Inko smiled at Representative Kakurete as she handed him a homemade snack. He always accepted her snacks after giving a speech.

"Thank you, Inko. You shouldn't have."

And he always said she shouldn't have.

She shook her head. Of course she should have! No matter what he had said that one time, she knew Imoku Kakurete wasn't Izuku. He had said that to comfort her. He had apologised later and while Inko desperately wanted his words to be true, she knew they weren't. He was, however, the one man who had made sure that the investigation into Izuku's disappearance was never forgotten. He was the one who made the police chase up any new leads. He was the man who made sure the world hadn't forgotten Izuku.

He'd even named a piece of legislation after Izuku. It was dealing with Quirkless rights. It was enough to make her cry at times. And when she did, he was someone who would comfort her, silently handing her a handkerchief and making sure she recovered.

So how could she not ensure he got little treats and other homemade goods? He lived alone, and as a Representative she had no idea if he could cook, or even if he had the time. He could go to the most upmarket restaurants. She knew that, but he always accepted her cooking and he always complimented her on the taste. He was genuine about it as well. If he wasn't, she was sure that after all these years, he'd have found some way to tell her.

As a result, every time Representative Kakurete was giving a speech in her area, or even a little bit away, she was always there with snacks. He'd actually arranged clearances for her, so that she was always close at hand.

Inko was realistic. Imoku travelled more than she could, and she knew he was well fed then, but that didn't stop her.

He bit into the small muffin. It was specially made to be packed with calories. One of his assistants had told Inko that Imoku's quirk was high calorie. She didn't know what it was but she made sure she packed as many calories into her snacks as she could. Tazukuri was good as were Koinobori biscuits but she had found that western food was sometimes better since it often tasted better cold. She wanted Imoku to enjoy her snacks.

"It always tastes so good, Inko!" he said, taking another bite.

She smiled and handed him another. This one was wrapped in a napkin. He placed it in a pocket and took another large bite out of the first one. Then he smiled at her, reaching up to brush away crumbs. Inko smiled back, and that was enough.

She couldn't keep him, and she watched as Representative Kakurete turned to the crowds who had gathered. That was another thing she liked about the Representative. He cared for the people he spoke to, genuinely cared. He always made time to speak to people one on one after his speeches, not like other politicians who were whisked away by their security and never actually knew the people they were meant to represent. There was a reason Imoku was one of the most popular members of the House of Representatives. She was proud to call him her friend.

That's why she smiled and clapped as he moved on, and she turned with the rest of the group to follow him. Inko had done this often enough that she knew what was expected. Those who were in the 'support crowd', where she stood, had to smile, clap and look adoring. Imoku had laughed at the description but he didn't deny its truth. She tracked Representative Kakurete's suited form with her eyes, He was smiling and shaking hands, and generally answering questions.

He looked happy, and the crowd was happy.

The world changed so fast. Inko wasn't sure what it was. Someone didn't look as happy. A spike of alarm went through Inko, but she wasn't too concerned. Kakurete had bodyguards after all. It wasn't until the woman shouted, and drew a gun that Inko knew it wasn't just someone who disagreed!

"Hero killer!" The scream was audible even over the general noise of the crowd. The woman thrust the gun out.

Inko saw the look of concern in Imoku's face. It was all she needed to act. The gun fired, but it was already leaving the woman's hand.

"Ugh," Inko shuddered. The bullet hit her just a moment before the gun arrived. She staggered, but saw Imoku's bodyguards move. Two barreled into the woman while another two shielded him. She smiled, even as she fell.

It hadn't hit him.

The crowd screamed, and most ran. Guns were not unheard of in their society but they were rare enough. They were wise enough to run.

"Inko!" The shout was clear. She felt hands press into her side, covering the wound. Someone picked up the gun.

"Get paramedics!" There was panic in the order but it was commanding enough that it would be obeyed.

Inko looked up at the sky. People crowded around her. She could feel the footsteps through the ground.

"Inko, look at me!"

That wasn't hard to do. She recognised Imoku looming over her. His green curls fell over his face which was twisted in worry. His eyes were wide. They were pained.

