Chapter Text
On the morning of July fifteenth in the obstetrics and gynecology department of Musutafu General Hospital Inko Midoriya was screaming as the nurse held her hand. She had long since given up asking for her husband. Hisashi was on a business trip and wouldn’t arrive in time for their son’s birth. But that was okay, she knew he was doing what he could to support their growing family.
Her thoughts broke off with another shrill scream as the doctor urged her to push again. She’d been in labor for hours now, she had no idea what time it was, but she’d arrived the day before at around six in the evening.
“He’s almost out now, Inko, just one last push!” The doctor said, as he helped the baby emerge. Finally it was done. Inko sobbed in relief as the doctor praised her hard work. She smiled at her coworkers. They had all done so much for her through her pregnancy. It felt like the entire hospital was waiting in anticipation for Inko’s baby.
There was a commotion going on, Inko frowned through the haze that filled her brain. The doctors were rushing around muttering about something . She was in so much pain, but something was wrong .
“Maya,” Inko grunted out, grimacing from the effort.
Maya was her favorite coworker. She was young, just barely 25 and already a RN. Maya smiled at Inko reassuringly, though in her eyes Inko saw worry. Maya’s quirk allowed her to see a patient’s overall condition, giving her spreadsheets in her head as she examined someone.
“It’s alright Inko, go to sleep, he's fine,” Maya urged as she brushed Inko’s emerald bangs from her forehead.
Inko frowned, she didn’t want to sleep. She wanted her son, her baby. Unfortunately, her exhausted body made the decision for her, and Inko fell into a dreamless sleep.
🪽
Inko slept for a full day. While she was out her husband arrived at the hospital, and frowned as the staff informed him of the situation. They assured him his son would be fine, that they had done multiple tests on the infant, and none of the results showed anything concerning. But Hisashi was not comforted by this news. He strongly disliked uncertainty, and from everything the doctors were telling him, his son’s condition was nothing but uncertain.
“He hasn’t made a single noise,” The doctor had informed him. “He came out silent, which was worrying all on its own. Most infants cry the moment the placenta breaks, but your son remained unphased. We thought it might be a mutation quirk, but every test we’ve done has shown no such quirk present in your son.” The doctor set aside his clipboard, as he turned back to his laptop, clicking through other test results on his son.
“So, my son isn’t breathing then?” Hisashi asked. It sounded like that’s what the doctor was saying.
“Oh goodness no! Your son is quite well. He's breathing fine, his eyes opened immediately, and I must say there is a lot of intelligence in those eyes for a newborn.” The doctor laughed, clearly trying desperately to get Hisashi to calm himself. Hisashi swallowed down the smoke he felt building in his lungs.
“When can I see my wife?” He asked through a growl. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself.
“Ah!” the doctor squeaked, clearly worried about the enraged man in front of him. “Yes of course, Inko is right over here, Mr. Midoriya,” He stood from his stool, and practically ran out of his office. Hisashi followed after him, grumbling along the way about useless doctors.
Inko was awake when Hisashi walked in, she was speaking with Maya, inquiring why her son wasn’t with her. Maya, for her part, was doing an upstanding job at deflecting the new mother’s questions. Inko startled at their arrival and began pleading with Hisashi for her son.
“Calm yourself, Inko.” He ordered sternly, as he took a seat next to her bed. “Our son is fine, the doctors were just running tests on him because they were confused as to why he didn’t cry on arrival.” Hisashi informed her through a glare. He didn’t like whinging.
“Right, of course. Yes you’re right, Hisashi. Our baby is fine,” she sniffled. Finally coming down from her histrionics.
“Don’t worry, Inko, your son is actually on his way back to the room right now. He’s gone through the last tests and has been cleaned up. Congratulations you guys, you’re parents to a healthy young son.” The doctor informed them.
“ Thank you,” Inko said tiredly. The doctor nodded at her, and made his way out of the room.
“Have you decided on a name, Inko?” Maya asked, bouncing on her feet from excitement. She loved working in the obstetrics and gynecology department.
“We have, his name is Izuku.” Hisashi told her gruffly. Not appreciating her energy so early in the morning.
