Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Oh, Lord, Heaven knows we belong way down below." - The Pretty Reckless

When Izuku wakes, he feels like he is floating. The room blurs, and he vaguely realizes he is on a small bed. He stares up at the white ceiling, head pounding in his skull. His head feels fuzzy, and he can't think properly. When he moves his hand, a strange rattling noise resounds around the room, and he turns dull eyes to the source. He registers the chains leading to somewhere underneath the bed. Dropping his hand back on the bed, he watches the metal chain clink and shakes. The sounds and movements are fascinating, so he lifts his hand again and lets it fall. He repeats the action over and over and over and over and over and over -

A movement from the corner of his eye distracts him from the repetition. His eyes move to the opening door, and he frowns as Tomura walks in. He's upset with Tomura. Why is he upset with Tomura? It doesn't matter. He frowns harder, wanting Tomura to see how upset he is.

Apparently, he needs to work on the severity of his frowns, because Tomura does not react to his frowning. Instead, he moves closer to the bed, carefully sitting next to Izuku and causing the bed to creak under the extra weight. It takes a moment for Izuku to turn his tired eyes to Tomura. The man is staring down at him with a strange expression twisting his face. He remembers that he is angry at Tomura, and decides to inform him so he can properly apologize.

"I'm mad at you," Izuku mumbles. He wonders why his words sound slurred and unclear, but he quickly finds himself distracted by the unexpected hand in his hair. The hand runs through his green locks soothingly, fingers raking across his scalp pleasantly. He blinks up at his friend. Why is Tomura acting so affectionate with him? Doesn't he understand that Izuku is mad at him? Izuku doesn't understand. The fingers twist through his fluffy hair, and a sigh of contentment reaches his lips. His eyes start to droop after mere minutes of the repetitive action.

"This is only for a little while, Izukun." The sudden statement startles Izuku from his half-asleep daze. He tries to concentrate on Tomura's voice, but the fingers haven't stopped their relaxing movements. "Sensei is going to run some tests on you when you're feeling better, but I'll be next to you the whole time."

Izuku furrows his eyebrows slowly. "Tests?" he asks sluggishly. He tugs his arms up to reach Tomura, struggling slightly with the weight of the chains. Tomura shifts closer to him as he succeeds in gripping Tomura's arm. The petting falters.

"Sensei wants to try some things with All For One before he passes it on to you. He's going to give you some Quirks that you aren't compatible with so you get used to the feeling." The explanation feels lacking, but Tomura begins to stroke his hand through his hair again, and he melts under the sensation.

"Oh," is he all he can say to the information. The sheets draped over his body are toasty warm, and his eyes keep drifting shut when Tomura massages his fingers softly into his head every few seconds. The consistent push of fingers across his scalp make his body sink willingly into the mattress like a ship about to capsize. By the time Tomura leans down and murmurs, "Sleep, Izukun," he can hardly keep his eyes open. He obeys Tomura's words a moment later, sleep taking him as fingers rest lightly in his hair.

He's floating in darkness. It's peaceful, but a little scary. Where's Tomura? Pushing his hands out in front of him, he swims through the inky black easily. He can't see his hands in front of him, but he needs to find Tomura. As he surges blindly through the water, he sees a sudden light above him. It is dim and distant, but Izuku desperately goes towards it. The shadow of a blurred figure moves from outside the darkness, and Izuku begins to swim faster.

"Tomura? Tomura?" He tries to cry out, but the words sound muffled. Suddenly it isn't as effortless to get through the substance. What he thought was water is now cement, and he claws through it slowly, destroying his nails and his hands. He tries to scream, but his mouth is covered, and the figure above the light is moving. It's leaving.

His hands and feet won't move, and he cries and struggles like his life depends on it. Whatever is covering his mouth is flung off when he shakes his head back and forth violently. "Tomura!"

"I'm right here, Izukun," Tomura's voice is suddenly next to his ear. "It's okay, calm down." Immediately, he stops fighting, although his body shakes and trembles. He hiccups, hot tears still streaking down his cheeks with no end in sight. "Open your eyes, Izukun." Open his eyes? Are they closed? He realizes they are as he blinks them open, vision blurred from crying. A bright light is above him, and he recognizes it from his nightmare. Now that he can see it properly, it reminds him of what they use at the dentist's office.

"Can you hear me now, Izukun?" Tomura is hovering in front of his face. It takes a moment for Izuku to comprehend the words, but he slowly nods, sniffling loudly. A rare smile appears on Tomura's face. "That's good. I know you don't feel different right now, but you'll start to adjust to the Quirk Sensei gave you. He's going to give you another one in a minute."

Izuku looks away from Tomura, seeking out the man. He pinpoints him immediately as he steps forward, smiling. Izuku tries to sit up, but he finds himself unable to move. His eyes trail from Sensei down to his bare arm, zeroing in on the straps around his wrist.

"Sensei?" His voice wavers in confusion.

"I need you to stay still for this, Izuku-kun." Sensei's voice is calm and soothing. Izuku can tell that he's using some kind of manipulation Quirk by how his body relaxes at his voice. When he opens his mouth to speak, Tomura brushes his hand lightly across his cheek in warning. He closes his mouth.

Nervously, he watches as Sensei's fingers approach his face as they have many times before. The moment they touch his forehead, pain explodes throughout his entire body. It feels like something is moving under his skin, twisting and curling and threatening to poke through his skin.

"It hurts! It hurts, it hurts!" His screams pierce his own ears. His fingernails claw desperately at the cold, metal table. The painful sensation is unlike anything he's ever felt before. Receiving a Quirk has never hurt before, so why does it feel like this?

