him. She needed to be strong for him; he would have enough problems. Once she composed herself, Dr. Hagakure hugged her. "Thank you, Dr. Hagakure, for everything you did."

"Call me Hotaru," she replied. "I will follow up in the morning to see if we need to do another survey. Of course, he will have to stay in the ICU." Inko nodded.

"Thank you, Hotaru," Inko said, wiping her eyes. Hotaru nodded and squeezed her hand before leaving.

"Go see Izuku," Ce'nedra said. "I will wait here to drive you home." Inko once again started to protest. "Inko, you have been here for 30 hours. It would be best if you had sleep. It is going to be a long enough road." Inko nodded and walked into the recovery room. He was lying on the bed with his head shaved; white gauze covered his eyes; she could still see the black peaking out, but at least the smell of burning flesh was gone. She gently took his hand and rubbed her cheek against it.

He squeezed her hand in his sleep; he squeezed it and didn't let go.

-Bakugo-

Mitsuki and Katsuki went to the hospital the next day; as they sat in the waiting area, Inko came walking out and glared at the little boy. Mitsuki got to her feet quickly and walked over. "Inko, is little Izuku going to be all right?"

"No, Mitsuki, he isn't," Inko said, her fist trembling. "You must leave now; I can't handle talking to you. Take your son, and please leave."

"I am sorry, Aunty Inko," Katsuki said as he walked up.

"Sorry isn't good enough, Katsuki," Inko said rather harshly, causing the Katsuki to flinch. "Izuku will never see again; he will never see the sunrise or the stars. He will never see the person he falls in love with. No more movies, no more cartoons, no more manga or anything. All because you can't control yourself. Every day you open your eyes, remember that."

"Please leave," Inko said as she turned and walked away. Wisely, Mitsuki kept her mouth shut.


-Darkness-

Izuku awoke, but everything was dark; he couldn't see; he knew the smell of the hospital. He was very familiar with it. He touched his face and winced, feeling the gauze; he began to feel around the bed in a slight panic and heard the door open.

"It's okay, Izuku, it's Nurse Kato," the person said. Izuku turned to the voice; he knew her. Nurse Kato was a sweet older lady who worked with his Mom a lot. She would sneak him candies when his mom wasn't looking.

"Mrs. Kato, I can't see," he whimpered.

"I know, sweety, I know. Your mom will be here in a minute; I called her when you were awake." Nurse Kato replied.

Izuku could hear the sympathy in her voice; he knew something was wrong. "Mrs. Kato, can I have a candy?"

"Not right now, but I promise I will give you one as soon as you eat some real food." She replied, squeezing his hand.

"My head hurts, as do my eyes," Izuku said.

"I will let the doctor know, baby. I promise. Can you be strong for me? Just for a little bit?" she said softly, and Izuku nodded slightly.

He could feel her when she entered the room; he knew it was his mom. "Mom?" he said.

"It's me, baby," she said, coming over to hold his hand.

"Mom, why can't I see," he said. "Everything is dark."

"Do you remember what happened?" she replied.

"Katsuki fell. I wanted to check on him, but he got mad. When I went to help him…" she could see him struggling to remember.

"it is ok Izuku," Inko said. "When you went to help him, his quirk went off. It triggered right in front of your face…right before your eyes."

"Am I blind!" he said, his lip quivering.

"Yes, you are, baby," she responded. "But it's going to be okay; we will learn how to adapt."

"But If I am blind, I can't be a hero when my quirk comes in," he said, wincing as the tears stung. "ow, my tears hurt."

Inko saw him teetering on a cliff. She knew it might be a lie, but she knew that a parent has to lie sometimes. "Maybe you will adapt; the body is a strange thing. Maybe when your quirk comes in, it will help you navigate. We still don't know your quirk, so don't give up hope. I know you can do anything you put your mind to."

He sniffled some and opened his arms, "I need a hug first."

She did her best not to squeeze him too tight or to cry. "Also, my head hurts."

"We will get you some medicine." She whispered.

"Does this mean I can have a dog now?" he replied. She wanted to laugh. He had been bugging for a dog for years.