Maya gasped in excitement, squealing at Inko about how handsome a name it was. Inko smiled at her coworker, and allowed herself to fully relax for the first time since she’d woken up without her son.
Finally, a new nurse arrived with little Izuku in his newborn trolley. The baby was wrapped in a forest green blanket, and his head was already covered in a thin layer of green hair. Inko smiled as the nurse handed Izuku to her. He was so tiny . She knew right then and there that she’d do anything for her little boy.
🪽🪽
Midoriya Inko was exhausted. She had just returned from a double shift at the hospital, her toddler on her hip as she unlocked their apartment. Hisashi was on a business trip again, so she had to bring Izuku to work with her. There was a daycare at the hospital, thankfully, but Inko was growing more and more agitated as she had to keep using it. Every time she had to pick her son up, the caretakers in charge would consult her on Izuku’s behavior. Today, he had freaked out every child in the daycare, and was left all alone in a corner with only a broken toy that the children threw at him to keep him distracted.
“I'm sorry, Midoriya-San, I’ve tried to get the children to include Izuku but they’re scared of him. He doesn’t speak, he barely even moves! All he does is stare at everyone. There’s simply nothing more we can do. I’m afraid you can’t bring him back. It’s not good for the other children’s health.” The caretaker had said.
Inko fought back angry tears as she set Izuku in his play pen. The child looked at her as she walked away, his large green eyes tracking her every movement. She fought back a shiver. She hated Izuku’s stare. It felt so heavy for a toddler.
“Izu sweety, Auntie Mitsuki is coming over with Katsuki tomorrow, they’re going to hang out with you while Mommy's at work okay?” Inko said from the kitchen, pulling out an energy bar as she kept her eyes on her son. Izuku blinked at her, and sat down carefully on the floor. Inko huffed. She had no idea why Izuku was progressing behind all the other children. Katsuki had started speaking almost an entire year ago! Yet Izuku still didn’t make a peep. Izuku had at least finally started standing on his own, though he doesn’t walk anywhere.
“Come on, Baby, Let's get you to sleep,” Inko sighed as she gave up on waiting for a response. Izuku lifted his arms as she picked him up, and wrapped his arms around her neck as she brought him to his room. Inko took a bite of her energy bar as he did this, thanking the heavens that at least he seemed to understand her. Otherwise he wouldn’t move his arms around her, surely.
The next day, Inko woke up with a raging migraine. She scowled at her window as the sunlight was just barely beginning to peek through the lace curtains. The clock on her nightstand showed 5:30 am. She was supposed to sleep until six, but her head made it clear it would not let her sleep any longer, if the raging pounding going on was anything to judge by. She huffed in annoyance as she stood up, back creaking dangerously along the way. It was ridiculous, she knew, she was still young after all. Almost to her thirties and already so exhausted and bone-weary.
Izuku was standing in his crib, head cocked to the side as he stared at the wall. Inko frowned at him, his behavior in these moments reminded her of a cat staring into space. Maya had shown her pictures of her cat doing this very thing. “Cats can see ghosts, Inko, He’ll just startle and stare at something like it’s the most interesting thing in the world!” Maya would insist every time Inko asked how her cat was.
Inko fought back another shiver at her thoughts. She’d been shivering a lot more lately around Izuku. It confused her. “Come on, Baby, let's get you ready for your playdate with Katsuki, okay?” Izuku lifted his arms, a determined look on his face.
An hour later Izuku was bathed and dressed in his All Might overalls and green long sleeve shirt. It was adorable and Inko squeezed him tightly.
“Oh, Izu, Momma loves you so much. Please start talking soon, okay? I’m getting so worried,” her words were muffled in the toddler’s green curls, but Izuku hugged her tighter so she assumed he heard her. “Thank you, Baby,” she smiled at him as she pulled away, and to her shock, he smiled back. It was a simple upturn of his lips, his freckles bunching up cutely with his cheeks. She squealed in delight. This was the first emotion her son had ever displayed.
She was distracted by their apartment door swinging open, Mitsuki Bakugo arrived with a flourish as she so often does. Her grenade keychain swung around her finger as she grinned at Inko.