"Shh, shh," Tomura shushes him. The attempt is worthless; Izuku feels even worse. His throat is starting to burn from the constant screaming.

"Stop! It hurts!" he wails. His body spasms, unable to move from the restraints.

"It's almost over, Izukun," Tomura soothes. As soon as he says it, the explicit pain begins to fade, and Sensei retracts his hands. A choked sob wrenches itself out of his throat, his body aching dully.

"I know you must be very confused, Izuku-kun, but it's vital that we train your body up until you're able to handle All For One. We're going to have to get you used to incompatible Quirks like this one." Izuku can barely understand the older man through his small sobs. "You've done very well today, so I'll let you rest until next time."

At Sensei's decision, Tomura begins to unstrap his restraints. Carefully, he's picked up and moved to a wheelchair, and even though he tries to get away, his body refuses to do more than twitch. Tomura notices, and says absentmindedly, "Sensei gave you some medicine beforehand to help you relax, so it might be hard for you to move for a few hours."

Although Izuku has always trusted Tomura unquestionably, a subtle niggling in the back of his head is telling him that something is wrong. Tomura nods to Sensei, beginning to push Izuku back to his room. The walls are a plain brown when they enter the hallway, and Izuku feels strangely uncomfortable at the sight of them. "Where are we?" he asks, voice quiet and shaking. He winces at the scratchy quality of the sound, the results of his previous screaming obvious. He clears his throat in an attempt to ease the burning sensation.

Tomura doesn't answer for a long minute. "We're somewhere safe," he finally answers, intentionally vague. Alarm bells start to ring in Izuku's head. Faintly, he can hear the bells asking, 'How did you get here?'

Izuku's head is pounding distantly. How did he get here? He had been talking to Tomura, hadn't he? Did Tomura suggest they go to this unknown place for training? No, that wasn't it. Izuku had been telling him something important. What was it? Something that had happened that day. It was -

"We're here," Tomura halts his hazed thoughts. He is pushed up next to the bed, and now that he feels lucid enough to properly think, he takes in the room with cautious interest.

There isn't much to look at. The walls are a plain white, and there is a connecting bathroom to the side of the bed. The covers of the bed are a light tan, but the bed itself is small and clearly fit for his diminutive figure. As Tomura helps settle him onto the bed, he notices something peeking from under the bed.

Those are... "Chains?" Izuku whispers. Tomura tenses. Bolted to the ground is a small metal square with closed hooks. Chains are attached to it, but Izuku can't see how long they are from where he is. Fuzzily, he remembers them from the first time he woke up, but now that he is seeing them with a clear head, a bolt of fear strikes him.

Suddenly, his memories hit him like a brick. His declaration of becoming a hero, Tomura's anger, and then. And then, Tomura grabbing him and slamming his head into the wall. He looks up at Tomura now, eyes wide and scared. He tries to scramble backward on the bed, but within moments his arms collapse under his weight in their weak state and a groan of pain escapes him. Tomura takes a step forward, leaning down to pick up the chains, making them clatter loudly. Izuku pales when he sees the cuffs that are obviously in his exact size.

He shoves his hands under his thighs, frightened when Tomura clicks open the cuffs and sits on the bed. "Izukun," Tomura warns. Stubbornly, he refuses to present his wrists to his jailer, and Tomura sighs. Easily, he yanks his hands out by pulling his arm and closes the cuff around his wrist. His other hand is treated similarly, and Izuku stares down at his cuffed wrists in despair. Distantly, he notices that the insides of the cuffs are lightly padded.

"Why?" Izuku's voice breaks.

Tomura stares at him with dull eyes. "You were going to leave me. You were going to become a hero. That isn't part of the game, Izukun. We're a team, but you tried to log out." When Izuku continues to look at him with tears welling in his eyes, Tomura offers in comfort, "This won't be for forever." Izuku is not eased in the slightest. Tears drip onto the sheets, and he raises an arm to his face to scrub them away, ignoring the clinking chains.

Tomura stands up from the bed, casually pulling out one of his signature hands and placing it on his face. He adjusts it for a moment, then says, "We'll start trying to use your new Quirks tomorrow. You should rest for now." His hand pauses on the doorknob. "This is really for your own good, Izukun."

Izuku says nothing in response. The door shuts softly, a faint click following shortly after. Izuku is swallowed by the silence. He gazes unseeingly at the plain wall until he falls into unconsciousness.

8.*.8

How long has he been here? Days? Weeks? Months? Is his mom worried about him? She undoubtedly is. He wonders if Kacchan has even noticed his disappearance. At least he won't have to walk loser Deku home anymore.

The crackling of a speaker fills the room. "All right, go ahead, Izuku-kun. Let's try out Quirk Two."

Inhaling sharply, he closes his eyes in concentration. Vines begin growing out of his arms, curling protectively around the limbs. Little white flowers sprout in his hair as the vines lengthen and stretch. The incompatible Quirk is painful to use, but it is nothing compared to the excruciating sensation he had felt when he had received the Quirk. The memory of the first time he had been given Quirks against his will makes him wince. The vivid sensation of something crawling and twisting under skin had actually been the plants trying to burst out of his body.

The first and only time Izuku had attempted to refuse to cooperate with the Quirk training, Sensei had forced several Quirks into his body as compensation. Compared to the few other experiences he had with the process, this one was easily ten times as worse. It had been a nonstop, consistent flow of agonizing torture for over two hours. The only reason Izuku had been spared enduring any longer was because he had passed out from the pain.

"Activate Quirk Nine. Maintain Quirk Two."