"We will see," she said.

"No, I can't see, remember," he said, holding her tight; she could feel him wincing in pain; she knew he was crying, but he was trying to make her feel better.

"You are going to be a great hero, my baby, simply great." She said, as her tears leaked out some.

"Is Dad coming to see me?" he asked hopefully.

"No, Izuku. He says he is too busy with work, but he knows you will get better," Inko said; she might as well have hit him with a bat as he had just shrunk in on himself.

"Why doesn't he love us?" Izuku said, wincing as the tears kept coming. "He never comes home; he just sends a card on my birthday. I don't remember his appearance and will never see him again. It's not fair," his voice started to get louder. "IT'S NOT FAIR, IT'S NOT FAIR!" he slammed his fists on the bed, causing the entire bed to shake.

Inko wrapped her arms around him, "No baby, it isn't fair." It was all she could say as she comforted him till the doctors started to come in. It was going to be a long road ahead. It was a very long road, but she would deal with Hisashi.


-Mexico City-

"Sir, your wife has filed for divorce." His assistant said.

Hisashi sighed; he knew it was coming. Especially after Izuku's accident, he had the best doctors he could find reviewing the case, but he knew that he couldn't explain that to his wife or his son. He was supposed to be there; he wanted to be there, but other things took priority—things he couldn't share with them or explain.

They all told him it was a mistake to get married, that this life couldn't mix with that life. Keep it casual, just sex, but he had fallen in love with Inko. It was a lousy idea mentally, but his heart kept telling him he could make it work. He could make this work so he wouldn't go home to a bare house when the job was finally done. Maybe she would be there with his son. His son who was in pain, who had been crippled, who he hadn't seen him in years and now would never see him again.

"Agree to her demands, double the alimony, set up a trust for Izuku, make him my sole beneficiary," he rubbed his face, "Give her the house."

"Sir?"

"Just do it," he cut the line and turned back to the mirror; he closed his eyes and allowed himself to grieve for one minute. Then he turned that grief into anger; these monsters that he had been chasing around the entire globe were about to have a very bad fucking day. They were going either to give him the information he had been chasing on this demon king, or they were going to blow away as ash on the wind.


-The Long Road-

"Do you see any change, Izuku?" Dr. Hagakure asked.

"Nope, all dark still," Izuku replied.

"Well, that was to be expected," she patted his leg. "According to the scans, the visual cortex is regenerating nicely, all the bleeding has stopped, and the swelling is almost gone. We are going to get you started with Physical and Occupational Therapy."

"Can I get a seeing-eye dog?" he said hopefully.

"I will see what I can do," she whispered. "Dr. Dayspring is going to come in now and check your burns. I will be back to check on you tomorrow."

"Thank you, doctor," he said. His burns were healing very nicely, thanks to her regenerative trigger. He sighed and leaned back in the darkness after she left. "A long road," he sighed.

The passage of time bothered him a lot; he didn't know what time it was or whether it was daytime or nighttime. His mom had bought him a watch that he could hit, and it would tell him the time that had helped a lot. Therapy was long and hard; the sensation of walking without being able to see was terrible, and then he had to incorporate the cane and start to learn brail.

Eating was frustrating, and that part made him want to scream. He would occasionally have a breakdown, as he was not only frustrated but also overwhelmed and angry. He was counting steps to the bathroom, getting it wrong and having an accident, trying to find the toilet, and having an accident. He hated having to call for a nurse or have someone escort him, even if it was his mom. She had just started letting him cut his steak, and now that was out of the question. He had to be fed like a child unless it was a sandwich, but if he put it down, that had ended up on the floor. Apple Juice on the floor. Tea in his lap. He was feeling down when he heard the door open. He looked toward the sound, but nothing was said. "Who's there?" he said, with a slight panic. The Hospital staff would not only knock before entering but also announce themselves.

"Nobody!" a girl's voice answered, followed by a giggle.

"Are you supposed to be in here?" he couldn't help but smile at the playfulness.

"Maybe I am a ghost?" she said, trying to make her voice spooky, "Does that make you afraid?"

