Chapter Text
No one ever notices that he’s there.
He’s just a Deku after all. Once he turned four and was the only kid his age diagnosed to be without a quirk, he was left behind. Even Kacchan left him behind, though he’s sure that was just due to the peer pressure from his classmates. Kacchan was too cool to be hanging out with a quirkless Deku like him anymore but a part of him hoped that Kacchan still secretly cared about him.
Midoriya Izuku wished that Bakugo Katsuki still wanted to be his friend. It was a lonely day when Izuku was reduced to ashes by the explosive blast of Kacchan’s amazing quirk. Kacchan never hurt him physically at least, but he also never acknowledged Izuku’s presence anymore. Those ruby red eyes would just gloss over him nowadays. Gone was the best friend who was supposed to train with him and become his hero partner in their own agency one day.
Gone were any friends really.
Izuku would like to say he enjoyed playing sports, going to the beach or the mall with friends and talking about the latest villain take down but he didn’t have any friends. He didn’t get to do any of the activities that normal kids his age did.
He did well in school, he was at the top of the class right now, set to graduate from Aldera Middle School as the valedictorian and he hoped it was enough to get him into UA, not that anyone would notice. He wasn’t trying for the Hero Course. He knew being quirkless that that was no longer an option. No matter how much his heart yearned for it, he had to be realistic. It didn’t stop him from loving heroes though. It didn’t stop him from wanting to help people. Maybe he could enter into the business class or support class and work with heroes behind the scenes. He was already used to being in the shadows of others anyways.
Sometimes that worked to his benefit though. Like now for instance, as Izuku walked through the streets of Musutafu after school towards a villain fight, no one stopped the green eyed, green haired boy from crossing under the yellow tape and getting closer to the action.
Grabbing one of his notebooks, titled “Hero Analysis for the Future”, Izuku eagerly flipped to a blank page to start writing. It appeared to be a robbery in progress, and was that – yes! That was Death Arms! He hadn’t gotten an analysis of him yet!
The villain appeared to have just exited from a bank and was trying to make a getaway with a rather large sum of money if the bulging black duffel bag slung across his back was any indication. Death Arms was behind him and quickly falling behind.
The villain must have a speed quirk. Death Arms was too muscular to be light on his feet and had no hope of winning a foot race with a villain that could outpace him. Izuku watched as Death Arms stopped and quickly surveyed his surroundings. There was a blue sedan parked on the side of the street that he quickly ran towards and picked up effortlessly.
Oh. Is he going to throw the car at that villain? It would certainly slow him down, but it did seem a bit aggressive to Izuku.
The villain seemed to agree with this thought as he quickly picked up the pace once he noticed the car the hero had set his gaze on.
Death Arms faced towards the villain, and with the car between both arms, Izuku watched him launch it right towards the villain. Right towards the villain who was quickly running towards Izuku. The car was flying straight for him!
He didn’t have a moment to process this realization before both the villain and the car came crashing into Izuku.
He saw stars at the same time that he felt and heard a crack coming from his left side.
Both Izuku and the villain were knocked to the ground, the black duffel bag the villain had been carrying tore and it’s contents spilled onto the street.
The blue car bounced once, then rolled away from it’s victims, coming to a rest on it’s wheels and if Izuku wasn’t currently in intense pain, he would have laughed at the two body indents that were now imprinted on the passenger side.
Huh. Too bad that wasn’t truck-kun. Maybe I would have been the cool powered up protagonist in another world.
“Kid!? What are you doing over there!?” Death Arms roared as he approached the currently knocked out villain. “I didn’t see you! Are you trying to get yourself killed!?”.
How the hero didn’t see a child standing in the middle of the street before throwing a car straight at him was beyond Izuku’s comprehension.
“N-n-no sir! I was just watching and i-it h-happened so fast I didn’t know I was in your way! I’m s-sorry!” Izuku attempts to bow in apology but the searing pain coming from his ribs halts the movement. I must have broken at least a couple.
His school uniform is torn and dirty and his notebook is laying halfway across the street, having slipped from Izuku’s grasp on impact. One of his red sneakers was missing.
Death Arms just stares at him.
Izuku just stares right back.
Death Arms slides a hand down his face. “Alright kid, this is on both of us. Now are you hurt?” Izuku nods. “Stay right here, I’m sure someone’s called an ambulance and they’ll come get you squared away. I’ve gotta take this guy in so don’t leave, yeah?” Izuku nods again and Death Arms picks up the unconscious villain and starts walking toward the police who had neglected to see and stop the kid from crossing under the yellow line in the first place.
Izuku sat there, waiting as he was told to, for an ambulance that never came.