“Sup, Bitch! Long time no see, Beautiful,” Mitsuki shouted, her grin growing more box-like as Inko squealed in offence.
“Mittsy, I told you not to swear around Izuku!” She shouted, her hand coming up around his ears as if attempting to block the word from Izuku ignoring the fact that Mitsuki had already said it, and worse, around little Izuku.
“Auntie Inko!” A little voice chimed from behind Mitsuki, as a tiny ball of chaotic energy launched himself around Mitsuki and into Inko’s waiting embrace.
“Well, hello there, Katsuki,” she giggled as the child pulled away. “Are you ready for your day out with Izuku?” She asked him.
“Of course I am!” He said sternly, “Today is the day I'm gettin’ Zuku to speak!” He declared proudly. A matching boxy grin to his mothers, appearing.
“Oh?” Inko asked, as she smiled from Katsuki to Mitsuki, who rolled her eyes at Katsuki. The child had been declaring that ever since the two had met and Katsuki realized Izuku couldn’t speak. “I can’t wait,” she told him, who puffed out his chest in pride.
“You’ve got to head out, Inko, you’ll be late.” Mitsuki said, glancing at her watch. Mitsuki had always been the one to keep Inko on track.
“Right, yes, thank you, Mittsy, Okay Izu, Momma’s going now. Be good for the Bakugos okay?” The child didn’t respond of course, but he did waddle to Katsuki and took his hand in his own. A proud gleam in his eyes.
Inko left after that, leaving Mitsuki and the children in her apartment.
“Good, now that the sourpuss is gone,” Mitsuki grinned with mischief, “let's go get ice cream!” She declared, lifting the children on each hip and waltzing out of the apartment, locking it on the way with her spare key. Katsuki cheered, and Izuku stared at him, that subtle grin appearing again. This time, it was Mitsuki who praised Izuku’s smile. Even Katsuki took note of Izuku’s happiness.
Later, the three were at the Bakugou residence, Izu and Katsuki were coloring hero themed coloring books on Katsuki’s floor. They were using colored pencils, because ‘Crayons are for babies!’ as Katsuki insisted.
Izuku had just finished his picture of golden-aged All Might when Katsuki poked him. Izuku glanced at Katsuki, his head cocked to the side.
“Alright Zuku, enough dawdling. We’re gonna speak okay?” Katsuki sat up straight and crossed his arms. He was serious.
Izuku pushed his coloring books aside, and got up from his tummy to match Katsuki's position.
“Good,” Katsuki said. “You’re going to start with the most important word, okay?” He asked, and Izuku tilted his head in the slightest of nods. Katsuki grinned, pleased with the response. “Good, Katsuki!” He bellowed, as he leaned closer to Izuku, who startled at his ash blond friend’s sudden shout. “Your first word is gonna be my name ‘cause you're my best friend!” He explained.
Izuku nodded again. The child wanted to appease his friend. He wanted to speak. The fire in Katsuki’s eyes was all the strength Izuku needed to take a deep breath. “Ka-” he choked. This was harder than he thought it would be. Izuku’s face scrunched up in a frown. His cheeks reddening at his frustration.
Katsuki was staring at Izuku in awe. Sure, Zuku hadn’t actually managed his name. But he did try and that was more than he had ever done before in his three years of life. “Come on, Zuku! You’ve almost got it! Kat-Su-Ki.” He pronounced the syllables slowly.
Izuku’s green eyes sparkled as he nodded, this time much more defined. “Kat-” He stumbled again, and this time his eyes welled with frustrated tears.
“Hey it’s okay, deep breaths, Zuku. You’ll get there.” Katsuki assured him.
“Kachaan!” Izuku shouted. His little voice was high pitched and scratchy.
Katsuki’s crimson eyes widened in shock. That wasn’t his name, but Izuku was so proud of himself that Katsuki didn’t feel the need to correct him. Instead, he grinned at Izuku and launched himself at him, tackling Izuku in a strong hug. “Good job, Zuku! You’ve got it! Now speaking is gonna be a piece of cake!” He said.