"Not really; I can't see you, so to be honest, everything is kind of scary." He responded.

"That's right, because I am invisible," he heard the giggle again; he tried to follow the voice.

"No, it's because I am blind," he responded.

"Oh, sorry." He heard her say.

"Wait, are you invisible!" he said, trying to sit up.

"Um, yeah," she responded.

"Can you make yourself visible?"

"No, I haven't figured it out yet, but I am sure I will." the girl said. "You weren't born blind; is that part of your quirk?"

"No, there was an accident," Izuku said. "I don't know my quirk; they say I have one, but I still haven't figured it out."

"Well, I hope you do, and I hope it is super awesome," the girl said with such exuberance that Izuku couldn't help but smile.

"I hope you can be visible," he replied. "Hey, can I hear you again sometime?"

"I like that. I see what you did there," the girl laughed. "Sure, I don't know when I will return, but I will stop and see you next time."

"Not if I SEE you first!" he replied, adding finger guns.

"Over more," she said. He moved his guns to the right, "There you go!"

The door opened, and she was gone, just like a ghost.


-Later-

"Did you know the hospital is haunted?" Izuku told his mother, who smiled gently at her dear boy.

"No, I didn't," she replied, wiping his chest with a damp towel. "Arm up," she ordered.

"Yeah, but she is a friendly ghost," he responded, giggling when his mom ran the cloth under his armpit.

"How do you know it's a girl ghost?" Inko responded, going over the ticklish part a few more times to ensure it was clean.

Once Izuku caught his breath, he said, "She sounded like a girl? But you know what? I don't know. There was that girl I met at the clinic, but she looked like a guy. She was very nice and didn't get mad when I made that mistake."

"Yes, Hikiishi can be very nice," Inko responded.


-A long road-

Sure enough, the ghost returned to visit; Izuku always knew by the door opening. If the door opened, someone was coming in, and hospital staff would always announce themselves. So it wasn't difficult for him to know when it was her. She giggled a lot. He verbally confirmed that she was, in fact, a girl. She was curious about why he was unsure, but she seemed to understand after his story. On his third visit from the giggling ghost, he discovered her mother was a doctor at the hospital. She was one of Izuku's doctors, Dr. Hagakure. Izuku began to look forward to her visits; it was sunshine in his dark world. They would tell each other bad jokes, and she would make him laugh.

Inko was busy working and trying to be there for her son as he struggled to learn a new way to live. All the rehab was enough to drive her insane nearly, and she wasn't the one going through it, on top of her job as an emergency room doctor. For the past two months, she had lived at the hospital.

She was surprised and hurt when, after sending the divorce papers to her husband, he signed them without protest. It is not even a phone call of empty promises to try and work things out or improve them. Then there was the Bakugo's. Legal responsibility for Izuku's accident had fallen upon the family after an investigation, though it was an accident their son had crippled her son. What made things complicated was that Izuku had asked about Katsuki, wondering why he hadn't come to visit him. She stared at her phone for a while before she called.

"Hello, Inko," Mitsuki rang out loud and clear.

"Hello, Mitsuki," Inko responded. "I would like to sit down with you and Katsuki. Izuku has been asking about him."

"I understand. Where would you like to meet?"

"There is a café across from the hospital," Inko said, looking at her calendar. "How about Saturday at 11 am?"

"We will be there," Mitsuki responded, and the phone call ended. Mitsuki set the phone down and leaned back in her chair, staring at the is going to be a long road, she thought.


-Saturday-

Katsuki had been in a funk since the accident. That wasn't the right word; he had been in the grips of depression. As nightmares had plagued him nightly, Izuku's screams and the smell of burning flesh tormented him; the worst was that he woke up, and they didn't stop. The once-vaunted quirk he had been so proud of now terrified him; he had to stop using it altogether. They had been forced to change schools after the accident as the other parents had submitted a request for them to do so as they did not feel their children would be safe. He had welcomed the change of schools, not to get away from the stares but not to have to look at that empty desk anymore. Or see the drawings on the walls.

When his mom told him about the meeting, he wondered if Aunty would yell at him again; he deserved to be yelled at. But he wanted to see Izuku, even if it was one more time. He had to tell him how sorry he was.

