Izuku Midoriya wasn't sure how it happened.

But it did.

When he snapped out of his red and black rage, he was bashing in the skull of Mt. Lady. There were dead bodies strewn in the general area, some with decapitated heads and others with bashed in skulls. The ones with undamaged spines and brains moaned, trying to will their bodies to move towards the young human.

Oh.

Now he remembered why he was here.

Mt. Lady had taken the liberty to push his mom in front of those horrid, apocalyptic creatures to save her own skin. Izuku refused to look at the bloody green pieces of hair lying on the ground. He could feel the tsunami of tears waiting to come out.

He gave a last look around in his safe house and packed his cans.

Once he walked out into the bright daylight, the rest of the afternoon passed by like a blur.

His hands and feet were on autopilot.

Delaware Smash.

Detroit Smash.

Maybe a little bit of bat bashing.

One for All, but nothing more than 20%.

Detroit Smash.

Flick-

"Tengo-san?"

The former shopkeeper swiveled his head so quickly, he cracked his neck. Bones stuck out of his chest in gruesome angles and at least four of his fingers were reduced to bloody clumps. Crusted black blood was all over his former apron. Its teeth clicked in excitement.

The thing looked at him and stared as if the undead could recognize Deku.

Suddenly, it lunged forward in incredible speed.

Izuku jerked back and flicked the undead man in the forehead with Delaware Smash. The man jerked back from such a powerful blow that his brain matter exploded halfway through the air. Gray and red flesh rained all over the streets.

Even though this was nothing new for Izuku, he still had to hold back the urge to vomit. The man's skull had been so soft and rotten that it didn't even resist the flick.

"Tengo-san..."

He knew he had to run somewhere to hide, as soon as possible. He had stood in the same spot for the last ten minutes, and he was sure that there was a horde quickly approaching him. In addition, it was already getting dark.

Turning a heel from the fallen figure, he ran to the nearest apartment he could see. What greeted him at the door handles was something he didn't expect to find.

Ropes.

On the inside of the building.

"How interesting... The rope seems to be done by someone who must have had a lot of experience maybe? Plus, it was done on the inside, so they're probably smart enough to know that the zombies could chew through them. Perhaps they were in boy scouts... Nevermind that, if there was someone living in this building who wanted to seal it off, then it must mean that they're hostile... I should probably go-"

The undead's groan broke his train of muttering.

There must be a horde approaching, judging from the increasing volume of groaning and dragging feet. They were approaching too fast and Izuku was too tired to fight off a mob. He had used All for One a little bit too much today.

"At this rate, living people would be easier to deal than a horde of the undead."

Using his bat, Izuku smashed through the remaining piece of glass of a window. He cursed at the loud sound of glass shattering and tossed his bag onto the floor. Praying to the Gods, he wiggled into the small space. Once inside, he duct-taped the small hole he had crawled through.

"Good enough..."

The duct tape wouldn't hold for more than a day, but he would be long gone by tomorrow morning. Cautiously, he crept up the stairs. The dried blood crunching and flesh squishing underneath his boots sounded like music.

The hallways were empty of sound and only littered with crispy bodies.

His scarred hands quietly opened the door of Room 403. Gripping his bat tightly, he crept into the bedroom.

So far, so good.

He had looked thoroughly in every nook and cranny of the apartment bedroom. He didn't hesitate to fall face flat on the white bed in front of him, ignoring the uncomfortable way his bloodied shirt rolled up and bunched around his dirty stomach.

"Time for a shower, huh."

"Izuku, time for a shower."

At this moment, Izuku realized three things.

One, Inko Midoriya would never, ever tell him to shower again.

Two, he had killed a fellow pro-hero.

Three, for the first time in months, he was alone.

Four, his mother was dead.

The tears hit him like a truck. One second he had been staring blankly into space, thinking about showering, and the next, he was crying into the bedsheets like a giant, slobbering baby.

His mother, who supported him and helped him get into UA. His mother, who he had entrusted with his own life ever since he was born. His mother, pushed in front of a horde because a "hero" wanted to save her own skin.

He felt something in his chest rip itself apart to shreds.

"Hey, if you're done crying... I'd like to get some rest."

In less than two seconds, Izuku went from sobbing his heart out to a defensive stance. His eyes widened as he took in the relaxed, scarred face and jet black hair. Glowing blue eyes crinkled and stapled lips drew themselves out into a smile.

"Yo."