Izuku shocked Katsuki again, by giggling . The sound was so incredibly adorable that it had Katsuki jumping back in absolute astonishment. His entire being reflected his awe as he stared at Izuku giggling, his arms wrapped tightly around his tummy as he rolled around.
Suddenly, Katsuki’s door slid open as Mitsuki came in. she was going to ask what all the commotion was, but words escaped her as she took in Izuku giggling on the floor. “Holy Shit,” she gasped, voice barely a whisper as she didn’t want to distract her ears from the heavenly sound of Izuku’s laugh. Quickly, she took out her phone, and filmed the child. Finally, as he calmed down, and his giggles finally broke off, he grinned wide, his cheeks nearly hiding his eyes entirely as he declared once more, “Kachaan!” Mitsuki dropped her phone in surprise. Her matching crimson eyes found Katsuki’s own as he smirked at her.
“Told ya I’d get him to speak today,” he said smugly.
“I- well- I suppose you did, didn’t you, you little miracle worker.” she picked her phone up, ending the recording and sending it immediately to Inko.
🪽🪽🪽
Katsuki was right, once Izuku started, speaking was easy for him. Suddenly he was spouting words at a mile a minute. Which was endearing all on its own. A couple weeks after the miracle, as Inko had taken to calling it, Izuku was out with Mitsuki and Bakugo again, He had been staring at Mitsuki unblinkingly for a while now, and Mitsuki had finally worked up the courage to ask him what was on his mind.
Izuku cocked his head to the side, and pointed at her hands before saying, “Glycerin. You secrete Glycerin from your skin which moisturizes your skin and messes with your neurons which makes you fiery tempered.” He said all of this in a single breath, his eyes almost appeared glazed over as he rattled off the information, and Mitsuki’s eyes blinked at the child. “What on earth?” she muttered.
“Woah, Zuku is smart!” Katsuki said. Patting Izuku’s head. Izuku smiled at Katsuki, and then the two ran off, weaving through the playground exchanging fistfuls of wood chips.
Mitsuki shook off her surprise, and decided Izuku must have heard her talking about her quirk at some point. Though if she had given more thought to it she would have realized she’d never done research into her Glycerin's effect on her brain.
🪽🪽🪽🪽
As it turns out, Izuku could rattle off information about anyone's quirk. When they got home that day it first happened, Izuku ran to Masaru in his office, and repeated what he did to Mitsuki, this time rattling off Masaru’s quirk, “Acid Sweat, your quirk allows you to secrete acidic sweat with combustive properties from your hands,” he said, once more in the same breath, before he turned around and sprinted off to Katsuki’s room.
Izuku had done this to everyone he’d come across, scaring the ever loving crap out of the entire community. Everyone in the apartment complex avoided him, his parents were growing increasingly worried about his strange knowledge. Rumors in Musutafu spread incredibly fast, and after only a few months it seemed everyone recognized the strange green haired child with the vacant eyes who knew way too much. As it turned out, people assumed Inko was the one who told her son about their quirks. The mistrust in the Midoriya's grew and festered until Inko could hardly go outside without people yelling at her in fear of what she knew about them. Izuku, through all of this, remained blissfully unaware as he continued to grow closer to his Kachaan.
On Katsuki’s fourth birthday, Izuku was sitting at the kitchen table with the Bakugos when suddenly, his head cocked and he pointed at Katsuki, “Explosion! Your quirk allows you to secrete nitroglycerin from your sweat in your hands. This sweat can be ignited on command from your mind creating explosions. The nitroglycerin will affect your neurons and cause a short temper like Mitsuki-San.” When Izuku was finished, he sat back, out of breath. The Bakugos stared at Izuku in surprise, before Mitsuki and Masaru looked at their son in confusion.
“Katsuki, did you get your quirk and not tell us?” Mitsuki asked, hurt in her tone.
“HAH?! No! I wouldn’t hide a badass quirk like that from nobody!” He said, standing up about to shout some more when tiny sparks exploded from his palms. Katsuki looked at his hands in awe, “woah, Zuku, can you see the future or somethin’?” he said in surprise.