The Bakugos arrived early only to find Inko seated on the outside patio, drinking coffee. They made their way over to her and took the chairs opposite.

"Can I say something?" Katsuki said immediately as they took their seats. Inko was slightly surprised, but she just nodded for the boy to continue. "I am so sorry, Aunty. Sorry is not a good enough word, but I am sorry. Even if you tell me I can never talk to him again, I want to talk to him one more time to tell him that." Katsuki wiped away a tear. "I don't want him to forgive me; I just need him to know."

"You are right. Saying you are sorry is not good enough," Inko replied; she noticed how Katsuki flinched. "What you did, accident or not, has robbed my son of sight. For the rest of his life, he will never be able to see all the wonders and joys this world offers. But you can prove it." Katsuki's head lifted. "Not with words but with actions; every day from now on, you prove that you are a better person than that day in the river, that every day you prove that what happened that day changed not only Izuku's life but yours as well." Inko stared at the young boy for a moment. "He has been asking about you; he wants to know why you haven't come to see him. After we talk here, I will take you to see him, and we can see where we go from there."

Inko drank her coffee and turned her attention to Mitsuki, "The same goes for you, Mitsuki; I am not going to try and ruin you or Masaru; I will let the lawyers settle things. That is all I can offer."

"I understand, Inko, and thank you for that," Mitsuki bowed her head. "That is more generous than I could have ever dreamed of."

"Now, if you like, can we order some food, or can I take you to see him?" Inko said.

"I would like to see him first," Katsuki replied. "I am not hungry."

Inko paid her tab and led them across the street, into the hospital, and to her son's room. When they opened the door, Katsuki took a deep breath; he winced and felt like running when he saw his eyes still wrapped in bandages. They saw him sit up.

"Honey, it's me, and I brought some visitors," Inko said.

"Hey, Brat," Mitsuki said softly.

"Hi, Izuku," Katsuki almost whispered.

"Aunty, Kacchan!" Izuku said excitedly; Katsuki flinched at hearing him say his nickname. "Are you okay, Kacchan?"

"I am sorry I hurt you, Izuku," he replied as he started moving to Izuku's bedside. Katsuki hadn't even realized he was moving forward. Izuku opened his mouth but then stopped.

"I am sorry that it happened to Kacchan," Izuku said, looking down at his hands. "I am mad at you." Katsuki halted his approach. "I just wanted us to keep being friends and heroes together, but you were so mean when my quirk still hadn't come in." They saw his shoulders shudder as he started crying. "You called me Deku; that hurt; I wasn't useless…and now," he touched his bandaged eyes.

"I was stupid, Izuku," Katsuki said, holding his hands to his chest. "I was stupid and dumb, and I don't know why I acted that way. I won't ever use my quirk again. I am just so sorry."

"NO!" Izuku yelled, startling them. "YOU HAVE TO BE A HERO NOW!"

"But?" he protested.

"I DON'T KNOW IF I GET TO BE A HERO NOW!" Izuku said. "AND IF I CAN'T BE A HERO, THEN YOU HAVE TO BE ONE FOR ME! And not just a hero who wants to beat people up constantly, but a real hero like All-Might! Like we used to talk about, you must do that for both of us!" Izuku held out his hand. "Then all this will be for nothing, and I don't want this to be for nothing."

"Then you have to be a hero with me!" Katsuki ran forward and grabbed his hand. "I will do everything I can to be a hero, but I want you with me. I know I did wrong, but I can do it if you are there to help me."

"I will always do my best to help you," Izuku said; the two children hugged while the parents looked on.

"It is amazing children's capacity for forgiveness," Inko said. "It is something that gets lost as we get older."

"But is it something that can be found again?" Mitsuki whispered, looking at Inko.

"In time and by actions," Inko responded. "I won't tell you it will be tomorrow or even a year from now, but Izuku needs this, and that is what matters."

Mitsuki and Inko sat in silence, watching the two boys talk, trying to find their footing with each other once again.

"So, how do you know that they are invisible?" Katsuki said after hearing about the giggling ghost. Izuku opened his mouth but then shut it.