He watched the villain get unceremoniously tossed into the back of a police cruiser and escorted to the precinct where Izuku was sure he’d get medical attention – heroes weren’t supposed to let the villains die after all.
He watched Death Arms talk to the media for a bit before a sidekick of his rolled up in an agency vehicle and whisked him away.
He watched as the cops picked up the scattered money and then left to go back to the precinct.
And still he watched as the street returned back to normal and no ambulance came to help him.
Izuku sighed and oh so slowly got up off the street and went to find his missing shoe. His left side was on fire and every movement and breath felt like a fire-hot iron was branding him.
I don’t know why I’m so disappointed. This isn’t the first time I’ve been forgotten. I need to get home before Mom starts to worry though. She’ll be able to help me anyways.
So Izuku collected himself, found his shoe and made the painstakingly slow walk home alone.
It was hours past when he was supposed to be home by the time he reached his apartment. His mom was sure to be worried about him by now. He hoped she wouldn’t be too upset to heal his injuries.
Midoriya Inko was a nurse with a healing quirk that could fix just about any injury, but she couldn’t quite get it to work properly if she was feeling too emotional. Her quirk created stem cells in the injured person’s body and guided the cells to the injured site where she could speed up mitosis and make quick history of any kind of injury. It was really a remarkable quirk and Izuku always thought his mom should get more credit for the work she did, but his mom was also a nervous and sensitive person and if the person injured was someone she knew, half the time she would be crying too hard to be able to actually help the person.
And so while Midoriya Inko was well loved by everyone at her job, she was never promoted to one of the higher paying positions she deserved and had to work extra shifts to provide for her and Izuku.
“Mom! I’m sorry I’m late but I’m home now!” Izuku called in to the dark apartment. Wait – dark? Izuku glanced at the clock in the kitchen. It read 6:07pm.
She must be working late again. Guess I’ll just have to bear it a little while longer until she gets home.
Izuku figured he might as well get something to eat and wash up in the meantime.
He grabbed a pack of ramen noodles from the pantry and set to heating the water. There were leftovers in the fridge from yesterday’s dinner but there was only enough for one person so he’d decided to save it for Inko. She would be tired once she came home and he didn’t want to cause any more work for her than he already was.
By the time Izuku had eaten and showered, Inko still wasn’t home. He could always call her hospital to check in but again, he didn’t want to worry her.
I’ll just wait up in my room for her. She usually comes and checks on me when she gets home late anyways.
Izuku was used to being lonely. It wasn’t the end of the world having to wait a while longer to see the one person in his life that always sees him. It was just a tad bit uncomfortable with the broken ribs he was sure he was suffering from at the moment.
Izuku wakes up to the sound of his alarm.
He cringes at the still burning sensation in his side and it takes him a moment to remember yesterday’s events.
I must have been asleep when Mom came home and she didn’t realize I was injured.
In her defense, it probably wasn’t easy to diagnose fractured ribs on someone who was asleep and tucked under the covers.
Izuku slowly got out of bed and walked to his mother’s room. The door was still open, just like it’d been last night when she wasn’t home.
Is she already up and making breakfast? Izuku didn’t hear or smell anything wafting from the kitchen but he slowly trudged down the hallway to check anyways.
The kitchen was empty and still in the same state as Izuku had left it last night (which was clean and tidied up, thank you very much. He is not a heathen and takes pride in keeping his home clean).
Izuku looked to the dining table chairs and didn’t see her purse slung over a handle like it normally was when she was home.
Her shoes weren’t at the front door and her house slippers were still there.
Izuku went in to his school bag and pulled out the phone he’d forgotten to take out and charge last night.
No missed messages. No missed calls.
The only one who ever contacted his phone was his mother and it was unlike her to not let Izuku know if she was staying at the hospital overnight.
Well, at this point it wouldn’t be bothering her, Izuku thought as he dialed the number to Musutafu General Hospital.
“Hello, nurse’s line at MGH, how can I direct your call?” A nurse answered the call.
“Uh yeah, hi. This is Midoriya Izuku, and I was wondering if my mom was available to talk for a quick second?”
“Midoriya? She’s not scheduled to come in until 9am this morning sweetie. She should be at home with you. Is she not there?” The nurse seemed just as confused as Izuku currently was.
“Oh no, I’m not home right now, I was at a friend’s house, and she didn’t answer her phone so I thought that meant she was at work. I’ll try calling her again though, thanks!” Izuku hung up before the nurse could respond. Why he lied, he couldn’t say. It just sort of came out.
Izuku calls his mom’s phone, and it rings several times before going to voicemail.
He was trying not to panic as a dark feeling sunk deep in his chest.
If Midoriya Inko was not at work, and not at home, then where was she?