"It's okay," she said. She'd do it again. She'd do it because he looked so much like Izuku because he gave her hope.

Imoku shook his head. "Stay with me," he commanded. She recognised the tone. It was the same as when he told crowds to trust him. It carried power, and she felt herself obeying.

"How long?" Imoku yelled, looking up.

Inko could see down her body. She could feel the pain dully. It was odd, it wasn't as searing as she expected. She could see her blood on Imoku's suit. He kept his hands on her abdomen, holding the wound.

And then he was pushed away. Inko didn't recognise the people but she knew the uniform. Paramedics. One of them put gauze against her wound, while another put a mask over her face. It was only then, with the feel of oxygen that she realised how difficult it had been to breathe.

There was a rattle beside her and she saw the leg of a stretcher before she was lifted on to it. Inko looked to Imoku. The man was still standing. Her blood was on his suit. It was shockingly red and there was a pained look in his eyes. He looked stricken. Inko felt sick.

"I'm sorry... Iz-"

And then she knew no more.

-afp-

Izuku didn't really see the ambulance leave. He just stared into the area it had been, even as gawkers moved back into the area. There were shouted questions and the flash of cameras. He didn't hear them. He didn't see it.

That was Inko in the ambulance. His mother. His real mother, not the fiction Toga was playing. He didn't know what to do. His bodyguards helped him to rise but he still didn't know what to do. He wanted to follow. He wanted to scream, to rage... he wanted to hurt someone.

Izuku spun to glare where the woman had been standing. There was now a gaggle of police there. They had her in cuffs. It wasn't enough. She was staring defiantly at him. Izuku trembled.

"Sir! You are going into shock!" The worried voice was one of his bodyguards.

Izuku didn't care. Shock? It didn't matter. The woman was still free.

"Sir, come this way please."

Before he could do anything his bodyguards crowded around him, and herded him towards a the car he had used to get here. Izuku shook himself. He couldn't afford to be shocked now, and he could go to see his mother soon. She was in good hands. That would be enough.

He stopped moving.

"Sir, please."

"It's okay," he said softly, and pushed the wall of men aside.

The bystanders had been pushed back by the police and there was now a cordon. The shouts from reporters began anew as he emerged from the protective wall of his security. He looked around. There was still blood on the ground.

Izuku bit the inside of his lip before he cried. The pain of that took the tears from his eyes and he fished into his pocket, walking to the area where there was blood. Izuku knelt and placed the small muffin there. It looked odd but he then turned and walked away, allowing his bodyguards to pack him into his car.

Let the reporters make what they would of the gesture. He knew what it meant.

Once inside his vehicle, Izuku shivered, but he quickly pulled himself together. He hadn't really seen his attacker until it was too late. He'd been thinking about the broadcast from Hizashi Yamada. The man had a new segment and he had featured on it. The segment itself was silly. Who looks like someone else?

The suggestion that All Might in his Prime was a new Arnold Schwarzenegger was hysterical. At least, it had been once Izuku had looked up the historical figure. But Imoku did not need the phoned in suggestion that he was Izuku Midoriya. At least the moron who called in the suggestion wasn't Bakugou.

That would have been too obvious, even for the group opposing him. He already knew Bakugou was with them but they had been careful to keep him in the background. Oh, he was in play. His attack on Toga was proof of that. Him applying to BioSimip as a guard was another, and the police could say all they wanted that Kirishima had arrested Ujiko, he knew better.

So the caller wasn't Bakugou. But that just meant there was someone else in on the Alliance as he liked to call it. He thought he knew most of them. Mirio was their public face. The boy was running for office in the House of Representatives. He wasn't running in the same electorate as Imoku. They weren't that stupid, but he was running in another and he was reasonably popular. That was Sir Nighteye's work.

Tomura should have killed him, not just removed his quirk. The man was intelligent, and was obviously the brains of the operation.

Bakugou was the grunt. He would do the work that they couldn't be seen doing and Aizawa was clearly the one they were using to do investigations. The man had skills but Imoku was equally sure of his skills. Sensei hadn't taught him to be second best, after all.

