Who said I needed a quirk

Chapter 146: Forgiveness

Izuku's POV:

I was nearly done recording all parts of the listening device.

Izuku: "I should be done right around the day after I attend the party." I muttered to myself as leaned away from the device, using the glasses I had on to see a digital model of it, spacing out the parts in between as I get a better sense of how the transmissions should work, which was quite similar to the neurotransmitter I had implanted in the glasses but instead of sending signals from the brain, I'm receiving signals to the brain, which may be dangerous if I'm not careful.

While I was inspecting the hearing piece, I heard the front door open, causing me to stop as I tried to mentally prepare myself. I heard her footsteps get closer as they soon stopped right in front of my room. I used some breathing techniques to help calm my nerves as I swivel my chair to face the door. Seconds had passed by but she still hadn't opened the door. I could hear a loud sigh outside my room before I heard her footsteps trailing away from my room.

I know she's concerned for my safety, but safety isn't a guarantee in life. I sigh as I replay it through her eyes. Practically a single mother while her husband is overseas working. She had the responsibility of taking care of the house and me, despite having a job herself. It was her duty to protect me, especially after finding out that I had no quirk, which was my dream.

After going through her eyes once more, I managed to gain the courage to face her. I got up from my seat and exited the room to see my mom, where she was busy making dinner. She turned around, about to take off her apron.

Inko: "Oh! Izuku!" she said, startled.

She looked happy to see me, wanting to hug me, but her smile faltered as her arms dropped down. She looked away from me as her hands were clasped together with the thumbs twiddling with each other. She slowly turned back to me with her eyes closed as she bent down to my level. She looked me right into my eyes as she spoke.

Inko: "Izuku. You know I love you right?" to which I nodded. I would have been pretty stupid not to. "I only want what's best for you. Seeing you achieve your dreams is something I hope to see. I just don't want to see you so crushed after all your hard work because of others." she said to me wistfully. "I just want to say I'm sorry."

I can see the regret in her eyes, feeling apologetic about what she said this morning, not even hoping for forgiveness. Before I could say anything back, she stood up straight as she was about to resume cooking. I quickly ran behind her as I hugged her from her waist. She seemed surprised as she quickly looked down behind her.

Izuku: "I'm also sorry. You were just worried for me." I said back to her as I hugged her tighter. I can hear a small sniffle as she quickly turns around and crouches down to me as she hugs me back.

Inko: "I just don't want you to get hurt. Physically and emotionally." she says to me as I can hear her tear up.

Izuku: "I won't." I said back to her as I then pushed away from her as I looked her straight in the eyes, "Because I have people that believe in me." As I think back to sensei, Nakamura-san, Suzuki-san, Daichi, Ichika, Mei, and Momo, "And I won't let them down." I said with determination in my eyes.

Mom took one look at me as she gently smiled. She wiped her tears as she then cups both my cheeks.

Inko: "And I'll be supporting you all the way." she says with a lighthearted smile.

I was going to hug her again, that was until the smell of smoke had reached our nostrils. Mom had quickly turned around to see that the tonkatsu she was in the middle of making was getting burnt up. She quickly stood up and ran to the pan, as she turned off the stove and used her quirk to lift up the tonkatsu from the pan to stop it from cooking.

The tonkatsu had half of its side completely black. She turned to me, giving me an awkward smile. I couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous the situation was: just as we were having a heartwarming moment, this had to happen. She seemed to be surprised at first before she started to join in on the laughter.

We had a nice dinner afterward, where we talked normally as we would any other day, feeling refreshed and anew. I went to sleep happy that day, as I cozied up in bed as I drifted off to dreamland, hoping that today would finally be a good dream.

No One's POV:

As soon as Izuku had fallen asleep, his hopes were shattered. Just like any other day, he had woken to a nightmare. This time, it's him being an adult hero with no quirk but stacked with gadgets, patrolling the city. He saw his mother in the distance and wanting to go greet her, rushed his way over to her. But just right after he was within distance, she was crushed by a boulder in front of him, both shocking and scarring him. He shook his head violently, hoping it was all fake, and when he reopened them, it was the same thing a minute ago. He repeated the same thing as well, but this time, his mother disintegrated in front of him, scarring him again. He repeated the cycle many times, and each time, his mother died a different way, constantly scarring him.

Back in China, at a secret base, Akane can be seen looking displeased as she stopped working on her laptop, decoding the firewall. Hiroto, who was lying on her bed reading next to her, sees this in his peripherals as he slowly closes his textbook and sits up straight.

Hiroto: "Is something wrong?" he questions, sounding monotone.

Akane: "The kid." she says with an unpleasant look on her face.

Hiroto: "What's wrong?" As he sees her rubbing the side of her arm, looking uncomfortable to talk about it.

Akane: "The nightmare." she starts out with, hesitating to speak any further, "It's about his mom dying in front of him. Over, and Over, and Over again." she finally said out loud with pain in her voice as she looked down, looking like she was trying to forget.

Hiroto only stared at her before he got up and walked right next to her. He pulled her into his chest as he slowly pets her back.

Hiroto: "It's in the past now. There's nothing we can change about it. We can only change ourselves to move on from it and try to stop anything like that happening again." he says to her as she continues to cry into his chest. He spent the night trying to comfort her until she cried herself to sleep.