Izuku grimaces. That Quirk was the hardest to control and exhausts him more than any of the others. Nevertheless, he obeys the order, carefully manipulating the air around him and extracting the oxygen. He ensures an invisible 'bubble' of air surrounds his body.

The intercom buzzes again. "You're doing very well, Izuku-kun. Today we're going to work on keeping both of those Quirks running at the same time for as long as possible, so do your best."

Izuku gives a nod he knows they can see through the cameras. Some days they work on strengthing his Quirks or his body, combining Quirks, or using as many as he can. Right now, they seem to be working on both endurance and multiple Quirk usage. It suddenly makes sense as to why Sensei requested Quirk Nine. If he managed to bump up his activation time on it, using his other Quirks for a longer amount of time would be a breeze.

The minutes tick by unbearably slowly. Sweat drips down his face, and his lips purse in concentration. The clock on the wall tells him it's only been fifteen minutes, but from the way his body aches and his head pounds, it feels like it's bordering on an hour. When he hits twenty, his body is shaking uncontrollably, and he's panting heavily. At a little over thirty minutes, he collapses to the ground from overexertion, and Sensei's voice finally announces, "That's enough for today. Good work, Izuku-kun."

Izuku can do nothing but heave violently. Bile rises up his throat, and he swallows it back down with a disgusted face. Tomura's hand is suddenly on his shoulder, pulling him up. He leans on the man, still trying to catch his breath as he's led out of the room. Bitterly, he notices the lack of restraints, probably because of his 'good behavior.' Any attempts at escape or resistance are met with drugs and increased experiments. Waiting for them to lower their guard is his best option at the moment.

When they arrive at what Izuku mentally calls his 'prison cell,' he passively lets Tomura secure his handcuffs, watching in confusion as he adjusts the length of the chains. Usually, he's able to walk around the room with ease, but with the new, shorter length, he can't even stand up. His eyes zero in on Tomura's hand when he reaches into his pocket. A vial appears from the pocket, and Izuku stiffens fearfully at the sight of the transparent blue liquid inside.

"Izukun," Tomura starts, but Izuku is already starting to shake his head rapidly.

"No, I won't take it! I don't want it!" He clenches his jaw tightly, eyes pleading with Tomura. The man sighs almost regretfully.

"It's a new medicine you need to take," Tomura explains patiently. "You'll have to drink one every day from now on. Sensei's orders." He uncaps the vial, bending over him. When Izuku refuses to open his mouth, Tomura frowns and brushes cool fingers across his neck. Izuku swallows, Adam's apple bobbing at the motion. Four fingers rest on his jaw, then quickly and effectually press down firmly, forcing him to open his mouth. Tomura wastes no time pouring the liquid down his throat, covering his mouth and pinching his nose until he swallows. He coughs harshly, Tomura running his fingers through his untamable hair.

Tomura presses Izuku into his chest when he begins to cry. "I want to go home, Tomura," he begs, sobbing. "I want to see my mom! Please, Tomura, I won't become a hero, I promise, just let me out of here!" Tomura hushes him, apparently unaffected by the outburst. Izuku rubs his face into Tomura's shirt, probably staining it with his snot. He can't find it in himself to care at the moment, too emotionally drained and desperate for freedom.

"This won't be for forever," Tomura says, repeating his words from so long ago.

"How long? How long, Tomura?" he weeps, completely breaking down. How long? How long has he been here? How long will he stay here?

"Until you understand," Tomura answers. He pulls him up into his lap, leaning against the pillows under Izuku's weight.

Izuku's throat is too closed up for him to ask what he means, so he settles with laying his head on Tomura's shoulder. His body shudders, and he sniffs loudly. His previously most trusted person rubs his back soothingly, and eventually the trembles begin to fade out. His eyes feel heavy and are undoubtedly red from the continuous crying, and now that his sobs are dying out, a wave of exhaustion slams into him like a truck.

"It will get better, Izukun. You're safe here." As doubtful as the words are, Tomura's voice is soft and gentle. Instinctively, his body loosens, and his eyes drift close.

He falls asleep with Tomura holding him like he is the most precious thing in the world.

Chapter Text

"How are you feeling today, Izuku-kun?"

Tomura watches from the corner of the room as Izuku blinks slowly and raises his head, squinting at the smiling man. It seems to take him a moment for him to recognize the man as Sensei, and another for him to register the question. "Fine," he answers dully. His fingers pick at a loose thread on his blanket. He doesn't react as Sensei pulls out a chair next to his bed and sits.

"Do you think you can answer a few questions for me today?" Sensei continues easily.

Izuku's eyes slide to Tomura. "It's okay if you can't, Izukun," Tomura assures him. "We can try again tomorrow if you feel sick."

His eyes move back to Sensei without acknowledging Tomura. "I can," Izuku responds carefully, slowly. Tomura frowns a little, unused to Izuku ignoring him.

"Thank you very much, Izuku-kun. Shall we get started?" Izuku nods, staring at Sensei attentively. Sensei's smile widens.

"What did you have for dinner last night?"

Tomura notes the unfazed look on Izuku's face. The strange questioning must have started to get normal after being exposed to it weekly.

"Yakisoba with vegetables," Izuku answers. Tomura had made it for him.

"What Quirk did we work with yesterday?"

"Quirk Seventeen. Mist Control," he says immediately.

"What was the word I asked you to memorize last week?"

Izuku pauses. "...Peony."

Izuku's slight hesitation doesn't falter Sensei's questions. "What was the prize you received earlier this month?"

"Ice cream," Izuku's answer is said confidently.

"What flavor was it?"

