Hello! SO I KNOW IM A COUPLE DAYS LATE AND IM SO SORRY! I didn't expect this fic to get as long as it did, especially since it was for a gift exchange ;.; But I hope you guys enjoy it! I tried to be a bit better with my description this time so I hope you guys like it. Also! As you could tell from the summary, this fic is based off of Missing Halloween though I tried to add my own personal twists to it so I hope you like it!
Missing Halloween: watch?v=FaoVpVXcZsA (if you haven't watched it before, I would suggest watching it after this fic so nothing gets spoiled!)
Screams of enjoyment and laughter surrounding the darkened town with lightened torched swishing in the motion of children. Lamps overhung them, bringing a soft light to the intricate velvets and tull that detailed the costumes that were garnishing children's bodies. Little pumpkins with black straps were seen on top of the little fingers as their weight filled in candy pulled their arms down, causing a swift motion against the win.
It was Halloween and everyone was in the spirit of the occasion. Even including little Shouto Todoroki.
Upon his sister's request and squeals, Fuyumi took the time stored in her vacation hours to sew him his own vampire costume, even making longer teeth to go over his own canines to give the look that he was about to suck other children's blood. His cravat was ruffled with a beautiful white fabric that had a black tie to bring it together and the rest of his body hid under a velvet cloak as he felt his ribs being constrained with the red corset that came along with costume. Fuyumi even took the extra steps with him to apply ghoulish makeup that made him have bags the size of a college student and some extra blood by the tips of his mouth to pretend he just devoured a victim of his choice. Plus, she used some of her gel to push the white in his hair back to leave the red sticking down, allowing his glowing blue eye to pop out through the strands seen in between his scar.
Due to the living situation at home where the boy was an invisible captive to his father, Fuyumi came up with a plan for young Shouto, making sure he could enjoy Halloween with her and the rest of his peers dressed in other intricate costumes as they collected candy from the local neighbors. Kneeling to meet his eyes to make sure he understood, she gave him a plan, one that she believed to be foul proof. Her instructions were for him to sneak out in his vampiric gear and meet her at the the park at around 6:30pm, when she would be free. Their father would take his daily rest between 4 or 5pm so he had just leg room to escape from his ghostly chains and meet her at the bench she specifically pointed out.
Yet, even though he followed the plan to its bare bones, making sure not even a peep escaped from his shoes, he still couldn't find his sister. Shouto had a mini digital All Might watch that hung around his wrist that he kept only when his father wasn't around and hope began to suddenly seep down as the minutes passing down only showed the ghost of his sister appearing. Sometimes he would hear noises or figures that would look like her but then it would turn into a false reality that would only made him sink further into his seat. It didn't even make him smile to hear compliments of his costume or offerings of gatherings.
It was just another disappointment to plague his life and he felt his hurt in a special kind of turmoil that should never be experienced by children his size.
When his digital watched laughed out 7:30, Shouto decided that the cold wasn't worth waiting under his cloak and decided to swiftly drop from his spot when he heard a small voice calling from behind him.
"Hey, you're costume is really cool!" the voice said with excitement, a treat really ringing as it grew closer to him. Shouto slightly turned around to see who it belonged to and it came from this other kid, possibly his own age, in a ghost costume that had patches of different colors to cover the holes marked in it. The boy had frilly green hair that had a special ombre under the shades of the street lamps and his hands were filled with scars as he pulled them out of his sleeve to touch the velvet from Shouto's cape. "Wow this is nicely made! Did you make this yourself?" he curiously asked, his voice already making mental notes of what kind of material and processes were used in the makings of this costume.
Shocked from this sudden appearance, Shouto remained silent for a few moments before he looked down as the crunched fabric that was tightly wound between his fingertips. "No, I didn't make it. My sister did. She's really good at this kind of thing." He softly responded, his fake teeth leaving a small lisp behind as he answered back to the mysterious boy.
"Wow, that's so cool your sister can do that! I wish I had a sibling so they could make me cool costumes like yours can!" The boy exclaimed as he bounced on each foot, showing his hyper nature that contrasted with the more stern face Shouto exhibited. Suddenly, his steps stopped as a thought crossed his mind and the boy's back shot right back up as he pushed his delicate hand towards Shouto, a grin to back his gesture. "Ah, I'm Midoriya Izuku! Though all my friends are kind of mean and they call me Deku but I'm sure they mean well by it…" He drifted off in thought before he slightly shook his, making his green and black ombre curly hair bounce with each movement. Izuku then turned back to Shouto and gave a look that requested his name back.
