I hug Ashido as she cries in my arms. I figured she was diagnosed, but… She's not mentally retarded, in any sense of the word. Her family are just some ableist pieces of trash. I swear I'm gonna find them, and when I do, I'm gonna-

   Ashido tightens her grip on me and looks up at me, slightly scared, “Please don't hurt them Benny. They deserve it, but it's not worth our time to kill them. Also, you're scary when you get like that and I don't like it when you're scary…”

   I laugh slightly as she says this and I ruffle her hair, “I suppose I can put off the death of your entire bloodline.” She smiles slightly and stands up, mostly back to her usual enthusiasm, but there's something else there I couldn't place before, and I now know. 

   Over the next few weeks we trained until I get a call from a woman who sounds like a slight wind would drown out her voice, “H-hello? I-is… Is Izuku there?”

    “Izuku? I don't know any Izukus.”

    “Sometimes he goes by ‘Deku’”.

    “Oh! Yeah, he’s here. You need something from him?”

    “It's lonely at home without him… I want to see him.”

    “Alright then. I'll come with him.” She hangs up before anything else can be said, and I walk over to Deku who's in the shooting range, “Yo, your mom called.” His eyes light up, and he nearly throws the gun he was using in excitement. Well, at least she isn't a piece of shit.

    “Can we go Benny! I wanna see her and tell her everything!”

    “Yeah, I was about to head over with you anyway.”

     He celebrates as we walk to her house and knock on her door. She opens the door and practically jumps into Deku’s arms. She's chubby with dead eyes that only shine when she's looking at Deku. 

    “Hey mom. I'm here to visit. Hope ya didn't miss me too much.” He ruffles her hair and I sigh contently.

    “Deku honey… Come in, and tell me about this friend of yours…” We walk into a place that's tidy, but seems… Empty. A black cat walks by and jumps on my lap as I sit down, “Oh, I see Void’s taken a liking to you. He usually avoids strangers.”

   Deku pets Void as he stares at me, “Well, Hello, uhm. What's your name?”

    “You can call me Inko dear.”

    “Well, it's nice to meet you Inko. I'm Benny.”

    “Yeah, Benny's the leader of the gang I joined.”

    Inko suddenly looks like she's gonna tear my throat out. I may be fried.

    “A gang dear?”

    “Oh, not a criminal gang mom! More like a collection of friends who get really strong together”

    Inko calms down slightly but comes over and grabs my shoulder. Ow.

    “Okay. Just don't get hurt dear.”

    “Of course not mom! I would never get hurt. Unless it was protecting someone. Then I would give everything!”

    Inko smiles softly, and grabs my shoulder harder, “That's my Deku. Why don't you head outside. I have to talk to your friend here.”

   He nods and heads outside as I rub my shoulder and Inko sits down across from me, “You're stronger than you look Inko. I see where Deku got it from”

   She looks me in the eyes with a glare of a desperate mother who would kill not to lose more family, “If he dies. I’ll kill you. My sweet little boy better be in my arms once a week.”

   I nod and get up to leave, but Void follows me, “You can keep him dear. Deku always loved him.”

   I pick up Void and he purrs in my arms as me and Deku head home. Damn, she was scary…