Izuku opens his mouth, then stops. He frowns. Sensei patiently waits as Izuku struggles to remember. Tomura's fingers twitch as Izuku's face lights up.

"Vanilla. It was vanilla." Izuku stares at Sensei almost defensively, but Sensei only smiles and continues.

Sensei's questions are easy and slow, but the further they progress, the harder it is for Izuku to recall the answers. He manages to answer them all correctly, but the speed he answers them at is progressively getting slower. Tomura notices the questions Sensei asks are all centered around the time Izuku has spent in the facility.

Suddenly, the direction of the questions turns. "When did you meet Tomura-kun?"

Izuku startles in confusion. Nevertheless, he says, "When I was six."

"What is his favorite color?"

The frown on Izuku's face deepens, but he continues to answer the increasing amount of questions about Tomura. He answers with complete accuracy and no hesitation, and Tomura can't help but feel a little smug.

Suddenly, the direction of the questions takes an abrupt turn. "What is your mother's name?"

Izuku freezes. "Mother?"

Sensei smiles, tapping his pen lightly on the clipboard. "Yes, Izuku-kun, your mother's name."

He hesitates. For a moment, it seems like he won't answer, but then he says slowly, "Inko."

"And what was your home address when you lived with her?" Sensei asks gently. Izuku is half-way through his answer of listing the street name and apartment complex when he stiffens minutely. Sensei zeroes in on the pause. "Is something wrong, Izuku-kun?"

Izuku stares at his blanket. "I-" He swallows. "I don't remember the room number." A thrill of apprehension shoots through Tomura.

"That's quite alright, Izuku-kun." Sensei's voice is soft and sympathetic. "Let's continue, shall we?"

Izuku nods shakily, and Sensei begins asking about his school life. What was his favorite subject? What time did class start? What was his favorite food to eat at lunch?

"Who were you friends with at school?"

"Kacchan," Izuku says immediately. Tomura scowls. "Well...Kacchan was more of a bully than a friend, but he could be nice sometimes." Tomura visibly sulks.

"Is Kacchan a nickname?" Sensei questions. When Izuku nods, Sensei forges on. "And what is Kacchan's full name?"

Izuku's hands twist into the sheets on his bed. "B-Bakugou," he mumbles nervously.

"And his first name?"

"Ka-" Izuku stops. He tries again. "Kachi? No, that's not right. It was longer. Kasuchi? That's wrong. Huh? What was it?" Izuku is mumbling to himself, shaking lightly. Tomura is hovering in the background, an expert of Izuku's approaching meltdowns.

"I think that will be enough for today," Sensei decides, standing up. He motions for Tomura, and he obediently hands the older man a syringe. Izuku freezes like a scared animal. "Now, Izuku, we're going to be moving to a different building to progress your training. We're going to have to put you to sleep for a little bit so we can transport you to the new place, okay?" Sensei takes a step forward, and Izuku slams his head against the wall in his rush to get away.

"NO!" Izuku shrieks, face turning bright red and breath quickening. His eyes widen, and he clamps a hand over his mouth in horror. His body trembles, tears welling up in his eyes, and he struggles to choke out an apology. Tomura is immediately next to him, stroking his hair and murmuring reassurances. Sensei doesn't outwardly react, only watching the two interact quietly. Finally, he reaches forward, syringe in hand. This time, Izuku doesn't resist, his face buried in Tomura's shoulder as Sensei injects the drug into his bloodstream.

"This is for the best, Izuku-kun," Sensei says, and Tomura watches as Izuku's eyelids grow heavy. The teenager doesn't reply, instead choosing to smother his face further into Tomura. His grip slackens as the drug takes full effect, his eyes closing and his racing pulse slowing.

Sensei places a reassuring hand on Tomura's shoulder. "Don't worry, Tomura-kun. He's getting better by the day."

Tomura nods in agreement without looking away from Izuku's face.

8.*.8

Izuku receives a little more freedom after they arrive in the new location. As long as Tomura is with him, he can even leave his room for short periods of time. Tomura knows it's because Izuku has been easing into his new life; after almost a year of staying permanently with Tomura, he's finally begun to accept his position as a budding villain. Along with Izuku's new privileges has reminded Tomura of something he has been avoiding: Sensei has been slowly transferring All for One to Izuku, which means Sensei is planning on dying sometime in the near future. Izuku will always be with him, of course, but Tomura can't help feeling a little frightened of a world without his guardian.

Tomura is distracted from his thoughts when Izuku switches the channel from a cartoon to the news. The new building they've switched to is similar to a large family house; the only difference is the medical lab in the basement. They're currently occupying the living room, Izuku sitting cross-legged on the floor while Tomura is firmly on the couch. Tomura makes a disapproving noise, and Izuku turns to him pleadingly.

"Please, Tomura, please? I wanna watch the news." Tomura hesitates as he is faced with Izuku's persuading puppy dog eyes, but he holds firm.

"No, Izukun." He gently takes the remote away, pleased with the lack of resistance he is given. He clicks off the TV, and Izuku whines like a child.

"I'm going to be away for a few hours today, so you'll have to stay in your room while I'm gone," Tomura explains, ushering the boy back to his bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Izuku asks, not appeased with the previous explanation. Tomura smiles as Izuku sits on his bed, bouncing lightly.

"I'm going to go kill All Might," he answers honestly, watching Izuku's reaction carefully. The boy stops bouncing, staring at an invisible point past Tomura's head.

"All Might..." he says thoughtfully. "I think I met him once."

"You did," Tomura agrees. "A long time ago."

"He was nice," Izuku says. "Why are you going to kill him?"