With a bit of hesitation licking on the tips of his tongue, Shouto looked at the outstretched hand, wondering if his father's warnings of strangers would apply in this situation. However, the same image made him grow to have an acidic taste on his tongue and Shouto decided to give himself a small triumph of defiance by introducing himself. "...My name is Todoroki Shouto." He answered back with a voice of softness, clearly wanting to say more but not sure what else to add to his statement of introduction. Given the metaphorical cage his father placed him in, if he was granted any type of social interaction, it was either greeted with a sense of professionalism or screams into his ear that only called him useless as he was kicked right back up. Other than that, he didn't understand the rules of talking with others so all that could come out of his mouth was his name and he felt an internal urge to punch himself to try to say more.
However, that seemed enough for the boy in the ghost costume as he overstepped boundaries Shouto had never experienced and grabbed onto his vampiric hands, squeezing them with the same delight that was seen on Izuku's face. "It's so nice to meet you Todoroki! I hope we can be amazing friends!" he said with glitter shining against his beamed expression, companionship already lined in Izuku's mind. Suddenly, a little thought popped into his mind and it only widened his grin further as he clutched onto Shouto's hands more. "Hey, I'm not sure what your plans are but do you want to go trick or treating with me!?" Izuku yelped as he bounced on the balls of his feet, though their movements slowed as a counter thought appeared and his shining emerald eyes turned dull as they looked up at Shouto with a crystallized core. "Unless you don't want to…" he said with a sad ring attached to it, the corners of his mouth turning downwards as his grip loosened on Shouto's gloved fingers as anticipation of a rejection crept up next to him.
It took a couple of moments for Shouto to respond as he encountered an internal debate. There was a section of him was pulled at the prospect of his sister coming up to him with a similar intricate costume that would match the ruffles on his own wear. However, one quick glance at All Might's smiling face with a time flickering on and off screamed out the reality that his sister wasn't going to come rescue him and he'd had to return to metallic bars that he knew as home. With his face scrunching in defiance, Shouto gave Izuku a hard nod while reciprocating the same squeeze his own hands endured. "N-no, I don't have any p-plans! Let's go t-together!" Shouto stuttered, using phrases that never reached into his social vocabulary as his voice contained a small strain on vocal cords that had never been used before during his time growing up. He could feel his heart fluttering in rebellion against the pounding of his oppressor's words swirling in his ear but he continued to nod towards Izuku, as if to beg him to take him away onto an adventure he never once had before.
Suddenly, after hearing Shouto's stammered agreement, Izuku looked back up at him with shimmering jade eyes as smile soon began to form on his round face once more, making his freckles illuminate under his rosy cheeks. "Really!? Yes yes yes!" he shouted as his jumps began to resurface, picking up Shouto's feet too as they bounced in unification. "Let's go then! We have to hurry or else we'll miss out on all the candy!" Izuku exclaimed as he repositioned his hands so only one hand was clamped on Shouto's opposite as he pulled him towards the orange glowing houses that were illuminated with invitations to receive candy.
"Hmmmm let's go there!" Izuku commanded with his high pitch voice as he made the two of them join an amass of other children that were crowded around the cement steps that led to the opulent door. Within the confounds of the door frame stood a hearty woman with a curved body frame that nestled the bowl of candy on her hip as she gave a comforting smile to all the children that were filled with exaggerated animations of euphoria. Drool could be seen escaping the tips of their lips as their eyes shifted back and forth from the bowl to the owner.
"My my! What adorable costumes you all have!" the woman said with a cheery laugh as her eyes scanned at all the intricacies that were stitched into the variety of ensembles of fabric that were outlining their bodies. Seeing the energy spilling onto her porch steps, she used that anticipation as her eyes enlarged with suspense to get their adrenaline even pumping further as she noticed the small twitches in their muscles with each slight bounce they gave. Suddenly, her hand reached into the candy bowl and gasps erupted from the crowd, creating a symphony of excitement. "So who wants some candy!?" She called to them, giving the command to have the children all squeeze each other as they pushed to front with their bags shoved towards the lady's hand. "Now now, settle down! One at a time!" The woman tried to appease, though it only seemed to make the children more anxious about getting candy in their grasp. Even Izuku shoved himself within the crowd, joining everyone in their cheerful chants and having parts of his body elbowed in as Shouto looked on with worry from behind. He wasn't one to shove himself in situations like this and patience was a key part of his personality as he looked onwards in waiting to see if the crowd would dissipate soon.
After hymns of thank yous and have a great halloween, the horde that surrounded the woman's feet soon dispersed and the only ones left were Shouto and Izuku. Given how Izuku had shoved himself in there, small questions appeared in Shouto's mind as to why he didn't manage to get any but his thoughts were immediately interrupted by the slight tapping of the woman's foot as she stirred her hand in the pot. Shouto looked back at her with curious eyes, wondering what his next move should be. "Pssst…" Izuku whispered over to him, causing Shouto to turn his head towards his ghostly friend. "Follow me!" He beckoned as Izuku got closer to the door and separated his feet so they could have a firm grip on the ground to keep him stable as he pushed his pillow sack towards the candy dealer as he hollered at the top of his lungs "Trick or Treat!"