"I honestly don't know," Izuku laughed. "She just said she was, and I believed her; I mean, who would lie about being invisible and not being able to be invisible."

"That is a good point," Katsuki said, tapping his chin.

"She is invisible," Inko said. "I met her."

"Well, there you go," Izuku said, smiling. When the door opened, it was time for Izuku to eat; Katsuki watched a bottomless pit in his stomach, seeing Izuku struggle with such an essential task. Mizuki leaned down and told him to say goodbye before Katsuki could protest.

"He needs to eat, and I am sure he has physical therapy to do; we can come by again tomorrow," Katsuki nodded. They said their goodbyes Izuku shoulders sagged as they were leaving, but with the promise to visit again tomorrow, he perked back up.


-Izuku & the Giggling Ghost-

"So they are saying that I am going to go home soon," he said, his hands in his lap.

"Oh well, that is good," she responded. "You can't live in the hospital forever, and if they are letting you go home…"

"Yeah, that is neat, but I won't get to SEE you anymore!" he missed when he fired the finger guns.

She giggled, "Well, my mom knows your mom. Maybe I can not be seen at your house!"

"You would come over and visit me?" he said, slightly shocked.

"Of course, we are friends…right?" she said hesitantly.

"We sure are," Izuku mood brightened; he now had a new friend.


-Awakening-

Izuku woke up; something was wrong, so he immediately touched his watch. "3:23 AM," it rang out in All-Mights' voice. That little bit was new, and he had Toru to thank. When she looked at the watch, she told him it could be programmed to have different voices; of course, Izuku wanted All-Might.

But after that rang out, he listened. It was shallow, but he heard someone breathing. His hearing had gotten much better over his time in the hospital. "Who's there," he said frantically, his hand reaching for the panic button.

"It's all right, Izuku," a man's voice filled the room. "You don't have to be afraid."

He had not heard that voice in person, only on the phone, and that was at Christmas most times. "D-Dad?"

"It's me, son," he heard the footsteps coming closer.

"Why are you here?" Izuku whispered. "Why didn't you see me when I got hurt?"

"I couldn't, son; I am so sorry," Hisashi said softly. "I was far away, and I was busy with a project. Then…."

"No, that isn't fair," Izuku yelled. "I don't remember what you look like, and now I don't get to see you!"

"Izuku, calm down," he urged.

"NO, NO, THIS ISN'T FAIR, THIS ISN'T FAIR!" Izuku was screaming now, slamming his hands on the bed. "WHY DIDN'T YOU COME SEE ME? WHY DIDN'T YOU LOVE ME ENOUGH TO SEE ME?

"Izuku!" Hisashi was hoping to slip in and slip out. He just wanted to see his son. "I am sorry, son, but you must calm down."

The bed was shaking violently, and soon, he noticed that the medical equipment in the room was also shaking. He paused when suddenly Izuku screamed in frustration, and the bed railing flew off, hitting Hisashi and sending him back.

Izuku could feel something; he thought it boiling away inside. It was like a pot of water that had been simmering and just about to boil, and suddenly, the flames went nuclear. He felt the rail hit something, and then the other bed rail flew off and hit something again. He could hear his father shouting his name, but it made the fire rage even more. He could feel other things in the room; he knew where they were and their shape. Hisashi ducked as the heart monitor suddenly came barreling at him. The rails of the bed began to bend and wrap around him.

"THIS ISN'T FAIR!" Izuku roared as things began to lift and fly around the room in a scene of pure chaos. The door flew open as the night nurse burst in.

"WHO ARE YOU? YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN HERE?" she roared. Hisashi watched as she stumbled back into the hall, avoiding the upheaval of objects thrown around the room. Hisashi struggled as the rails wrapped around him; he was lifted into the air and thrown into a wall. Izuku was on his feet in the center of this maelstrom. He heard the woman calling for security, and alarms sounded.

"I HATE YOU!" Izuku roared. He could feel the rails around someone, someone big; he stumbled forward, and suddenly, the man flew again across the room, crashing through the bathroom door. He could feel more things there: metal, pipes, and safety rails.