"He's in our way, Izukun. If he found you, he'd take you away from me." Tomura is satisfied when Izuku doesn't react negatively, and he ruffles the child's hair affectionately. "When I get back, we can watch a movie. Okay?"

"Okay," Izuku says, and the warmth he only feels when he's around Izuku swells up in his chest. Izuku doesn't move from his spot on the bed as he shuts the door and locks it.

An unfamiliar emotion clenches his heart painfully, but he brushes it aside. He can feel excitement rushing through his veins, the knowledge that he's finally about to initiate the recreation of the world in his grasp.

A world without heroes or villains. A world where he and Izuku can rule together.

8.*.8

The plan is going horribly wrong. All Might has apparently skipped out on his teaching duties, his grunts are getting defeated by mere students, and one of the brats has escaped from the barrier.

"It's game over for now," he mutters, twitching rapidly. He can sense the wariness radiating from Kurogiri, so he tries thinking of happy thoughts to calm himself down.

Izuku is waiting for him at home. He won't allow himself to ruin everything he's built up to now just because he threw a temper tantrum.

"While we're here, though..." He trails off, twisting his head to look behind him. "Why don't we use this opportunity to take the Symbol of Peace's pride down a notch?"

He lunges forward, hand outstretched as he reaches for a girl with long dark hair. His fingers still a mere centimeter away from her shocked face, an irritated grunt escaping him.

"You really are a cool guy, Eraserhead."

The man's breathing is labored and heavy, and his body is covered in bruises and blood, but apparently that isn't enough to stop him from protecting his dear students. Tomura tsks, and his Noumu slams the teacher's head into the ground. Before Tomura can resume the disintegration of the frog girl, however, a wall of flames shoots past his head.

"Bakugou-kun!" one of the other girls cries out, and Tomura's entire body grows cold.

"Bakugou?" he mutters. "Huh? Bakugou, Bakugou, Bakugou..."

"Yeah? Come at me, motherfucker!" Tomura's hand slowly moves away from the girl's face, and the collective breath of relief from the children almost makes him want to laugh.

"Bakugou..." Tomura turns around, appraising the spiky-haired teenager.

Apparently, the rest of the heroes-in-training have realized that something is very, very wrong.

"Bakugou, get the hell away from him!" Eraserhead screams from his position on the ground.

"Don't tell me what to do, old man!" Bakugou yells back, eyes never straying from the villain. "So?" He stares defiantly at Tomura. "Are you going to fight me, or are you going to prove the fact that you're a coward who hides behind hands?" he jeers.

Tomura can tell Kurogiri thinks he's going to throw a fit, but for once, he is feeling incredibly serene. A slow smile spreads behind the hand covering his face. "Okay, Kacchan. I'll play with you."

The boy freezes at the nickname, eyes widening in disbelief. "How do you..." Tomura can tell the moment realization hits him because his entire body erupts into vicious flames. "I'll kill you, you bastard! I'll rip your head off your goddamn body!"

Noumu is in front of him in an instant, protecting him from the onslaught of fire. Peering around the giant creature, he gleefully watches the teenager running at them at full speed, rage overtaking all of his other senses.

"Noumu. Kill him." His order rings out clearly, and screams of protest follow it. Tomura is almost vibrating in happiness. Perhaps he'll bring back his head as a gift for Izuku.

He frowns in confusion when the sound of breaking bones don't reach his ears, dust obscuring his vision. His bemusement turns into shock when a familiar voice booms, "Have no fear, for I have come!"

"Ahhhh," Tomura exhales. "We got a continue."

The Symbol of Peace stands protectively in front of his student, blocking the attack from the Noumu.

In an instant, all of the villains surrounding the area are unconscious and on the ground. Tomura blinks in surprise as the hero appears behind him, grabbing the frog girl and short boy and transporting them to safety. Vaguely, he hears All Might tell them to take Eraserhead to safety, but he doesn't care enough about that man to try to stop them. Bakugou is trembling, still staring at Tomura furiously.

"All Might," Bakugou says inaudibly, his classmates looking stunned by the quiet rage he is exuding. "That hand guy killed Deku."

All Might goes rigid. "You are the one who killed Young Midoriya?" Anger is evident in every inch of the man.

Tomura is offended in an instant. "I would never hurt Izukun," he hisses, and even All Might is startled at the intensity of his declaration.

"Shigaraki Tomura," Kurogiri says warningly. Tomura relaxes. Izukun is safe. He's waiting for Tomura at home.

He needs to be careful because these heroes will try to take Izukun away from him if they get the chance.

"Noumu, attack," Tomura orders, watching in satisfaction as the monster-like being slams its fists into the famous icon. Although All Might is stronger than he thought, it is clear that even he is having trouble keeping up with the Noumu.

So when All Might hits the monstrosity with enough force to send it flying into fucking outer space, Tomura is overcome with fury. The students are cheering in the background, but Tomura can barely hear them through the blood rushing in his ears.

"You used cheats!" Tomura howls. "You're not supposed to be this strong! Did he lie to me? No, he wouldn't!" His fingers scratch frantically at his neck, skin catching in his nails.

"What are you waiting for?" All Might calls, an intentional provocation. "Try to kill me if you can!" Tomura sees red for a moment before Kurogiri lets his mist curl around Tomura's body.

"Calm down, Shigaraki Tomura. Reinforcements should be coming any minute, but All Might has been affected by Noumu's attacks. What do you want to do?"

Tomura considers the situation. "We've come this far...how can we not defeat the final boss? Above all, we need to avenge Noumu." His decision is final. Tomura rushes forward, hand outstretched, and suddenly pain is erupting in his hand.