Izuku shook his head rapidly. He had no idea how or where he got his strange knowledge of people’s quirks. He just did.
“Well,” Masaru coughed awkwardly. “Katsuki got his quirk in, we'll wonder about Izuku later,” he said, as the family shifted to celebrating Katsuki’s new quirk.
🪽🪽🪽🪽🪽
Izuku was almost five now, and his quirk still hadn’t come in. Hisashi was growing impatient. Every other child in the neighborhood had gotten quirks. Even Kachaan was growing concerned.
“Inko, I’ve made an appointment with a Doctor friend of mine. Tsubasa will figure out what’s going on with Izuku’s quirk.” He informed them one morning. “You’re to take him after breakfast. I’ll be on a business trip so I won't be able to .” He informed her.
Inko frowned at her husband. He’d been going on a lot of business trips lately. “Okay, Hisashi.” she replied.
Inko and Izuku left for the private clinic Hisashi set up for them that day. They only had to wait five minutes before being ushered into the examination room. Doctor Tsubasa was a jolly man with the bushiest mustache Izuku had ever seen. Despite this, Izuku was unsettled by him. An hour later, Doctor Tsubasa had them sit down as he gave them the results of the various tests he’d put Izuku through.
“I’m sorry, Midoriya-san. It’s not going to happen.” He told them as he spun the monitor around so they could see an x-ray of Izuku’s foot that they had done at the beginning of the appointment.
“See this, this here is a double joint in Izuku’s pinky toe. Before quirks evolved, humanity had a vestigial joint in their pinky toe. When quirks appeared, there was a trend shown that those with quirks do not have this second joint. The unevolved, those without quirks, have this unnecessary double joint. I’m sorry, it’s not going to happen.”
“I see, thank you for your time, Doctor.” as they left they missed Doctor Tsubasa sending a quick message to someone, a hungry gleam in his eyes as he did so.
When Inko and Izuku got home that afternoon Hisashi was gone, at first, she thought he was on his business trip, though after three days and he still hadn’t returned she started growing weary. She tried to call him, but her calls were sent straight to voicemail, until finally, after a week, she got an email stating Hisashi had gone to America and he needed space to come to terms with Izuku’s diagnosis.
🪽🪽🪽🪽🪽🪽
There are some psychiatrists who claim all sociopaths undergo a ‘stressor’ event which triggers a person’s mental psyche to snap, changing them fundamentally. Perhaps that’s what happened to Inko the day Hisashi left them. Or perhaps she was always this way, distant and stressed. Either way it didn’t matter. Inko had changed.
Inko was obsessed with finding a cure for her son. She was certain he had a quirk. He was far too intelligent for a five year old. She lost herself to her obsession. Researching every corner of the internet she could for the cure.
Similarly, Izuku had also gone through a change. Before the diagnosis, Izuku and Kachaan had a plan to become the number one hero duo. Kachaan was convinced that Izuku would receive a powerful quirk and the two would be unstoppable, but after the diagnosis, Izuku came home heartbroken. That night he went to his room with the family laptop clutched tightly in his hand. That day he searched ‘Quirkless Heros’ and was gutted by the ‘NO RESULTS FOUND’ page that came up. What he did find was an interview of his favorite hero All Might saying, “the Quirkless? Hahaha, no they cannot be heroes. They cannot be anything in this society. They are far too much of a liability. But never fear, for I AM HERE to keep everyone safe.” Izuku’s love for the hero shattered that day, which led him down a rabbit hole searching every corner of the internet for hope. The longer he looked the more depressed he grew. There has never been a quirkless hero in the entire history of the Hero Age.
Izuku spent hours that night combing the internet until finally, through back channel websites and links, he found his way on the Dark Web and subsequently, The Underground. Izuku was shocked by The Underground. He’d never even heard of it. Even more shocking than the existence of The Underground was what lies within the underground where little Izuku found his hope. Those in the underground did fight quirkless. Quite often in fact.
