Ha Ha. Funny joke...Right?
"Ha Ha. that was a funny joke...." the tall blonde man only stared at her. She began to laugh a bit, until she was wheezing, before she began to cry a bit. She didn't know if they were happy or sad tears. But she was tired. This day was exhausting and her mother is probably losing her mind. All might not know what to do at all. So he patted her shoulder. It was awkward but Izuku appreciated the attempt to comfort her. She sniffled looking back up at him.
"What do you mean 'successor'?" She looked up at the man. He took a step back, his smile widening. The expression in his eyes softened, yet something determined glimmered behind it. The weight of his gaze didn't seem to waver.
"If you accept, you can inherit my quirk." She blinked. Once. Twice. Her mind, a whirlwind of confusion, spun in circles around the words he had just spoken. She looked at him, eyes searching for something. Anything that might make this all make sense. She even looked around for cameras. But there was nothing. Just his unwavering gaze.
...
Don't ask how she managed to convince The fucking All Might to come back to her apartment to tell her mother about his, and her soon to be quirk. If she could get her mom on board. But that's why she's got All Might. Who would say no to All Might?
Her mother.
Her mother would.
But she's choosing to ignore that and indulge in this delusion.
She opened the door and was almost immediately brought into a hug. Her mother released her and held her face. Her pale green eyes darted all over her. A few scratches and bruises but other than that Izuku was fine. Deeming her ok, she pulled her down to kiss her head. Looking at her again before Izuku could realize her mother hit her on the head with a wooden spoon.
"OW?!" Izuku yelled. Grabbing her head to try and ease the pain.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! Do you have any idea how worried I was? I saw you on the NEWS. You could have died young lady!" her mother hit her a few more times on her arms and legs, not as hard. Izuku could see the new tears forming in her mother's eyes. Once her mother stopped her loving but firm attack, Izuku straightened remembering who was behind her.
"Mom..." Inko raised an eyebrow at her daughter's tone. Something was up.
"Don't freak out." izuku raised her hands up looking at her mother before glancing behind her a
bit.
"There better not be another raccoon behind you." Inko said, pointing at her daughter with the spoon.
"No it's not–," she just stepped aside. The abnormally tall blonde man stood there, and awkwardly waved. Her mother stared for a moment. Before looking at her daughter in disbelief.
"..."
"You brought home a fucking hobo?!" raising her spoon at the man, grabbing her daughter's arm to pull her behind herself.
"MOM, NONONONONO!" she yelled, moving to grab the damn spoon.
...
"So you want to give my daughter your quirk...So she can take your place as the symbol of peace?" Inko asked with furrowed brows, looking at the man sitting across from her and her daughter. She looked at her daughter who stared at her. Inko knew what she wanted. But she was worried. What if something happened? She knew being a hero was dangerous. But this was her baby. Her only baby. She didn't want to lose her. The atmosphere was thick with tension as Inko stared at her child. All Might sat there with an air of quiet anxiety, He leaned forward, hands clasped together, his voice warm but firm as he spoke.
"I understand this is hard to think about," All Might said, his voice rich with sincerity. "But I've seen that young Izuku has the potential for greatness." Inko's brows furrowed even further, her lips thinning into a tight line.
"But what about the risks? What if something happens to her? What then?!" she fired questions at the man, he couldn't respond fast enough before she went to speak again, Izuku shifted in her seat, nervous energy crackling through her, but she didn't break eye contact with her mother. This was it, the moment she had been dreading. She tugged on her mother's hand,
"Mom, I..." she began, voice faltering for a second, but she pushed through. "I know it's dangerous. But...I want to be a hero. Just like you always said I could be. I want to be someone who protects people, who makes a difference." Inko blinked, the weight of her daughter's words hitting her like a punch to the gut. Her baby girl had always looked up to heroes, idolized them, dreamed of being one herself, but hearing it out loud was different. It was real now. This was her chance. And she didn't want to take that from her. Never. But,
"I don't want to lose you." Inko whispered, her voice cracking slightly.
