Origin Prologue: 4. Cruel Fate

"Your son doesn't have a quirk," the doctor said solemnly to both mother and son. "Based on our tests and the presence of the extra joint in his pinky toe, he is... quirkless."

Inko felt her heart sink, her worst fears realized as the doctor's words echoed in her mind. She looked at Izuku, who stared back at the doctor with wide eyes, his young mind struggling to process the gravity of the revelation. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the confusion and hurt etched on her son's face.

"B-but... but there must be some mistake...!" Inko stammered, desperation creeping into her voice. "C-can't we do more tests? Maybe it's just delayed! Maybe he's just a late bloomer!"

She tried to reason with the doctor, though deep down, she knew he couldn't change the outcome or give her son a quirk.

The doctor shook his head gently. "I'm sorry, ma'am. We've conducted all the necessary tests. While there are always rare exceptions, the likelihood is very low. It's important to prepare for the reality that your son might not develop a quirk at all."

Izuku's eyes filled with tears as the realization finally dawned on him. He looked down at the floor, feeling a crushing weight of disappointment and fear.

Seeing her son in such pain, Inko quickly hugged him tightly, trying to offer comfort even as her own heart broke. Yet, Izuku continued to cry into his mother's embrace.

Inko's thoughts raced. How would her son fare in a society that prized quirks above all else? How could he achieve his dream of becoming a hero without a quirk? The future seemed uncertain, the challenges daunting.

But she had to be strong. For her son.

She pulled back slightly, lifting Izuku's chin to meet his eyes. They were filled with tears, and it took all her strength not to cry alongside him.

"Izuku, please look at me," she urged, gently coaxing his gaze. Finally, he lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"No matter what... you are my brave, amazing son," she said, her voice firm but laced with emotion. "We will face this together. You can still do great things... with or without a quirk."

Izuku's sobs gradually subsided, his breathing becoming steadier. He buried his face in his mother's shoulder, drawing comfort from her warmth and unwavering support. The storm of emotions within him slowly calmed, replaced by a fragile sense of peace as his mother's words began to sink in.

After crying his eyes out in his mother's embrace, Izuku finally calmed down and stopped crying. He let go of his mom and sat still on the stool.

Although he wasn't bawling anymore, he still had a downcast expression. After all, his biggest aspiration was to be a hero, and Izuku himself knew that you needed a useful quirk to be one.

Since he didn't have a quirk to begin with... this aspiration... would never come true.

Suddenly, a hand touched his hair, rubbing and patting him gently. He looked up at the hand and, unsurprisingly, it was his mother's.

Inko was trying to comfort Izuku once more. She didn't say anything, but her actions and reassuring expression spoke to him personally, telling him... that everything was going to be okay and that she would always support him.

Seeing this expression from his mother, Izuku nodded, acknowledging her support. They both then looked back toward the doctor who had been silently watching the mother and son, waiting for them to come to terms with their situation.

"Midoriya-san, young boy," the doctor addressed the mother and son, his tone calm and understanding. "I offer you both my condolences. I apologize as well that I could not help the young boy to have his own quirk."

"No, I should be the one to apologize." Inko bowed her head slightly, showing her regret. "I apologize for asking the impossible. I already knew that quirks are not something that can be given or taken away easily, but... I couldn't help but hope that my son would at least have a normal quirk."

Inko then raised her head and looked at Izuku. While he was not showing tears or a sad expression, he was just sitting there quietly, staring blankly at nothing. It seemed to her that he was contemplating what his life would be like now.

Seeing this expression pained her deeply.

"I... just want Izuku to live a normal life," she stated, voicing her sole wish for her son.

"I understand, Midoriya-san," the doctor nodded, "I wish you both the best of luck for the future." With that, the doctor signaled the end of Izuku's consultation.

"Thank you, doctor." She bowed her head once again in courtesy. Izuku, seeing his mother bowing, also bowed as well.

< | X | >

Chisa was sitting in the waiting room of the clinic, staring aimlessly at the white, clean interior, swinging her legs on the bench that was taller than her.

Then she saw, at the end of the hallway, her mother and older brother walking towards her spot in the waiting room.

Seeing this, she quickly slid off the tall bench and approached them. "Mom, onii-chan!" she called to them, but...

She realized that they both were acting a bit strange. They both had downcast expressions, particularly her brother.

Chisa, while still a child who barely understood the world, could at least recognize that the expressions both her mother and her older brother were showing were, in fact, expressions of sadness.

"What's wrong...?" she asked with concern.

Izuku averted his eyes from Chisa's. He wasn't in the right mindset to speak about his current problem... or to be precise, his current status as quirkless. His aversion only confused Chisa more. Chisa then looked at her mother, hoping she would explain what had happened to her older brother.

"It's... nothing to worry about, Chisa." Inko tried to force a smile, not wanting to make Chisa even more worried.

Chisa herself... knew that her mother was forcing it. But she understood that this wasn't the right time to ask if they both were not ready. "Okay..."

Her mother now actually smiled a genuine smile, seeing that her daughter was understanding of their situation. "Let's go home," she said to her two children.

Soon, the three of them walked out of the clinic, each child holding their mother's hand on either side, thanking the clinic's staff for their hospitality as they left.

The walk back to their home felt... quiet. It was not the same kind of walk the three of them used to have before, and Inko felt that. The energy and happiness they used to have before were now missing...

She was now wondering... if this was going to be the norm from here on out.

'No...! Don't think like that, Inko!' Inko chastised herself in her own mind, 'You'll make sure your two children are going to be the happiest kids in the world!' She motivated herself, grasping her children's hands tightly.

"Mom...?" Izuku realized that his mother was squeezing his and Chisa's hands. It wasn't hurting, but it was a bit surprising for both of them.

"Haha, it's okay, dear. Nothing's wrong." She reassured her two children. But then, a thought crossed her mind—an idea to cheer up her children. "Izuku, Chisa, let's go grab some ice-!"

Ring, ring, ring

Suddenly, the sound of a phone ringing could be heard from Inko's small bag that she had been carrying.

It was her phone...

"Kids, sorry, wait for a moment, okay? I need to pick up my phone really quick." She let go of her two children's hands and rummaged through her bag. She quickly pulled out her buzzing smartphone and saw on the screen... an unusual caller.

"David...?" It was the contact of one of her husband's coworkers. She had this person's number because her husband, Hisashi, had specified that if anything happened and she couldn't contact him, Inko could contact this man instead.

But... she was the one being contacted instead...

A dreadful thought crossed her mind and heart... but she had to face it. Otherwise, the phone would continue ringing, bringing more dread into herself.

So... she answered the call. "Hello, Midoriya Inko speaking... Yes, Mr. David?"

Both Izuku and Chisa looked up at their mother as she suddenly focused on her phone, speaking to the person on the other end. They both saw that their mother had... a rather wary expression.

"Hisashi? Is there something wrong with my husband...?" she asked the man on the phone, her expression turning serious at the mention of her husband.

"Mom...?" Izuku asked his mother in worry, but she paid no heed to his call, only focusing on listening to her phone. This only made him and Chisa more worried.

But then... her expression turned into pure shock as she listened to what the person on the other end of the call just announced to her.

"Hisashi... died...?"