And so over the course of two years Inko and Izuku both lost themselves in their research. Izuku learned all he could about the underground. After just two years he had learned about every known figure of the underground. Their quirks, civilian lives, and patrol routes included. He didn’t just look into the heroes either. Izuku had filled ten different notebooks with detailed analysis on the Underground Heros, Vigilantes, and Villains. He had noticed along the way that all it took was a look at a person’s eyes and he knew all about their quirks. It was as if he could read their very identities. He kept his research carefully hidden under his mattress. Since his dad went on his trip his mom has been nervous and jumpy. She’d grown agitated every time he’d talk about quirks. He learned fairly quickly he needed to stay quiet if he didn’t want her to yell at him.
She also told him he wasn’t allowed to visit Kachaan anymore. She said it wasn’t safe for Kachaan to be around while she didn’t know what was wrong with Izuku. She made sure he stayed in his room most of the time, where he couldn’t hurt anyone. “It’s for everyone’s safety Izuku, you want to be a hero right? Well this is how you do it. Stay here, and stay quiet while Momma researches a cure for you,” she would tell him as she shut him in his room.
And then one day, Inko opened his door. Izuku blinked at the light that filled his room. His ceiling light died out a year ago. “Momma?” he asked.
“Come here,” she ordered. Izuku frowned at the sternness in her tone. He decided to listen with no questions. His Momma didn’t like when he asked questions.
Inko brought him to the dining room, sliding the door closed behind her. She ordered him to take off his shirt and lay on the table. Izuku did, frowning the entire time.
Inko left the room with a stern order to Izuku to stay still, before she returned with a large black backpack over her shoulder. She let the bag fall to the floor when she returned to his side, and rifled through the bag before she pulled out a handful of ropes, tightly coiled up with a knot holding each bundle together.
“Now then, stay still while I do this. I don’t want you to get hurt,” she told him, as she began unspooling the ropes. After that, she began tying Izuku to the table. She started by using one rope to tie his left leg to the table, making sure it was tight enough to ensure he couldn’t move. She then repeated the process on the right leg, using the right leg of the table. After that she did the same to his arms. Using one rope and table leg for each arm. Izuku had started silently crying after the first leg was tied down. The ropes were too tight. But he didn’t want to make noise. There was a gleam in her eyes that worried him into silence.
After his limbs were tied down, Inko pulled out an odd blade that Izuku had never seen before. It was long and thin, with an s-like bend in the metal that made it look like a snake. Inko caught him looking, and smiled at him. “Do you know what this is? I’m sure you do. It’s a sacred sacrificial dagger. I even got the blade dipped in holy water last week. I wonder how much you’ll scream?” she mumbled.
Izuku’s eyes widened in fear. His Momma had never spoken like this before. She was like an entirely different person. “Mo-Momma” he choked out between sobs. He didn’t like this.
Inko smacked him with the handle of the blade so hard his head snapped to the side. Almost immediately Izuku’s cheek and eyebrow filled his left eye with blood. Izuku sobbed out in pain as his entire face throbbed. “Quiet, Demon!” She screamed. “It took two years to find this ritual, I’ll not have you ruin it!”
Izuku’s sobs didn’t stop, but he did quiet them as his mother brought the blade to his skin. “I’m going to banish you. You’ll pay for what you did to my son.” She growled, Izuku opened his mouth to beg his Momma to stop, but before the words could leave his lips Inko brought the tip of the blade to his sternum, and he screamed instead.
Inko was methodical in her work. She carefully sketched the patterns she’s been studying into the homunculus's skin. The language was babylonian that she had snagged from a book on banning evil spirits. She carved the words into his chest, the foreign language easy to work with after spending a year meticulously practicing. She’d been practicing this sequence on anything she could, even using her kitchen knives on hams and a dead alley cat she had found.
Inko was using a spell from the fifth tablet, and as she finished carving the words into his skin, she began reciting them, both in their original language and in her own.
“Cold and rain that minish all things,
They are the evil Spirits In the creation of Anu spawned.
Plague Gods, the beloved sons of Bel, The offspring of Ninkigal
Rending in pieces on high, Bringing destruction below.
They are the Children of the Underworld
Loudly roaring on high, Gibbering below.
They are the bitter venom of the gods.
