Payback (Hiatus)

Chapter 8 (EDITED)

Edited: 26 July 2023

The morning sun shone brightly through the window, causing Izuku's eyes to twitch as he slowly stood up from his bed. His head throbbed, and he couldn't help but wonder how he had ended up back in his room. The last thing he remembered was desperately trying to reach his mother after the strange incident with the orbs.

Throwing his blanket aside, he dashed into his mother's chamber to see how she was doing. But just as he was about to enter the hallway, he heard a crash coming from the kitchen. Hurrying to the source of the noise, he found Eri on her knees with a broken plate on the floor. Izuku rushed to her side, worry etched on his face.

"Eri, are you alright?" he asked anxiously, kneeling beside her.

"I'm fine," Eri replied hectically, trying to assure him. "Moreover, are YOU alright?"

"Well... to be honest, I feel great," Izuku said, stretching and realizing how surprisingly light he felt.

"I was really surprised to see you and mom lying on the ground this morning," Eri said with relief.

"Sorry about that," Izuku chuckled. It took him a few seconds to finally process her words. "Mom?"

"Oh yeah, I asked your mom if I could call her that too," Eri said sheepishly.

"Eri..." Izuku looked at her with puppy eyes before hugging her. "You can call her mom without asking her."

"Hehe, she said the same thing before I went to sleep," Eri giggled.

"So... what exactly happened here?" Izuku asked, worried about her well-being.

"I was trying to make breakfast for you two, but I lost my balance while trying to reach a plate on the shelf," Eri explained shyly.

"Aww, Eri," Izuku was touched by her efforts. "Let me help you."

Eri wanted to prepare eggs and bacon for Izuku, so he pulled out the stool he had used when he was her age.  As the oil splattered around, Eri jerked back in fear. When she attempted to flip the bacon, her hand shook, making Izuku step in to prevent her from getting hurt. He took over and flipped the food for her, ensuring her safety. She was then able to remove the cooked food from the pan and place it on a plate.

Meanwhile, Izuku had prepared tea for his mother, which Eri poured into a glass. She carefully carried the breakfast tray to Inko's room. When they knocked on the door, they heard a muffled voice. Upon entering, they saw Inko getting up and wiping her eyes.

"Hisashi?" Inko asked, clearly still half-asleep. "When did you come back?"

Izuku felt a pang of sadness that she mistakenly thought he was his father. Do they have similar appearances? He wondered about his father's image. Izuku had inherited his features from his mother, and he wondered if his propensity for murmuring while jotting down someone else's quirk was a result of him.

He realized that he did share certain things in common with his father, like the fascination with quirks. While Izuku enjoyed making notes about a person's quirk's powerful attack and its vulnerabilities, his father seemed to enjoy taking someone else's quirk. People had often overlooked this dangerous aspect because Izuku was aware of his opponents' abilities, which gave him a unique advantage.

"Morning, Mom," Izuku smiled, trying to hide his feelings.

"We made you breakfast," Eri announced with a beaming smile.

"Oh my," Inko's face lit up at the sight, fully awake now. "Why, thank you, sweetheart."

"Izu-nii helped me a lot," Eri grinned with appreciation.

"What a dependable brother you are," Inko teased Izuku, making him blush.

"It was nothing; besides, it's dangerous to leave her alone in the kitchen," Izuku said, worried about Eri's safety. "What if the fire gets out of control? What if she gets hurt by the knife? What if-"

"I get it, sweetie," Inko said, interrupting him with a gentle smile. "I was teasing you. I'm sorry," she chuckled.

"Nii-chan," Eri tugged on his shirt, speaking sweetly. "Thanks to you, I managed to get through it on my first try. You tried to keep me safe."

"Of course I did," Izuku said with sincerity. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Inko observed the scene before her, a tender smile on her lips. Then she asked a seemingly innocent question that took a serious turn.

"Have you ever thought of wanting a little sister, but never bothered to ask for one since your dad isn't here?" Inko said.

"Why would I ask for one?" Izuku responded. "I mean, I would love to have a little sister, but now I have Eri."

"I mean, did you ever want one when you were in elementary or middle school?" Inko inquired further.

"I never thought about it much since I was usually preoccupied with thoughts about not getting bullied," Izuku confessed.

Inko abruptly stopped eating, listening intently to what her son had to say.

"Izuku, why didn't you tell me?" Inko asked, tears brimming in her eyes. Izuku flinched and began to sweat nervously.

"W-well, I didn't want to worry you," Izuku nervously laughed, trying to downplay the issue.

"Bullying is a serious matter! I will personally punish all those people who have bullied you," Inko said, her voice venomous, and her aura radiated a fierce protectiveness.

"There's no need, really," Izuku said, trying to calm her down. "I have other plans."

"What is this plan?" Inko asked her son seriously.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Izuku hesitated. "It might go against the idea of being a hero."

"Absolutely, I will support you no matter what, even if you wanted to be a villain," Inko said determinedly.

"Close, but not really," Izuku said with a smile. "I want to be a vigilante."

"Oh my," Inko said happily. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Wait, you're not mad?" Izuku asked, surprised by her reaction, before Inko gave a sinister smile, sending chills down both Eri and Izuku's spines.

"Have you heard about the Jade Hunter?" Inko questioned. Izuku took a moment to think.

"Wasn't she the most powerful vigilante from before I was born?" Izuku said, confused. "Nobody could identify her origin, and the police were left in confusion when she suddenly disappeared."

"Is she really dangerous?" Eri asked, curious about the legendary figure.

"They say she's the number one vigilante, and both heroes and villains fear her," Izuku answered. "Why did you bring that up?" he asked, his mother looking so proud of her son.

"Well, I am the Jade Hunter," Inko revealed with a proud grin.

"What?????" Izuku asked, utterly shocked.

To be Continued  

To be continue