Chapter Text
Izuku was tired.
He couldn’t sleep yet, not until Tomura came to tuck him into bed. It was entirely unnecessary, Izuku was 14, as of a few months ago.
Tomura received Izuku as a gift a few years ago, and he had absolutely no say in the matter. One day, he was 9 years old, playing with his All Might action figures and planning his hero costume with Kachaan, and the next Izuku was unceremoniously warped onto a filthy bar floor. Sensei said he was a good match for Tomura, being about the only person that couldn’t be disintegrated in a fit of childish rage.
Izuku’s quirk was strange. A mutation of someone in his family tree, most likely. Izuku was immune to quirks. If someone touched him, their own power was cancelled out, and any longer distance quirks simply failed to affect him. Even Kachaan’s explosions couldn’t hurt him. That was one of the reasons they were going to be such a good hero duo, back then. Kachaan never had to worry about accidentally hitting Izuku. No quirk could do much to touch him.
Knock knock.
Tomura was here.
Izuku sat himself upright in bed, waiting for his covers to be pulled up and his lights to be turned off so he could finally sleep. He wasn’t allowed to do anything without Tomura’s explicit permission. He was a toy. That was all Izuku was good for, now.
“Night, Deku.” Tomura’s nickname for Izuku never failed to make his skin crawl.
Tomura’s lips split as he cracked a soft smile, gesturing for him to lay down and pulling the covers over Izuku's shoulders.
No more words were shared between the two as Tomura walked out of the room, turning the light off and locking the door from the outside.
Izuku closed his eyes after hearing the click of the lock. There was no point in staying awake past his bedtime, it was pitch black in his room, no windows or nightlights to speak of, and even if Izuku was bold enough to turn the light back on, he had no television or books to keep him occupied. He passed his time by sleeping, or speaking to Tomura when he was allowed out.
It was a bit boring, but there was no use crying over spilt milk. Izuku had made his peace with that long ago.
***
“Bye Kachaan!” Izuku yelled at the top of his lungs as Katsuki walked out the door, hand in hand with Aunt Mitsuki.
Mom was in the kitchen, finishing dinner.
“Inside voice, Izu.” She chuckled a bit under her breath.
Inko wished her husband would let Izuku outside to play with his friends. But she understood his reasoning. Izuku didn’t have a quirk to defend himself, not in any way that mattered.
Hisashi would be home any minute now. She turned her attention to making dinner in time, not wanting to cause an argument that night. Hisashi— he just lost his temper, sometimes.
Before long, heavy footsteps approached the door. Izuku could always tell when his father was home. He knew the routine he had to follow.
As silently as he could, Izuku gathered his hero figures and snuck to his room, getting into bed and feigning sleep. He was a bit too old for nap time, but Father insisted. And what Father wants goes. That’s the only law within his four walls.
***
Light shined red through Izuku’s eyelids. Tomura had turned on the light.
“Up and at ‘em, Deku.” Tomura made his way to Izuku’s bedside, pulling aside the covers and motioning for Izuku to get up.
“Sensei has something for you to do. Let’s go to his room.”
Tomura leaned down and whispered, close to Izuku’s ear.
“My little pet, out in the world. Don’t forget your place, Deku.”
Izuku suppressed a shudder. Out in the world? Surely he wasn’t getting to leave ? His heart fluttered a bit just at the thought. Whether it was due to nervousness or excitement, Izuku didn’t know. He hadn’t been outside the bar since he had been taken, five years ago. Izuku didn’t even know how to govern himself, he barely dared to breathe without Tomura’s permission.
Tomura took Izuku's hand to walk him to Sensei’s room. Izuku never got to do anything by himself. He was allowed to use the bathroom and bathe, Tomura wasn’t that deranged, but even then, he was standing outside the door.
The pair made their way to Sensei’s office. Izuku had been many times, usually just accompanying Tomura on his own visits.
Tomura opened the office door, and as always, for a split second, Izuku felt nine years old again.
As they walk in, Izuku can almost taste the danger that comes with being in Sensei’s presence. There’s a stifling aura around him, tightening its grip around his throat, accelerating his heart rate, and forcing his blood to pool at his feet. Izuku swallows his terror and continues on.
Tomura speaks first, as usual. Izuku does not speak unless spoken to.
“Tell him, Sensei! Tell him what he’s to do.”
Tomura seemed strangely excited about this. If it was true, if Izuku was really going to be going out into the world, he expected Tomura to be bitter, maybe angry at losing a bit of his grip on Izuku. Tomura’s satisfaction with this situation has the feeling that this was not going to be enjoyable for Izuku.
Sensei took a long breath before speaking. He did that often, often enough that Izuku suspected it was some sort of power play to keep the suspense up. Not that he would say it out loud.
“Sources say All Might is going to be working at UA. Teaching the Hero Course, apparently. It would be fairly easy for a student to observe him, should they happen to take his class.”
Sensei did this all the time. It was up to him to decipher Sensei’s instructions. Sensei wouldn’t spell it out for anyone, not when he could present the possibility of a slip up. A possibility of failure.
Tomura tapped Izuku’s wrist. Permission to speak.
“I am to infiltrate UA, Sensei?” Izuku’s voice didn’t tremble, but it was a close thing.
Sensei’s mouth ticked upwards, if only a smidge.
“Good. You will start training immediately. In ten months, you will pass the entrance exam, and once you’re successful… I might be inclined to give you a treat. Maybe… a trip outside would be nice, yes?”
Izuku felt stiff. Outside. He hadn’t been outside in— nevermind. He would be starting training. Izuku had no idea what it would consist of, but considering his luck, it wouldn’t be pleasant.
There was no use making himself upset over it, though. What was done was done. Izuku never had any control over his life, and he never would.
That’s just the way it worked for him.