The great storms directed from heaven — those are they,
The owl, that hoots over a city —
that is they, They are the children born of Earth,”
As Inko finished the first section of the spell, She pulled out the jar of oil that she had gotten blessed by the same priest that had blessed her dagger. She had told him that her son was ill and she needed it to bless him. He had agreed happily. She carefully poured the oil over the homunculus’ body, and used her hands to spread the oil into the words etched into his skin. Izuku’s corpse sobbed under her, the Demon within him pleading with her to stop. She grinned in satisfaction at the Demon’s pain. When the spell was properly covered in oil, she returned to enchanting the spell.
“That in the creation of Anu were spawned.
The highest walls, the thickest walls,
Like a flood they pass.
From house to house they break through,
No door can shut them out
No bolt can turn them back,
Through the door like a snake they glide,
Through the hinge like the wind they blow;
Estranging the wife from the embrace of husband.
Snatching the child from the loins of a man,
Sending the man forth from his home.
They are the burning pain That bindeth itself upon the back of a man.
The god of the man is a shepherd
Who seeketh pasture for the man.
Whose god unto food leadeth him”
Inko Pulled the jars of ingredients and herbs she had gotten from an apothecary, and spread them over the oil, by this p0int the Demon was crying so hard that his breaths were broken and he was writing in place. When that was finished she continued the spell, panting from exhaustion. She had been up for the last three days getting everything ready. She even made sure to write a letter to Hisashi two days ago informing him she had found the cure to Izuku and that she’d be administering it that day. She stroked the green curls that she knew belonged to Izuku fondly, before she continued reciting the spell.
“Whether thou be a hag-demon, Or a ghoul,
Or a robber-sprite,
Or a harlot (that hath died) whose body is sick.
Or a woman (that hath died) in travail,
Or a weeping woman (that hath died) with a babe at the breast.
Or an evil man (that hath died),
Or an evil spirit.
Or one that haunteth the neighbourhood,
Or one that haunteth the vicinity,
Or whether thou be one with whom on a day
[I have eaten].
Or with whom on a day
[I have drunk],
Or with whom on a day
[I have anointed myself].
Or with whom on a day
[I have clothed myself].
Or whether thou be one with whom I have entered and eaten,
Or with whom I have entered and drunk,
Or with whom I have entered and anointed myself,
Or with whom I have entered and clothed myself.
Or whether thou be one with whom I have eaten food when I was hungry.
Or with whom I have drunk water when I was thirsty.”
Inko sighed in relief, there was only one section left to finish, and with it, she would light the sage and banish the Demon from her son’s corpse. Only then could she properly bury her son. She knew her son was possessed at birth. Everything she had learned made sense. Someone possessed by a Demon was slow developing, had a hard time communicating properly with others, had vacant stares, and had knowledge of things they had no business knowing, even the chill she’d so often feel in his vicinity was evidence of possession. It was the only explanation that made sense . Inko pulled out the sage and the lighter, and began the final words of the spell.
“Or with whom I have anointed myself with oil when I was sore,
Or with whom when I was cold I have clothed
his nakedness with a garment,
O fever, I exorcise thee by the ban of the Spirits of Heaven.
O evil one, O fever, I exorcise thee by the ban of the Spirits of Heaven.
O fever that hath come nigh,
Come not nigh unto the sick man,
O fever! By Heaven be thou exorcised!
By Earth be thou exorcised!
By Ea mayest thou be exorcised,
By Damkina mayest thou be exorcised.
By En-ul mayest thou be exorcised.
By Nin-ul mayest thou be exorcised,
By En-kur-kur mayest thou be exorcised,
By Nin-kur-kur mayest thou be exorcised.
By En-da-shurimma mayest thou be exorcised,
By Nin-da-shurimma mayest thou be exorcised.
By En-dul-azagga mayest thou be exorcised,
By Nin-dul-azagga mayest thou be exorcised,
By En-ud-tilla mayest thou be exorcised,”
As Inko finished reciting the spell, she took the lighter in her hand and ignited the sage. She gasped as the oil on her hand caught flame with the sage. She dropped the sage as she flung her hand rapidly in the air, desperately hoping the flames would go out. The sage landed on Izuku’s sternum, and within a single second the oil on his skin caught flame.