There were others involved. Hizashi was one and he thought All Might was involved but the man was never directly seen. There were probably others too, serving roles as needed. Actually, he should probably include Ujiko's arresting officer in on the Alliance. He didn't think Shouto Todoroki was in on it, but at the same time, from what Imoku had gathered from the Special Forces Officer, Todoroki wouldn't cry if something happened. He wasn't that type of man.

So he'd been distracted. Most of the suggestions about those who looked alike had been laughed at. Except his. The reaction to his wasn't as jovial. At least he didn't think it was.

He'd been thinking about it, wondering if he'd been over reacting, when the attack took place. He could have stopped it. Spark could have prevented the gunpowder from igniting.

Maybe.

Now Inko was injured, and he was sitting in his vehicle, covered in blood.

Imoku looked over at Hesho, his personal assistant. The man was white but he was functioning. "Inform the police I wish to press charges," he told him. "And I will fund any charges Inko wants to bring," he added.

Hesho nodded, noting it down.

"Find out who she is," he said jerking one hand towards the woman the police had in cuffs. It was only then that he noticed the blood covering his hands. Inko's blood.

Again Hesho nodded. "Sir, we have to get you to the hospital for a check up, and the police will want to talk to you."

Imoku nodded, deliberately working through the problem. "Tell the Detectives I'm available whenever they need," he said. The sentence wasn't a rote formula but the answer was expected.

"Then let's get you to the hospital," Hesho said as two bodyguards got into the vehicle.

Imoku nodded. It would be good to see Inko.

It was only after they arrived that he realised it was for him. He let the doctors do the tests they wanted. He might be still shocked, but he knew what he was going to do. The concept of mercy did not feature in his plans.

-afp-

Himiko knew there was a problem when Kurogiri appeared, a bunch of clothes in his misty hand. "Come with me," the instruction was terse.

She shared a glance with Dabi. The fire villain didn't appear to be any better informed.

"Someone took a shot at Imoku," the League's warp gate explained.

That got their attention. Toga shot up and took the suit. She knew what was needed now. Before she changed, she opened her bag, and fished for the right blood vial. She downed it with a single gulp, and felt her features shift. Then she put the suit on, and Kurogiri became another gate, which she walked through.

It took her a moment to recognise her apartment. "This will look more natural," Kurogiri explained.

Himiko wanted to argue but she knew it was true. She gave the mist villain a weak smile. Even when concerned, Kurogiri was still thinking. Just like Imoku. Toga grabbed her 'mother's bag' the one she used when she was being Imoku's mother, and hurried out of her apartment, closing the door behind her. At the base of the apartment building she hailed a taxi. It was frustrating having to do that, when Kurogiri could have just put her wherever she needed to go, but it made sense. If anyone questioned things, they would find out she came out of her apartment, which was completely normal.

It would be nice when they could dispense with the fictions.

She browsed her phone in the taxi and found out what happened. The reports said a bystander had been hit. Himiko felt relief at that but it didn't change the fact that someone had taken a shot at her Izu! The reports said the assailant was female. Himiko wasn't happy about that, but it did mean she would most likely have to take care of the woman, because there was absolutely no question about that. The League would not let their boss be shot at!

There was a gaggle of reporters at the hospital doors. Paying the taxi driver gave Himiko a few moments to compose herself before she got out. At least this form wasn't well known and she managed to push past the reporters into the white of the hospital's reception. There she spotted one of Imoku's bodyguards..

"Mrs Kakurete!"

The call was loud enough to get her attention but thankfully not loud enough to attract attention from outside. Toga hobbled over to the man, hating the form she had now. At least being recognised meant she wouldn't have to prove to security who she was.

"This way please. Imoku is through here."

Himiko nodded as the bodyguard lead the way. "What happened?" she asked urgently. Toga had read the reports but it was better to hear it first hand.

"There was a shooter," came the grim response. There was a note of self blame in the tone. There should be! The bodyguard's job was to make sure there was nothing like that.