She leaned forward, her hands trembling as they reached out to grasp her daughter's. "You're my everything. I can't bear the thought of losing you in the name of some cause. I want you to be happy. To be safe. But what if I come home one day and you don't?"
Izuku could feel the ache in her chest as she met her mother's gaze, full of worry and love. She could feel an inkling of guilt, But this was her chance. The chance to do something more than just dream of it. She could feel the weight of All Might's words, the heavy responsibility resting on her shoulders, but something inside her knew she didn't care. That she could do it. That she could roll with the punches. She has been for most of her life. What's a few more?
"I don't want to be someone who hides, Mom," Izuku said, voice steady now, a quiet determination in her eyes. "I know it's scary. I know it might hurt. But this is my chance. I can do this. I can protect people. I know this is selfish to ask of you mom. But I'm willing to take that risk." For a long moment, there was silence. Inko's eyes searched her daughter's face, looking for any hint of doubt or hesitation. But there was none. Izuku was resolute, her heart beating fast with hope, with fear, but with an undeniable drive. Inko's eyes filled with tears. She let out a long, shaky breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if gathering her strength before speaking again.
"If this is what you truly want..." she began, her voice softer now, filled with love and a hint of sorrow. "Then I won't stop you. But I'll be there every step of the way. I'll be the one worrying, I'll be the one waiting...but I'll support you, Izuku. Always." Izuku's eyes welled up with tears, the overwhelming mixture of emotions spilling over. She threw her arms around her mother, holding her tightly.
"Thank you, Mom," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you for believing in me."
Inko held her daughter close, her own tears beginning to fall as she whispered back,
"I always will."
...
"Thank you for having me." All Might or Toshinori Yagi said as he bowed his head to Inko, she nodded looking at her daughter who was cleaning up the table. Inko couldn't help but release a heavy, almost defeated sigh. The weight of the conversation still clung to the room, thick and suffocating. Her gaze moved to her daughter who was cleaning the table, a giddy smile on her face despite how tired she was. Inko leaned against the doorframe, her back straight and her posture stiff with the strain of all that had been said. Her fingers tightened against the wood, her knuckles paling as she pressed into it. The words she had heard repeated in her mind. The ones about her daughter inheriting a power she had no idea how to control, the fear and the hope all bound up in one heavy bundle. The future felt so uncertain now.
Then, in the silence that enveloped them, she straightened, her heart still pounding with protective fear as she turned her attention to Yagi. He had already started down the steps, but Inko's voice, quiet yet unmistakable in its force, stopped him in his tracks.
"If my daughter dies," Inko's words rang out, thick with intensity, "I will find you."
All Might's eyes widened, his usually unfazed demeanor faltering for just a moment. He had heard his fair share of threats in his time, but none carried the weight of this one. The look in Inko's eyes was something he wasn't used to seeing. Something raw and primal, the kind of look only a mother could wield when her child's life was on the line. Her voice was so low, barely a whisper, but every syllable dripped with the weight of a promise. A promise he knew she would keep.
"I'll make sure it never happens," All Might murmured, but he knew this wasn't just about her words. This was about the depth of her love and the strength of her resolve. Inko held his gaze, unwavering, her stance firm as if nothing in the world could make her falter now. Her expression softened for a brief moment, just enough for him to see the heartache buried deep beneath her firm exterior at that moment. Then, with a sharp breath, she continued, each word like a blade cutting through the air.
"Teach her. Raise her. Help her become the best hero she can be. Or I'll never forgive you." Her voice broke just slightly as she said the last word, but the meaning behind it was clear. Inko wasn't asking. She was commanding. The weight of her resolve, the sorrow in her heart, and the boundless love for her daughter were all tangled up in that one sentence, wrapped around a promise she would make sure was kept.
All Might nodded quickly, a touch of discomfort crossing his face for a split second. He had always been the symbol of strength and invincibility, but Inko knew that he was just human. They all were. With a final, unspoken understanding between them, Inko's eyes softened as she looked back at her daughter.
"Protect my girl, Yagi," she said, her voice quieter now, but still filled with that quiet, unyielding resolve. It was a plea, yes, but also a warning.