He felt something metal fly through the air and hit him in the shoulder; it was a needle; he screamed in a complete rage as all around the hospital, things began to shake and tremble. "I HATE YOU! I hate you, I hate you, I…hate…you…" Izuku stumbled towards the bathroom; Hisashi felt the rails loosen quickly. He got free and saw his son staring in his direction, tears running down his face. He saw Izuku stumble. He dashed forward and caught his son as he collapsed.

"I am sorry Izuku…" he whispered. "So sorry."

Security rushed the room, demanding him to step away from the boy; he laid Izuku gently down, putting his hands up as nurses ran in, grabbed Izuku, and pulled him out of the room. Once Izuku was clear, he peacefully surrendered to the guards; he didn't want to hurt them. They led him out of the room in cuffs; he looked and saw the nurse who had entered the room tending to Izuku while another older woman stood next to them, emitting a blue energy shield of some sort.

Inko screeched to a halt in front of the hospital after receiving the phone call that her son had been attacked. She ran into the hospital, flashing her badge. She ran past everyone to her son's room; she looked inside and nearly had a panic attack at the state of the room. Police were there alongside a few local heroes.

"Inko!" a voice yelled out. She turned and saw the head nurse.

"Mamoru!" she responded, running over. "Where is Izuku? Is he okay? What happened?"

Mamoru grabbed her hand. "He is in the security wing. His quirk awakened when the man was in the room, so he had to be sedated. He appears to be fine."

"His quirk?" Inko said, shocked.

"We think it was his; everything was flying around the room, with him at the center. He was attacking that man." Mamoru leaned forward and whispered. "I am pretty sure it was Hisashi!"

Inko froze, "Hisashi came in and attacked Izuku?" she started to see red.

"I don't think so; we don't even know how he got in," Carla saw Izuku's vitals spike and heard him screaming. "He kept saying I hate you over and over again. We had to tranquilize him, and once we did, security came in, and we got Izuku out. The man surrendered, but he looked like Hisashi."

Inko grits her teeth. She will have to deal with that later; her son needs her, so she leaves to head to the security wing.


-Holding Cell-

"How fucking dare you!" she roared, "How fucking dare you just show up? What gives you the right to do that to him."

'I just wanted to see him," Hisashi said, his head still bowed, his hands clasped in his lap. "And he is my son Inko."

"You are not his father," Inko's voice dropped to a deadly whisper. "A father is there for his son; a father doesn't just disappear, and if his son is lucky, he receives a phone call. A father doesn't abandon his family."

"Inko, I never abandoned," he said softly, "My work…"

"What is your work, Hisashi? What is so important that you would abandon me and your son?" Inko grabbed the bars. "What mattered so much that it has been years since you came home, held your son, held your wife?"

"I can't talk about it," he said. "Inko, I didn't want it to go like this. I love you, and I love Izuku."

"You could have fooled me," Inko pulled her arms around herself. "You just signed the papers; I hoped that maybe you would fight for us, for this family, but you just…Never come near me or him again. Please stay away from us, Hisashi. If you come near him again, he is going to be an orphan because you will be dead, and I will be in jail." Inko turned and left the room.

Hisashi sat there for a few minutes before the door opened, and a tall, waifish woman floated in. "Was all this necessary, sir?"

Hisashi got to his feet, "Yes, for both of us. Now let's go." He opened the door to the cell, and they exited the building.


-Security Wing-

Izuku stirred to consciousness; he felt groggy and lethargic; when he tried to move, he felt the restraints holding him in place, and panic began to set in quickly.

"Izuku?" he heard his mother's voice, which sounded muffled. Then he felt her hand grab his.

"What is going on? I feel weird. Why…." He started to say, then remembered, "DAD!" He shouted, expecting to hear his voice again, but he was greeted with silence. He started to tear up; of course, he wasn't here! Very quickly, the anguish began to turn to anger, and that same sensation built up inside; an alarm blared, hurting his ears, and the sensation fell away.

"Izuku, you have to calm down," his mother said, her hand on his forehead. Take a deep breath." He did as she asked. "Good, now take another one," the alarm stopped. "Keep Going."