"Imoku didn't notice but Mrs Midoriya did. She did something, and was hit."

Himiko bit her lip. She didn't know what else to do. Over time, she had gotten Izu's story. How he had been recruited by the League's founder. How he had agreed to be made older, and how he was serving them all in being a Representative. She was the only one in the League, apart from Kurogiri who knew the whole truth.

At first she'd liked Imoku because he was older, and he tolerated her. He didn't respond with horror at her suggestions to cover him with blood. He'd simply told her that it wasn't to be his blood. It had been playful and she liked that. It helped that he wasn't afraid of her like so many others were. He wasn't afraid to tell her to stop. He was great. And he had only become greater when she learned he was actually her age. Probably younger.

She was loyal to Imoku before the League. Himiko had proven that often enough.

When Izuku had made contact with his real mother, she hadn't know what to think. She'd watched the interactions carefully before she had relaxed. There was desire in Izu's movement but it was not sexual. It was simply desire which expressed his regret. He still loved his mother but Toga knew he loved her too. She focused on that.

Besides, if she'd had of had the type of relationship Izuku seemed to have with his real mother that she thought he had, she'd want to still be around her mother. Inko was a nice woman. A genuinely nice woman. While it wasn't the same, Himiko could see the echo of their relationship in the way Izu dealt with her as Imoku.

"We're here," the bodyguard said, gesturing towards a door.

Toga nodded, and went in. It was a small room. There was a single bed, but Imoku wasn't in it. Instead, he was standing at the window, looking out.

"I said, I don't want to be disturbed," he growled at the sound of the door opening. He didn't turn.

"Izu?" Himiko whispered uncertainly. He sounded so angry.

He turned. There were tears streaming down his face. His green eyes were almost red. That's all she saw before there were strong arms wrapped around her waist and Imoku was on his knees in front of her, sobbing into her midriff.

Tentatively Toga placed her hands on Izu's shoulders, rubbing at them. It was what a mother would do. He clung tighter, his entire body trembling.

"Izu?" Toga again whispered after a few minutes.

"She's dead," he balled. He took great, shuddering breaths. "She's dead," he repeated.

For a moment Himiko didn't know who Izu was talking about. Then she realised who it had to be.

Inko Midoriya.

Toga said nothing. Instead, she reached down awkwardly and wrapped her arms around Imoku. She allowed her knees to bend so that she was sitting on the floor. Izu was practically lying on it, still clinging to her.

"She's dead," he repeated. "They were meant to help her."

There was nothing she could say to that. Did she tell Izu that Inko had gone to a better place? Did she tell Izu it was for the best? None of those would ring true to him. If she tried those excuses Izu would think she wanted Inko dead herself... which was kind of true. There had been times when she'd thought of killing Inko. Himiko never had because she knew it would make Izu sad. Sad like this and that wasn't fun.

"I'll have her taken care of," Toga said eventually.

"Who?" Imoku asked.

"The woman who shot her," Himiko explained.

He squeezed her. Toga felt happy at that. "You can't," Imoku said, sniffing hard as he looked up at her. It had to be an uncomfortable position. He was lying on his belly, his arms around her, with his head arched up to look at her. Izu released her and pushed himself upright, rolling over so that he was sitting beside her.

Himiko took his hand. "Of course I can," she replied. She might have wanted Inko dead, but she wanted Izu happy more. And killing the woman who had killed Inko would make Izu happy.

"No, you can't," he repeated, his voice trembling. He sniffed again, swallowing snot. "If you kill her, you confirm the link between the League and me, and that's what they want."

He didn't say who they were. He didn't have to. ExplodoKill. The former Heroes. The list wasn't that long but it did exist. Toga hissed. She wanted to kill that list.

"But!" She objected. They couldn't do nothing.

"You can't kill her," Imoku confirmed. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes. They were still red, and from the way they watered, Himiko could tell that Izu was trying not to cry. "Besides, I don't want her dead. I want her in pain," he hissed.

Ah, that was something Toga understood. She smiled. It probably looked odd on her older form but Imoku understood. He got up, off the floor and held out his hand to help her rise.