Chapter Text
For Midoriya Izuku, the day could only get worse.
First, his teacher exposed him in front of the entire class by mentioning that he was still considering taking the exam for the U.A. That provoked a flurry of mockery, laughter and hurtful comments. Then, at the end of class, Bakugo attacked him as usual. As if that wasn't enough, he was taken by surprise by the slime villain, only to be rescued by All Might and end up on a rooftop, where, with a single sentence, his hero shattered his dreams.
When he finally made it down, he saw an explosion in the street and ran to the scene. Bakugo was trapped, suffocating in the same mud that had almost killed him. Without thinking, Izuku rushed to save him, only to receive disapproving looks, scolding and reprimands. Frustrated and exhausted, he ran back home.
But somewhere along the way, the world stopped being the same.
The people around him began to stagger, to move erratically, with vacant stares and uncoordinated movements. Izuku, too immersed in his own despair, paid no attention. He just wanted to get home, lock himself in his room and forget everything that had happened. He did not notice that his neighborhood was infested, nor that no one was looking at him. It was as if he didn't exist.
When he arrived at his apartment, his mother was not there. He spent the first night convinced she would be back soon. Then one day. Then two. By the third day, uncertainty forced him to check his phone, which had been left in his backpack. And then he understood.
The world had ended while he drowned in his own crisis.
The news spoke of an unexplained outbreak. People attacking people, devouring each other. Whole cities falling into chaos. Government collapsing. And silence. Social networks, forums, chats... nothing. A digital void as terrifying as the reality outside her window.
He tried to contact his mother, but got no response. He searched for information about the U.A., about heroes who might be protecting civilians, but all he found were rumors and despair. Finally, he made a decision: to go out and look for supplies.
What he didn't expect was to discover that the zombies were completely ignoring him.
He supposed he had to be thankful for that; after all, it meant he would survive.
He started looking in the small stores, since it was four o'clock in the afternoon and he didn't want to stray too far from home after dark. Lest the zombies change their minds about leaving him alone. Izuku was happy to be able to survive.
He wouldn't have to encounter Bakugo, the bullies, his classmates and teachers. However, the apocalypse also meant that he couldn't know what happened to his mother.
But he was sure she was alive. She was smart, resilient and had a great Quirk. Surely she had found a safe haven.
He wondered if there would be somewhere to take shelter. Maybe a safe zone, but how could he know if social media and news sites were down?
“Maybe if I set my watch to radio mode I can hear something about it,” he thought.
But if he found a shelter, should he try to go? After all, they always ended up kicking him out and leaving him to his fate.
Maybe it was better to stay home, wait for his mother and plan his next move once she returned. “Maybe I should check if my uncles made it out or if they stayed,” he thought.
Bakugo's parents were always kind to him. Masaru being a mild-mannered man and Mitsuki being a strong-tempered woman. Izuku hoped they were safe.
--
The Bakugo had evacuated into the A.U., which had now become a refuge for the survivors of the first and second days. Inside the A.U., people believed that there were no more survivors outside. On the third day only two people had arrived, and both were in critical condition.
--
Izuku didn't understand why, but decided not to question it too much. Instead, he concentrated on collecting whatever he might need: cans of food, water, blankets, a torch, rechargeable batteries, and even some seeds. He remembered how his mother had taught him to take care of plants and thought that maybe, with luck, he could grow them in the building's garden. Maybe even in a nearby park. There were no rules anymore, after all.
For the first time in a long time, Izuku felt useful. Alone in the world, without mockery or looks of contempt, he had the opportunity to learn and improve on his own. But the uncertainty of his mother's fate weighed on him.
"Mum is alive," he told himself. She has to be.
--
What Izuku didn't know was that Inko Midoriya had survived. She was in the AU, sheltering with a group of civilians who had been rescued in the early days of the outbreak. She had met Detective Naomasa and Officer
Sansa while trying to get home, and together they had made it to the institute.
She had lost her purse, her jumper and even her phone in the escape, but none of that mattered. Inside her, one certainty burned brightly: her son was alive.
Even if everyone told her it was impossible, even if the heroes believed that no one else survived out there, she knew.
Izuku was alive.
--
The situation in the A.U. was not simple. While the shelter was safe, supplies were becoming scarce. Although Nedzu had anticipated some strategic reactions, the number of refugees was larger than expected. The land available for cultivation was limited, and so was water. Only two people had Quirks related to water production: an old man who could create small clouds of drizzle and a boy who had not yet mastered his skills.
To make matters worse, growing food turned out to be more difficult than expected. They tried using Quirks to accelerate the growth of seeds, but they did not germinate. The situation was critical. Without a stable source of food, the stability of the shelter was in jeopardy.
The problem was growing every day, and Nedzu knew that, sooner or later, they would need a solution.
What no one suspected was that, outside the walls of the A.U., a lonely boy was already finding a way to survive in a world where no one else had a chance.
--