"So they've finally arrived!" All Might grins as Tomura stares at the bullet in his hand. His head turns to look at the plethora of professional heroes at the entrance of the training facility, and he recognizes a lost battle when he sees one. He can't afford to die here. Not with Izuku waiting for him at home.

"Game over," he mutters. Bullets pierce through the air, and Kurogiri cries out in alarm, black mist enveloping his body and warping him back to the house. He lands on the cold hardwood floor, moaning in pain.

"Oww..." He hisses as he attempts to move his body. "They shot my arms and legs. It was a total defeat."

"No," the voice from the computer says. "All Might is definitely weaker compared to before. The heroes underestimated you. You'll do better next time."

Tomura reluctantly accepts this. "I want to see Izuku," he grumbles.

"You need to be patched up first," Kurogiri counters. "Izuku will be frightened if he sees you hurt."

An hour later sees Tomura patched up and nearly bouncing off the walls in his eagerness to see Izuku. The wounds had been shallow and the bullets easily removable, but they had still required stitches and bandaging.

When Tomura creaks open the door to Izuku's room, the boy is bundled in blankets and tapping away at one of Tomura's handheld games. "Izukun," Tomura says almost inaudibly. Izuku glances up, and his eyes widen with worry when he sees the state Tomura is in.

"Tomura! What happened? Are you okay?" Tomura takes a large step forward, wrapping his arms around the small boy. "Tomura?" he asks uncertainly. "...Did you kill All Might?"

"No," Tomura mumbles, burying his head into Izuku's soft green hair. "He got away. I'll get him next time, though."

"Okay," Izuku says, and Tomura is too busy hugging him to notice the hint of relief in his voice.

Chapter Text

The days pass slowly after the altercation at UA.

Izuku is restless, restless, restless -- he twitches and thinks and tightens, a restricting force of false domesticity coiling around his chest like a snake patiently waiting to strike. He passes his time in confusion, mindlessly stumbling through the motions of survival as he listens and lives and lies. The distinction between reality and his dreams (nightmares) is distorted by the pills and injections and concoctions he placidly accepts every day.

Most of the time, he sits at home, watching television or playing one of Tomura's handheld games. On his bad days, he stares blankly at a wall, allowing himself to be subjected to a blurred daze of betrayal. Today, however, he has been settled on a familiar bar stool, guided by Kurogiri's firm hand. The wood is rough under his palms as he grips the stool, a frown tugging at his lips.

Izuku knows that he has been purposefully isolated for the past few months. He knows that he is being trained to rely on Tomura. He knows this like he knows that his sudden inclusion in the world outside of his barren room is a deliberate calculation determined by Sensei. Tomura’s absence only solidifies Izuku’s suspicions, and he clings desperately to one of the few things he is sure about.

Kurogiri watches him silently, and Izuku can tell he is a little nervous. He wishes he could will himself to conjure some sort of emotional reaction, but his mind is too mentally exhausted from the excess of pills to keep up with its chemical signals. He still hasn’t decided whether he prefers the days of silence and heavy limbs or the days of screaming and crying.

A glass of water appears in front of his unfocused eyes, and he blinks up at Kurogiri’s solemn offering. “Thank you,” he says, reaching for the glass. Condensation already drips down the side, and his hand slips around the drink a little before he wraps his palm around it. There is a brief moment of peace in which Kurogiri wipes down cups behind the bar and Izuku nurses his drink silently. This, of course, does not last very long at all.

Without warning, a petite figure hops onto the stool next to him. From his peripheral vision, he makes out blond hair and feminine clothing, but he keeps his head straight, unable to get a clear look; after years of loitering around the bar, he knows by now to keep to his own business. He hears a huff of amusement escape the girl. He glances at her shyly, grip tightening around the glass Kurogiri had handed him.

She giggles, delight twisting her pretty face at his reaction to her. “You must be Izuku Midoriya.”

Izuku grimaces, turning his head to examine the girl. Flushed cheeks and bright, wild eyes greet him. Her oversized sweatshirt and entirely too short skirt emphasize her petite figure - a deliberate choice with the intention of throwing off her opponents, he’s sure. She grins widely, visibly pleased at catching his attention. In the corner of his eye, he sees Kurogiri disappear into the back room, leaving them to their own devices.

“Yes,” he says at last, confirming his identity. He pauses, then asks, “And you are?”

“Himiko Toga,” she says sweetly, batting her eyelashes. “But you can call me Himiko-chan.” She taps a painted nail against her cheek, stretching her smile.

“Toga-san, how did you know my name?” Izuku asks, blatantly ignoring her request. He has no intention of playing a game with this girl.

Himiko fake pouts momentarily, but her unbidden glee forces her to drop her act soon after. “You were on the news a lot about a year ago,” she says, watching him closely. Izuku doesn’t even twitch at the revelation. “It was hard to go a day without seeing your cute face on my TV. Not so much now, though. I missed seeing it,” she sighs dreamily, her hand jerking up a little as if she wanted to stroke his cheek. Izuku feels a little violated.

“Well,” he says, uncomfortable. “Here it is. My face, that is.” His awkward attempt at cracking a joke seems to work, judging by how Himiko’s face brightens by a thousand watts.

“Yes,” she breathes. “Here it is. And here you are.”

Izuku is not stupid. He might be treated like a fragile china doll by Tomura, and to some extent Sensei and Kurogiri, in recent months, but where his body has failed him, his mind has clung on. Himiko’s sole purpose for seeking him out, for choosing to sit next to him at an almost-empty bar, for introducing herself - well, it is not because she saw him on the news.

