MORALLY GRAY

CULPRIT

The night was young and chilly, the usual sounds of birds cooing and flying about had vanished and were replaced by nocturnal insects and owls alike. The streets, once filled with flowing rivers of people, now desolated and brightly lit by the rows of street lights that followed it wherever it went. One or two drunken men either sitting idly by on a bench or stumbling to get home in their intoxicated state.

In the far distance, the sounds of blaring sirens echoed throughout the area, notifying those who heard that a grave situation had taken place. "I wonder what happened," a certain civilian spoke curiously to himself.

The familiar green hair flowed along with the wind, the dimples on his cheeks hidden away under the scarf that protected him from the cold and a set of green eyes wandered into the direction in which the sound was coming from.

An older version of Izuku Midoriya walked with a steady pace, he was in no rush to make it to his residence nor did he want to linger in the area for too long for him to get robbed.

But hearing sirens always put him in some kind of alert mode, he wanted to investigate, but at the same time he knew it was none of his business.

Begrudgingly, he set his sights forward and kept it pushing, drowning out the sounds with his own thoughts.

Eight years had past since that day, but he still remembers it like it was yesterday. The day All Might had given him a reality check and set him straight. He was quirkless, and without one, he stood no chance of becoming a hero like him, the man who he's idolized for as long as he could remember.

He proceeded to drop out of the U.A program, leaving Bakugou to take the spotlight of his school and leave him in the dust. Of course, Bakugou took his time to gloat while he still had the chance, openly mocking Izuku about trying to be better than him and the rest of his classmates and then being chicken last minute.

The last days of high school were so hellish that Izuku just stopped going when he didn't need to, spending weeks at home where he wondered to himself day in and out: "Why was he so unfortunate?" 

Inko tried her best to make it up to him, but nothing seemed to work. His spirit had been shattered and he was in a constant loop of negativity that was eating him alive, never seemingly letting him go.

But one day...all that simply changed. Izuku had left his room, his appearance was poor, his hair wilder than before and his clothes crumbled and stained, signalling how long he really hadn't stepped out from his domicile.

Inko was surprised by how dark he seemed, but happy she was able to see her son's face again.  Slowly, Midoriya built himself back up, he began taking care of his poor, decrepit body, filling himself with healthy meals his mother cooked up and going on jogs to help him build up some stamina and muscle. 

Within a couple weeks, Izuku was in a healthier mindset than he was a month prior, a new smile of hope and determination plastered on his mug , signalling a new him. Inko was proud that her boy had dug himself out of the pit he had fallen into, but she never understood the reason behind his newfound motivation towards life.

Izuku's graduation was quickly approaching, making the family squabble around frantically to get everything in order for him. Although, Inko advised Midoriya that if he didn't want to go, they could simply pick up his certificate on a later date and skip the ceremony altogether. Izuku however, rejected this notion, saying that he had to attend so that he could see everyone one last time, that if he didn't do this, he'd regret it for the rest of his life.

Inko was still having second thoughts, worrying about her son's mental health and how he'd react to being put in an uncomfortable spot by his peers. Realising that she couldn't change his mind and not wanting him to think she was prohibiting his decision,  she agreed to let him go.