Chapter Text
It was his birthday today.
Izuku was turning fourteen years old, and he wasn’t having a birthday party. He couldn’t have one. Izuku didn’t have any friends he could celebrate with.
With a tired sigh, Izuku was tugging his jacket tighter around himself. It was already well past 9 pm, and the sky was a dark midnight blue. Due to the city lights, there wasn’t a single star in the sky, and the air was cold and brisk.
Even though it was summertime, Izuku couldn’t help but feel a little bit chilly. Izuku always felt cold nowadays. He always felt tired. It was like a dark cloud of misery was hanging over his head, dousing him in cold, unforgiving rain.
With his body shaking softly, Izuku walked towards the convenience store near his house. He wanted to pick up a birthday cake for himself. His mother couldn’t come home tonight, as she was busy at work. Being a single mother to a quirkless kid was really taxing on his mother, and she always had to pick up extra shifts at work to keep them afloat. Izuku’s father did send them monthly cheques of money, but the payments weren’t enough to keep them living comfortably.
The convenience store then dinged softly as Izuku entered the shop, and he immediately began walking towards the bakery section of the store. It sucked that he was going to be celebrating his birthday alone with a convenience store cake, but it was better than nothing. His mother had to work tonight, and that was that.
Izuku was glad that she was working hard. She was a good mother. He didn’t know what he would do without her.
Humming a soft tune under his breath, Izuku began browsing through all of the different cakes available. Since it was the end of the day, none of the cakes looked fresh, and some of them even looked a little bit stale. With a grimace on his face, Izuku was picking out a simple vanilla cake. The cake looked like it was the least stale, and the frosting looked...adequate.
Picking up the cake, Izuku began walking towards the cash register. The convenience store’s radio was crackling with static, and the audio was glitching out. The lights in the store casted a ghostly blue glow across everything, and the atmosphere was calm.
“How can I help you today?” The cashier croaked, their face flushing an uncomfortable shade of red. The employee looked to be a few years older than Izuku, and their voice was squeaky with puberty. Bright, angry red pimples were strewn across the teenager’s face, and his eyes looked wet. If Izuku had to pick a boring teenage protagonist for a movie, this would be the guy.
“J-Just this cake, please!” Izuku stammered, his cheeks flushing a soft pink. Awkwardly, Izuku pushed the vanilla cake onto the counter, and the teenager began scanning the item. After a few moments of nervous fiddling, everything was paid for and Izuku was able to leave the store.
With a relieved sigh, Izuku was clutching the cake close to his chest. The store gave a nervous little beep as he exited out, and Izuku began walking back home. Yet as Izuku walked towards his house, enjoying the crisp nighttime air, his phone began to buzz.
Fishing his cellphone out of his pocket, a smile then stretched across Izuku’s face as he realized that his mother was texting him. His cellphone was casting white light across his face, and his phone felt like a lighthouse beacon in the dark, empty street.
Mom: Hey, sweetie! I’m almost done with my work at the office! I only have about one hour left.
Immediately, Izuku began texting his mother back.
Izuku: That’s amazing, mom! I picked us up a cake for tonight! Do you think you’ll be home by 11?
Mom: Are you still out? You shouldn't be out this late, Izuku! It’s way past your curfew!
Gulping nervously, Izuku began awkwardly fiddling with his phone—his eyes anxious.
Izuku: Don’t worry, mom! I’m perfectly safe! I’m right in the neighborhood. I promise I’ll be home in five minutes.
Mom: Okay, sweetie. Just be safe. Don’t talk to strangers or anything like that.
Izuku: I won’t! :)
Tucking his phone into his pocket, Izuku began walking back towards his house—a happy smile strewn across his face. His mother was going to come home early tonight. Even though they would still be celebrating his birthday a little bit late, Izuku was ecstatic.
Today was going to be a good day, after all.
With a bounce in his step, Izuku began humming the old All Might theme song under his breath as he skipped back home. Even though he didn’t have any friends he could celebrate his birthday with, he at least had his mom.
Everything was going to be okay.
Yet as Izuku continued to walk back home, his cake clutched close to his chest, the sound of footsteps started to come up behind him. It looked like Izuku wasn’t alone anymore on the street.
Oh well.
That was fine.