The only way she could have found him in the way that she did is if someone told her.

It doesn’t take much to connect the dots to Sensei.

There is a brief pause in which Himiko stares at him in silence while vibrating in her seat. Then, with boldness that borders on rudeness, she asks “So? How did you end up here?”

Startled, Izuku exhales out of his nose loudly. He debates answering her at all, but he has a feeling that denying this girl of anything is only asking for trouble. Then what, he thinks, should he tell her?

Himiko watches him expectedly, not seeming to be bothered by his thoughtful silence. If anything, she seems to be enjoying the conflicted feelings reflecting on his face.

Finally, Izuku slowly answers, “My friend wanted me to work with him. I didn’t feel the same, so he took the choice away from me.”

Bitterness coated the end of his reply. Maybe he should have restrained himself a little more, allowed a curtain of neutrality in his position, but after so long without being allowed to oppose Tomura in any way, even verbally, he couldn’t help the slip from his mouth.

“Did he say why he did it?” Himiko asks, curious.

He hesitates. “He said it was for the best. That it was for my own good.”

A slow smile spreads across Himiko’s face. “He must really love you.”

"There's a fine line between love and obsession," Izuku mutters, but he does not argue with the conclusion she has come to.

"Isn't that what makes it so wonderful?" Himiko wonders, and Izuku looks at this tiny girl with apprehension. Her cutely styled hair and pastel sweater betray the gleam of insanity reflecting in her eyes.  

Izuku remains silent. Sensei wanted him to meet this girl. Why, why, why - he did not know. Then again, he does not know much of anything these days.

Either encouraged by Izuku's lack of denial, or perhaps hoping to prove a point, Himiko continues, "Haven't you ever loved someone so much that you would do anything for them to be yours?"

Izuku does not think he has, and he voices this to Himiko. She looks at him with pity and something more worrisome. His appraisal of the girl's reaction is interrupted by four fingers gripping his shoulder.

"Izukun," Tomura says stiffly. "Having fun?"

Izuku is silent.

Tomura expects this, and his attention merely diverts to Himiko. "You are the new recruit?"

"Yes," she replies excitedly. "You must be the mysterious leader. My name is Himiko Toga."

"This is Tomura," Izuku introduces, and Tomura stares down at him in mild surprise. It is not like him to speak if not spoken to. In the past, he would chatter to no ends, muttering and trailing off in a new analysis of a hero.

Now, he has learned to keep his thoughts to himself.

“It’s great to finally meet you; I’ve heard sooo much about you,” Himiko exclaims, drawing out her words and pitching her voice higher. Tomura glances at Izuku, and he avoids the stare expertly.

“Really?” Tomura says in response, disinterested. He clearly does not feel the same excitement that Himiko does. He quickly pulls someone next to him, and Izuku is surprised at the sudden appearance of the man.

“This is Dabi,” Tomura indroduces. “He’s new too, so you’ll be working with each other a lot.” Burns and scars make up the newcomer’s entire face, and Izuku feels a twinge of pity for the pain that had to have been associated with it. As if hearing his thoughts, Dabi glares fiercely at him through squinted eyes until Izuku shrinks back and looks down at his drink.

Tomura notices the exchange, and his ire quickly transfers from Himiko to Dabi. “Don’t look at him,” he warns, stepping closer to Izuku. Izuku represses a sigh and instead rolls his eyes, knowing that Tomura won’t be able to see from where he is hovering over his back.

The two new villains notice, and Himiko smiles slyly while Dabi’s scowl turns from irritated to confused and irritated.

Before anyone else can say anything else, Tomura’s agitation gets the best of him and he hauls Izuku up from his seat, forcing him to abandon the glass of water. “Izuku and I will be leaving now. I’ll send your first assignment to you later,” he tells them, much to their bemusement.

Izuku cranes his head as Tomura drags him away, and two pairs of eyes meet his as they silently watch him disappear from sight.

8.*.8

When Izuku Midoriya went missing, Katsuki didn't notice for three days.

On the first day, Katsuki didn’t even spare a thought to Deku’s absence. If anything, Katsuki was avidly trying to ignore him at all costs in light of the incident with the sludge villain, and he was distracted by the inquisitive chattering of his annoying classmates who wanted the full story on what happened. Katsuki was trying extremely hard to put Deku out of his mind for that day, and he very much succeeded.

On the second day, the most thought he allowed to Deku’s disappearance when he continued to be absent from class was that perhaps he was hiding in shame after being so thoroughly chastised by the Heroes. Or maybe his mother was sheltering him in their house for a few days for him to “recover.” Either way, no one paid any attention to it, so neither did Katsuki, and he went home for the weekend with thoughts of high school applications and the future.

On the third day, Katsuki hears his mother pick up the ringing telephone from the kitchen, and her voice yells for him to come downstairs. Grudgingly, he does so, and his mother interrogates him on the last time he saw Deku. Only then does a small seed of uncertainty plant itself into his mind.

This is what he finds out:

On Wednesday night, Deku sends his mother a text informing her that he will be home late, and that he is hanging out with a friend. He does not come home that night, but Inko falls asleep early and leaves for work before the sun rises, so she is unaware of his disappearance. When she comes back home late at night, there is a voicemail waiting for her from the school informing her of Izuku’s absence. Inko calls his phone at least ten times before calling the police.

The police help her file a missing person’s report, and they tell her they will open the investigation in the morning. Inko does not sleep, and when the police arrive at her home to ask her for details hours later, she snaps at them and promptly bursts into tears when they suggest a runaway situation. The police officers looks through his room and go through the text messages exchanged between Inko and him.