Izuku’s writhing grew uncontrollable as his flesh burned. All grasps of time left his mind as he screamed. Eventually, the flames spread to the ropes holding his limbs secure, and Izuku’s limbs were free. His back arched as his boiling skin writhed. Izuku’s voice had stopped working at some point, the flames singing his windpipe and rendering him mute.
Inko, through all of this, had collapsed onto the floor, a wicked smile crossed her face as she took her final breath. Her last thoughts were of her sweet little Izuku who she had finally avenged. She was excited to see him again.
Izuku felt as though every cell in his body was on fire. His skin had long since burned off, leaving open muscle as he writhed. His shoulders ached as his writhing finally stopped. His consciousness left him then too, finally allowing him the rest he so desperately wished for.
🪽🪽🪽🪽🪽🪽🪽
The apartment door swung open with a large crash, smoke billowed out of the open door rapidly as Hisashi Midoriya maneuvered his way inside. He had had a bad feeling the moment he received Inko’s letter. He couldn’t let her ruin everything by ‘fixing’ Izuku, but, as he made his way into the house he realized that he was too late.
The smell hit him first. It was wretched, and immediately caused him to gag. He had never smelled something more rancid in his life. Immediately his gaze was drawn to Inko’s corpse. She was dried out and blackened. Her skin flaked off of her in a neat pile around her, and her hair had been completely burned away. Laid On the kitchen table was what Hisashi could only assume was Izuku. His eyes widened at the sight of his melting child.
“You!” he shouted. He ran through the flames unbothered by the heat. He had never been more grateful for his natural fire resistance. Izuku’s eyes blinked open at his shout, and Hisashi growled at the sight. “You’ve ruined everything . I will burn you!” He growled again before his dragon fire shot out of his mouth.
Izuku cried as his father’s fire hit his skin. He wanted it to stop. He wanted it all to stop. Abruptly Hisashi’s fire cut off with a shout. Izuku took the opportunity for what it was, and sprinted past his father. He shot through the apartment, by the time he slid his door open his father was screaming for him, desperately searching for him. Izuku needed a bag, he needed his research, and he needed to get away . So, Izuku grabbed his yellow school bag from his desk, and stuffed it full of his underground notebooks. With a last second decision, he also grabbed the family laptop that was resting on his end table and its charging cable before he zipped his bag closed. He then slung it over his chest, hugging it carefully, and left his room. Hisashi was surrounded by a wall of smoke in the living room, and missed the sight of Izuku as he sprinted out the front door.
Once he’d made it out of the apartment complex, Izuku ran past the police line, barely taking a moment to register the Backdraft with the rest of the Musutafu Fire Department. As well as other heroes including the Water Hose duo! Izuku sprinted directly through the crowd, not questioning for a moment why no one bothered to stop him. He didn’t even falter past Mitsuki Bakugo as she was held in place by her husband. She was screaming for Izuku and Inko, desperately trying to get out of her husband’s arms so she could save her friend and nephew.
Izuku ran past them all, and then he kept running. He ran until his lungs spasmed and his legs collapsed under him. He was in the forest, he realized. He recognized the patch of woods as Kachaan and his secret base they had made. It was a tiny clearing that was surrounded by thick Yew bushes. The two children had spent hours constructing a roof out of fallen branches and leaves. Izuku felt safe there, there was barely enough room for two children to lay side by side in the hide out. He cried in relief, and let himself collapse to the ground. Later, he would question why no one stopped him. Later, he would question why his father stopped breathing fire. Later, he would discover his father got arrested, charged with the murder of his family. Later, he’d question why his shoulders were the only thing that hurt, or why his vision seemed slightly sharper. Later, he’d discover that his green curls were replaced with smooth silver locks. Later he’d discover that he no longer had his mother’s emerald eyes, but golden irises that glowed in the darkness. And, most shockingly, later he’d discover the large pair of wings that now attached at his shoulders. But for now, Izuku would remain blissfully unaware of the changes his life had just gone through, and sleep.