Deku the Anti-Hero

Hopeless Optimism

A/N: Hello again everyone! Still don't MHA (working on it though).
Let's get to it shall we?

Six months. Twenty-six weeks. 180 days. 

No matter how Inko looked at it, her little boy had been gone for far too long. Ever since that fateful morning happiness had been hard to come by. The note, long since stained with tears, was in her hands yet again as she reread it for the hundredth, maybe even thousandth time.

It never got easier.

"Izuku, where are you?" the woman asked the air surrounding her. Just a few days ago she had met with some of the best detectives in the area, only to be told once again that there was no sign of Izuku anywhere. 

Every day she found herself questioning what she could have done differently. Part of her knew that Izuku would be thrilled at the chance to become a hero, but she figured he would have at least told her first. Or was he afraid that his own mother would deny him his greatest dream?

The silence was broken by the sound of a gentle knock. Then another. Hoping against all hope, she rushed to the door. Maybe someone found him, or maybe he was back. 

When she opened the door, no one was there. The only thing that stopped her heart from dropping beyond saving was a slip of paper at her feet. She cautiously picked it up and turned it over. What she read took her breath away.

Dear Mom,

Words cannot explain how sorry I am to have been gone for so long. Please do not worry about me; I'm alive and well. In fact, I'm better than I've ever been. I know this won't really change anything, but I needed you to know that I am okay.

I cannot come home quite yet, as I still have training to do. But don't worry, I still plan on coming home as soon as possible. It may be a while, but I will come back.

I'll make you proud. I love you.

Your little hero,

Izuku Midoriya

The moment she took in the words, a weight worth a hundred pounds came off her shoulders. Her little boy was alive. And he was going to come home! For the first time in what felt like forever, Inko allowed herself to not just feel hope, but to feel happiness. 

Meanwhile, a few buildings away

A hooded figure crouched near the edge of an apartment complex much like the one the green haired woman stepped out of. He watched as she picked up the note, and had to wipe his eyes at the display she put on once she finished reading. 

It hurt him to know how much he had put her through, but a little relief came when he saw her eyes light up a little, even from the distance he was at. Maybe things would go back to normal sooner than expected.

Despite the silence on the roof, he felt a presence approaching. In his case, it wasn't a threat, even though anyone else would be scared crapless.

"I know this isn't what you wanted me to do, but I had to do it," Midoriya said. The approaching figure stepped next to him and looked at the apartment his pupil was intently watching.

"True, I didn't let you go galivanting around just to drop off a letter, but if you can prove your worth I'll let it slide," Stain replied. He and his student stood up and the latter looked at the former for instructions.

"I'm following you this time," Stain stated. In other words, Izuku would have to lead the way.

A quick survey of the area showed multiple paths to take, so he decided to let his instincts take over and ran forward.