With his head swaying back and forth, Izuku began mumbling quietly under his breath—remembering the hero fight he saw earlier that day. Ryuko, the dragon hero, had been fighting three different villains this afternoon. One villain had a quirk that allowed them to spit corrosive acid, and another villain could sharpen their nails into dagger-like claws. The last villain, which had the most impressive quirk, had been able to manipulate anything that continued the carbon element in it. That quirk had allowed the villain to...to…
With his eyes narrowing in confusion, Izuku paused in the middle of the street—his grip around his cake tightening. The footsteps behind him had stopped. He couldn’t hear anything anymore. The entire street was...eerily quiet.
Without a moment of hesitation, Izuku was turning around—his heart racing. Before Izuku could fully swivel around, however, a blunt object was smashing into his head and he was stumbling down to the ground.
He could feel blood dripping down his forehead, and Izuku was screaming silently as a wet cloth went over his mouth. The cloth smelled like disinfectant and chemicals, and his head felt...felt…
Foggy.
He felt really foggy.
Everything around him looked...dull and out of focus. He could see white stars flashing in front of his vision, and a weak giggle was stumbling out past his lips. His fingertips felt weirdly tingly, and everything was...was…
With his head bleeding out onto the sidewalk, Izuku was passing out.
With a weak groan, Izuku was opening up his eyes. The world around him looked hazy and unclear, and his vision was swimming . Izuku could hear a distant ringing sound in his ears, and his head was aching terribly.
His entire body felt like it had been rubbed raw, and Izuku was twitching uncomfortably. He was lying down on a bed, and the scratchy sheets felt awful against his overly sensitive skin. Everything felt awful right now.
With another quiet groan, Izuku was reaching up and clutching his pounding head. He could feel...bandages wrapped around his head, and Izuku was hissing out in pain.
Shit.
His head felt awful .
Yet as Izuku continued to rub his aching head, he slowly became more aware of his...surroundings.
Shit.
Oh fuck.
Oh god, oh god, oh god—
Where was he?!
Did he—did he get kidnapped?!
With a scared gasp, Izuku was lurching forward off of the bed, only to get pulled back into the scratchy sheets. What the—
He was handcuffed—he was handcuffed to the bed. His right arm was handcuffed to the headboard, and Izuku could feel his heart racing. There was no way he would be able to break the metal chain! He wasn't strong enough; he didn’t have a quirk!
With his entire body violently shaking, Izuku began looking himself over. His ankles weren’t chained up or restricted, and his left arm was free as well. The only part of him that was chained up was his right arm.
Okay…
Okay.
He could work with this.
Izuku just had to keep a level head.
With a loud breathless gasp, Izuku’s lungs were burning and he was heaving for air. His breathing was sharp and panicked, and Izuku could feel sweat forming on his skin.
He just had to keep a level head!
(He had been kidnapped, he had been kidnapped, he was going to die—)
With tears springing up in his eyes, Izuku was reaching down and clutching at the scratchy sheets desperately. He needed to take in his surroundings. He needed to think!
Izuku was...in someone’s bedroom. The bedroom’s lights were all turned off, and the only thing providing any light was a large computer monitor. The computer was casting a ghoulish blue glow on everything in the room, and it was the sole source of light.
If Izuku could somehow make it to the computer, he could contact the police. That...that could work.
With his fingers twitching nervously, Izuku began taking in more of his surroundings. The bed sheets were crumpled and uncared for, and Izuku could feel crumbs underneath his feet.
Gross.
There were...bottles and tissues strewn about the room carelessly, and the bedroom smelled...musty. Whoever lived in this bedroom clearly didn’t take care of the room or themself.
With his nose wrinkling up in distaste, Izuku peered around the bedroom in fascination. The person’s laundry basket was overflowing, and Izuku could see some underwear lying down on the ground. The room was just...a mess.
Yet as Izuku continued to critique his kidnapper's living space, the bedroom door opened up, and Izuku's heart was stopping. With a loud audible gulp, Izuku was glancing up at his kidnapper, his palms sweaty and gross. His kidnaper had dark, angry red eyes, and his face was dry. He had wispy blue hair, and Izuku couldn’t help but think that his kidnapper’s hair looked like the sky. It was a similar shade of blue.