When the officers ask about the friend he was apparently seeing, the only person Inko can list is Katsuki. They write down the information she gives them and resolve to look further into it when they get everything sorted out with the paperwork.

And on Saturday morning, after Katsuki’s mother receives the phone call from Inko, the police knock on their door and sit Katsuki down to ask what he knows. He tells them what he does know, which is absolutely nothing, and Katsuki feels completely and utterly helpless.

Within two days, Deku’s face is plastered on every news channel in radius of their town.

The class is filled with rumors and gossip about his disappearance. A few of his classmates try to approach him, but he snarls at them and they scatter before they can even open their mouths.

For someone who has always claimed to aspire to become the best hero in Japan, Katsuki seems to be entirely useless whenever Deku is involved.

The first few weeks were the most difficult. When it became apparent that Deku wasn’t going to show up within the first few days, classmates started to decorate his empty desk with flowers and cards. Ironic, considering the insults the very same people used to scrawl on the very same desk when he was still here.

As Deku’s case gets colder and colder, the news dies down and the police are ready to release a statement informing the public that Deku is presumed dead. This changes, however, when All Might enters the picture, suddenly volunteering himself to help on the case. Inko cries with gratitude, and reports of Deku’s disappearance is relevant again in the news, except his story is now circling all of Japan instead of only their small town.

When a student comes to class with a card and the idea of everyone signing their name in support of Deku’s grieving mother, Katsuki does not sign. Instead, he and his mother spend every weekend with Inko, bringing over giant pre-prepped meals. Mitsuki made the mistake of making katsudon only once.

Katsuki doesn’t know why the number one hero bothered with taking a quirkless kid’s cold case, but he thinks that if All Might can’t find Deku, no one can. It inspires both hope and fear in Katsuki.

He meets All Might once, briefly, as the hero is exiting the Midoriya residence with a grim look on his face. As the man passes by him, they make eye contact momentarily, and it is over before Katsuki can even process it.

Over the course of the next few months, Katsuki begins to develop a new emotion that he had never experienced before in his entire life: guilt. As the days progress, and the police are no closer to finding Deku, Katsuki struggles with his very identity. He had always been sure of himself and his destiny from the moment his quirk had manifested, and when Deku’s hadn’t, he thought he had been sure of his future, too.

Now Deku was gone. And even with all of Katsuki’s talent and power, he was unable to contribute even on the barest level to his search. He was worthless.

And what hero was worthless?

Despite the doubt clouding his vision of the future, he applied for the hero course at the best hero school in Japan. (The one that Deku, too, was planning on going to.)

He gets the highest score, and he wonders what Deku would have done when faced with the giant robots. Cried, probably. But when Katsuki sees the rescue point system integrated in the test, he secretly thinks that maybe Deku would have been able to slide his way in somehow.

All Might himself comes to hand him his acceptance letter, and while he is there, he asks him why he wants to be a hero.

Before, Katsuki wouldn’t have hesitated before answering: “Because I want to be the best.”

Now he stops and thinks. Why does he want to be a hero? To save people? To save Deku? ...No, that’s not why. He looks at the number one hero in the eye and tells him, “I don’t want to be useless.”

The hero had looked at him in surprise, then glances back at the cut out articles of Deku scattered across the table. Understanding appears in his eyes, and he nods gravely. This is probably the most justified, and the most at peace, he has felt since Deku’s vanishing act.

Almost a year later, and there is still no trace of Deku; All Might himself is wearing thin, but the man manages to keep him updated every now and then at the end of class. It’s all but implied that his childhood friend is dead. And then, the USJ incident occurred, and Katsuki’s world flips.

Confusion, then fury, had erupted from his body when he heard the taunts of the creepy-looking villain. The only possible explanation for the villain to know that nickname was if he knew Deku. In that moment, he thought his questions had been answered -- this hand man had killed and disintegrated Deku, leaving no trace of his body behind and no evidence to close his case. This picture came so readily to Katsuki’s mind as flames licked from his hands, and in some sick, silent way, he easily accepted the closure of the confirmation of Deku’s death.

Then the villain had implied Deku was alive, and he had escaped before Katsuki could beat any answers out of him.

In the aftermath, Katsuki sits, staring into nothing and struggling to comprehend what had happened. All Might was immediately taken into the care of the paramedics, before anyone could see him, and Eraserhead was also being treated. What was he supposed to do with this information? Tell the police, who had done nothing to progress Deku’s case? He scoffed at the thought. He definitely couldn’t tell Auntie Inko. It would cause too much pain for her.

“Bakugou? Are you okay?” Katsuki is startled out of his thoughts by a hesitant hand on his shoulder. Kirishima looks down at him, concern etched into his eyes.

“I’m going to kill him,” Katsuki says, the raw emotion in his voice shocking Kirishima into a stupor. “That hands guy. I’m going to kill him.”

Kirishima’s hand falls off of his shoulder and hangs loosely at his side.

8.*.8

“I think I love him,” Himiko says, fanning her face.

“You just met him,” Dabi snaps. “And he seems like a wimp.”

“He’s strong,” she insists. “I just know it. He’s not showing it, but he has a spark in there. I know you saw it too.”

Dabi frowns, recalling the eye roll from the boy, but decides not to comment. There would be no point in arguing with this obsessive girl.

“I want him,” Himiko proclaims without prompt, twisting the bottom of her sweater with her fingers. Dabi looks away, disturbed by the lovesick expression on her face. “I love him.”

Behind the bar, Kurogiri listens, wondering what on earth Sensei had planned that could possibly involve these two and young Izuku.