Shouto looked at the way Izuku had done it and he stared back at his plastic hollow pumpkin that only contained flickers of dust inside. Gulping his fear, he gave one last glance at Izuku before copying the same motion, though with slightly more quiver than confidence. "T-trick or t-treat!" Shouto repeated with a wavering voice as he held up his own bucket, his face wincing away in fear as he wasn't sure the reaction the lady was going to have towards him and his weak posture.
However, unlike how his father would kick his back straight up and force his eyes to be wide open, this woman carried a much more sweet demeanor, chuckling at his actions instead of chastising him. "I thought for a second there you were just going to stare at me and not say anything but you did! I'm guessing this is your first time going out and getting some candy?" she asked him in a motherly tone, blanketing him in an aura of warmth and kindness that had a small tinge of recollection from his own mother before the scar appeared on his face. Shouto slowly nodded his head to her question, revealing the true nature of the situation he found himself in. "Why that's just adorable! I hope you have fun out there tonight. Here-" she stated as the hand within the bowl blended itself deeper, really making sure that even the candy on the bottom resurfaced to the top. Soon, her hand appeared out, however Shouto quickly realized that there was an overflow than what the other kids received. "Here, have some extra for your first time!" The woman said with tenderness as her now free hand grabbed onto the wooden door, preparing to close it as she slowly moved it towards the latch. "Well have a great Halloween! I hope you have a great night tonight!" and the door slammed with her exclamation, creating a hard knock that masked the boys' voices for her to stop.
Staring at the entrance with one bucket filled and a pillowcase, they tried to find their voices that had been knocked away from the wind the door closing gave. After a couple of seconds of shock, Izuku's head bobbed forward as his nimble fingers opened up the bag a bit to really face the reality he had been ignored despite his sure fire attitude and callings as she closed the door. It made him feel numbness inside as he questioned why on Earth that would happen. Was it his costume? Maybe he was too straightforward? Questions curled around his mind as he continued to give a glazed look towards the emptiness befell his bag, making Shouto begin to be filled with woe. However, as soon as he was about to place a hand on Izuku's shoulder to shake him out of that deadened state, Izuku sprinted back up, looking like nothing happened. Staring back at Shouto's concerned look, he gave an imitation laugh of All Might that made Shouto lean his head towards the side as his colored eyebrows furrowed themselves upwards in perplexity. "There's no fear, for I am here!" Izuku screamed out, botching All Might's signature line as his fists rolled into the crevices of his hips. His grin matched the designer one All Might had almost copyrighted as sparkles shined through his polished, white teeth.
Shouto's blinked in confusion, wondering what in the world got into his new found friend. Even though he wasn't most aware of common reactions, judging glimpses he noticed from his brothers and sister, they would have had a sour face with tears budding in their eyes if they didn't get what they asked for. Yet, Izuku was completely different than his siblings. Though his bag was empty and not as filled as Shouto's, Izuku was still able to smile and project a type of hopeful attitude that left Shouto to be in a befuddled state. "Ummm Midoriy-"
"Don't about it Todoroki! I'm sure she just didn't see me!" He interrupted Shouto's beginning remarks as he grabbed his hand and pulled the dazed vampire behind him as he lead the way to another destination. "C'mon let's get to other houses! We wouldn't want to miss out on all the candy!" He said cheerily as he tilted his back to look at Shouto with a grin that made his cheeks turn apple in color and his freckles glow under the lamps of the street. With that look, Shouto just followed along, slightly nodding his head in apprehension and trailed after the little boy in front of him, making sure he didn't lose sight of the patched ghost costume as they traveled in a pack.
However, the expectations Izuku and Shouto soon turned the tables on them as repeats of the first kept reoccurring. No matter how much Izuku shoved himself to the front and begged for candy to make his bag heavier, he would be treated like his costume and instead Shouto received the share, sometimes even more than the other kids from the group due to awe adults had for his costume. As the night continued on and they rang more doorbells to receive candy, Shouto's bucket began to grow heavier while Izuku's bag still was reduced to the weight of simple fabric. And as they exited each house, the spirit Izuku had in the beginning soon withered away into the grey sky that was beginning to fill itself with darkening clouds that overhang the dimming stars. The upwards head of Izuku soon declined itself further with each passing second and his pillowcase that was held with tenacity soon dragged itself on the cement, creating small holes by the tips. Shouto looked onto his friend with downturned eyes, not aware of what he should say. At each house, he would try to garner attention towards Izuku but he was met with either laughter and door slams that equaled another rejected attempt. All of this made the atmosphere around them awkward and tense as words were taken from their lungs and stomped on as they continued on with their journey.