His kidnapper’s skin was also...littered in scars. It looked like the man had been roughed up one too many times in his life. He looked—
“—Are you going to keep mumbling?” The man spoke up, his voice gruff and hoarse, and Izuku was squeaking out in surprise. Had he been mumbling again?!
“Yeah, you’re mumbling.”
Did he mumble that out loud too—
“—Enough.” His kidnapper cut in, and Izuku was closing his mouth shut with an audible smack.
Awkwardly, the two of them stared at one another. Izuku’s kidnapper was wearing a baggy black hoodie, and a pair of black sweatpants as well. It was like he was trying to blend into the darkness of his bedroom.
Izuku, however, was just wearing his usual clothing. He was wearing a white shirt that said t-shirt on it, and a pair of baggy blue jeans. Izuku probably looked like a dork.
With a loud grunt, Izuku’s kidnapper began scratching at his neck angrily, his nails picking apart his skin, and Izuku was cringing away. His nails were digging into his flesh, scraping against him, and it looked...painful.
It looked really painful.
“Are…” Izuku mumbled, his voice barely a whisper, “are you okay?”
Immediately, the man froze and stopped scratching at his neck. “What did you say?”
“I...I…” Izuku stuttered, his eyes filling up with fear, “I asked if...you are okay. Your scratching, it looks...painful.”
Without a moment of hesitation, the man was storming up to Izuku, and Izuku was curling in on himself. His kidnapper was going to hurt him; to kill him—
“You’re an idiot.” The man grunted as he climbed onto the bed. “A dumb hero.”
With his red eyes practically glowing in the dark bedroom, the man reached forward and began patting Izuku on the head. The patting was soft and gentle, and Izuku’s eyes were immediately filling up with tears. Everything about this was too overwhelming.
“P-Please!” Izuku stammered, his voice cracking. “Please, let me go! I...I promise I won’t tell anyone about you! I’ll be quiet! Just...just let me go! I need to...to...go back home!”
With a loud cry, Izuku was sobbing hysterically as a wave of emotions crashed over him. Everything had finally caught up to him, and Izuku felt like he was drowning. Wave after wave of despair kept hitting him, and Izuku’s lungs were filling up with water. His blood was turning to ice, and his bones were shattering. Izuku felt like he was dying .
Izuku’s kidnapper, however, just continued to pat him on the head as if he was a whiny dog.
“I’m not going to let you go.” The man grumbled, his eyes narrowing in consideration. “I can’t do that. I need to keep you safe. You remember me, right?”
With a wheezing gasp, Izuku was glancing up at the man, his eyes raking across his face. He...didn’t recognize the man; not at all. He was a complete stranger. With his heart pounding in his chest, Izuku shook his head. “N-No...I...don’t know you.”
Immediately, Izuku’s kidnapper was hissing out quietly in anger, and his fingers were digging into Izuku’s scalp. A soft whine then left Izuku’s lips as the man continued to growl angrily. Everything about the man felt...dangerous. Izuku needed to get away from him.
“That’s...fine.” Izuku’s kidnapper grounded out, his teeth grinding together. “Even if you don’t remember me...everything is going to be fine.”
“Heh,” The man chuckled, “I’m not surprised you don’t remember me. I bet you save people all of the time. You’re a little hero . A disgusting hero. I know you’re a big fan of All Might. You probably want to be just like him. You follow him like a sheep; just like everyone else. Everyone is taught to follow heroes at a young age, but that’s not what they should be doing. They should be—”
Izuku’s kidnapper then continued to rant angrily as Izuku quietly watched him. He...didn’t get this man. He seemed unhinged. Insane. The man was acting like he knew Izuku, but Izuku didn’t even recognize this guy. He was delusional.
A bright grin then stretched across the man’s face, and Izuku was cringing away. His eyes were gleaming manically, and Izuku found that he wanted to hide. He wanted to run away.
“It’s okay, Izuku.” The man rasped, his lips twitching up into a smile. “Everything is going to be okay. I’ll take care of you from now on. You’re safe here. Now...what to do with you…”
Oh god.
What was the man going to do with him—
“Do you want to play Stardew Valley or Minecraft together?”
With a scared squeak, Izuku was collapsing down into the bed and passing out. He was beyond terrified, and all he wanted to do...was to sleep.
Izuku’s vision then darkened around him, and he was passing out in fear.