He continued like this for several minutes, "Mom, what is happening? Why can't I move?"

"Your quirk manifested," Inko told him gently.

"MY QUIRK!" again, with the alarm, he had to take deep breaths.

"You need to stay calm right now, honey," Inko squeezed his hand. "When your quirk manifested, you went out of control; when that happens, you are sedated, and they moved you to the security wing. We do this because we need to ensure that when you wake up, you don't go out of control again. Now, I need you to tell me what happened?"

Inko listened as Izuku recounted what had happened in his room and how his dad had been there. It took a bit of prodding and some pauses for deep breaths, but he told her how angry I had made him and how unfair it was. Then, the feeling inside exploded, and he couldn't control it, but he could feel things like metal, throw the bed rails like his father, and feel him through them.

"Izuku, it sounds like your quirk manifested because you were angry; when I woke you up, and you didn't hear your dad, did you get angry again," she asked.

"Yes, I just." His shoulders sank, and he took a deep breath.

"It is all right; good job, they're not getting angry again." Inko squeezed his hand again. "So as long as you can stay calm, we can remove the restraints, and you should be able to leave the Security Wing."

"So I can only use my quirk when I am angry?" Izuku wondered aloud. "What am I, a green rage monster?"

Inko laughed, "What happened is called a Quirk Trigger. Your quirk reacted to your emotions, in this case, the anger; it was probably the angriest you have ever been. As of right now, it will work when you are angry; we will need to see a quirk counselor; they will be able to help you access your quirk without the anger."

"What if I can't?" he said, his voice full of fear.

"If I can do it, then so can you?" Inko said, kissing his forehead. "Now, I will talk to security to get you those restraints."

"Okay, Mom," he least you were good for something, Dad, he thought.


-The Long Road-

Toru was there every day the following week to spend time with him before his release. After hearing about his quirk manifesting, she even met Bakugo, who came by to check on Izuku.

"So you have to be angry to access your quirk?" Bakugo almost wanted to laugh; Izuku was never angry, but the fact that his quirk had triggered that his piece of crap father had shown up made sense to Bakugo.

"For now, I have to go see a quirk counselor to learn how to access it without being a green rage monster," he said. His shoulders sagged, but he smiled when he felt Toru take his hand.

"I am sorry you have such a crappy dad, but you have a great mom," she said. "I am sure you will figure it out."

"Of course he will, Invisalign. Nothing will stop him, not even a colossal idiot like me," Bakugo said, his voice trailing off. The two stayed with Izuku until they had to leave as visiting hours had ended.

"I know we don't know each other," Toru said as they stood before the elevators. "But I hope his belief in you isn't wrong."

Bakugo looked at the floating clothes, ready to tell her to piss off, but she wasn't wrong. "I hope so too; I don't deserve his forgiveness yet. But I will."

"You better," Toru said as she left him standing there.

It was a vast adjustment period as Izuku transitioned home; the car ride was challenging, leaving him feeling a little car sick, but with his cane in hand, he walked up the path to his home. He could picture the house, though he felt sad knowing he would never see it again. His mother had spent the time he was in the hospital getting the house ready for him.

The bathroom has been renovated, the furniture has been cleaned up, creating clear lines for him to navigate the home. He was happy to be home to the familiar smells, but it was bittersweet as well, all the things he wouldn't be able to see again or participate in. Those thoughts had been part of his life while in the hospital, but it was being driven home as he stood in the entryway trying to remember what his room ever looked like. He started having trouble breathing; he was shaking, it was all starting to overwhelm him, then he felt her arms around him. His mother just held him, her whispered assurance of her presence.

He didn't know how long they stood there until he felt he could breathe again, but he could. "Thanks, Mom," he said. It was just a lot."

"That is fine, Izuku. Whenever it gets too much, tell me, and we will figure it out together," she said, holding him tight. "Too much, we will take slow, too big, and make it smaller. You are not alone on this road. We are In this together, Izuku."

"I love you, Mom," he whispered.

"I love you so much, Izuku," she responded, holding him long into the night.