"Why….aren't I getting any candy….?" Izuku quietly whispered, shattering the constricting vibe that occurred from their lack of speech. His head hung low as his eyes looked blankly at the cracks within the cement of the street, the sparkling semblance he had earlier turning dull and dismal as if colors were beginning to drain from his corpse.
Eyeing his friend like that, Shouto began to reminisce about the times at his own house where happiness seeped out from under their fingertips and the only comforting color was grey as everything seemed to drain out. He knew that feeling all too well and hearing Izuku's new found cracked voice with that same sadness Shouto had to use all too much made him feel a sharp pain in his chest. Shifting his heterochromatic eyes back and forth, he tried to come up with a positive solution for his friend until one sprouted into his head. He wasn't sure how receptive Izuku would be towards it but he figured it was worth a shot, especially since the outcome couldn't be worse than what they had been receiving for hour or two.
Slowly, not sure how to introduce his action, he grabbed onto the dragged pillow case and yanked it out of Izuku's grasp, causing a small yelp to occur from that. Ignoring Izuku's protests and arm jerks to get it back, Shouto set his bucket down on a step nearby and began to use his hands to shovel some candy from his carry on to Izuku's. Even though Izuku did everything possible to prevent him from doing so, trying to even scream at his friend as hands grabbed onto his forearms, Shouto managed to tune him out as he continued to work his magic with an inexpressive face. After his eyes analyzed the quantities that each bag had, he pulled out two silver wrapped tear dropped candies that had little wisps of knowledge sticking out. "Here you go…." Shouto softly muttered out as he presented not only the now filled pillowcase but the other matching piece of candy he pulled out.
For a while, his arms were outstretched as Izuku looked at him with widened eyes and stiffened muscles, not sure what his reaction should be. A couple of long seconds passed and Shouto grumbled in uncomfortableness as he still kept his posture in hopes Izuku would act soon. Just as he was lowering everything, Izuku's face began to warp into one with tears spilling down his cheeks as he gave loud hiccups with his hands mashing into his face. "Th-tha-nk y-yo-ou T-t-dor-ro-oki!" He wobbled out as he slammed into Shouto's body, rubbing his face into the satin vest that hid underneath his luxurious cape. Shouto stood frozen, complete shook at what was going on or why he was receiving this hug that filled itself with waterworks. The mixing emotions Izuku displayed made Shouto have question after question appear in his mind and all he could do in response was just rigidly stand there, holding all the objects that were still in his hand. After leaving a wet stain on the expensive material, Izuku pulled himself back and wiped away any remaining evidence left on the splotches of his face as he gave Shouto a wavy smile. "Y-you're th-he b-best f-friend any-yone c-can ask-k f-for T-Tod-or-roki!" Izuku exclaimed as he grabbed his items back from Shouto, treating them now like treasures that had been bestowed by the Halloween gods.
Shouto wasn't much aware of how to acknowledge Izuku's words, after all, he didn't do much to be treated like he saved planet Earth. In his mind, he merely gave the boy some of his own candy so they could enjoy the spirit together. To him, it didn't have much significance but to his companion it did and Shouto felt a weird feeling fluttering in his stomach as his lips slightly curved upwards at his words. Shouto didn't have any friends so to not only have that said to him but for it to be said in an inflection that was weaved in with honor made him feel special, as if he did something good for someone else instead of being told vomiting beside a treadmill will help the community. However, no words could be formed from his diaphragm so he just gave a simple nod in hope that Izuku would be able to read the thoughts that were crossing through his mind.
"Hey, Todoroki!" Izuku called out, bring back Shouto's focus as Izuku held his fingers out with the candy he got from him twirling in his fingers, the silver wrapping shining under the brilliance of the glowing lights. "I'm not sure if you had these before but these are called Hershey Kisses! They're just a piece of chocolate you can put in your mouth but what makes them special is that they have wise words written on this little flap of paper!" He explained to Shouto as he glanced down at Shouto's own piece that he still had in his hand. Pulling on his wrist to bring it upwards, Izuku placed their respective pieces close together so they could see the glimmering wrapper together. "We should eat ours and show each other what the words say!" Izuku said as he let go of Shouto's wrist and began to unpeel it, revealing the dark colors that were swirled into a tiny teardrop. Holding onto the piece of paper it came with, he popped it into his mouth and moved it to the side of his mouth, chewing it with conviction as he savoured the sweetness of coco that burst into his mouth. Izuku could taste the hardness of the outer shell slowly melting within the walls of his mouth and soon the softer side appeared as it churned in between his teeth, causing a flavorful bliss to explode within the confounds of his mouth. Soon enough, he swallowed it down his chalked throat as he pulled out the small strip of paper that contained the mystery words he anticipated to read. "Soon, you will have an companion to follow you on your journey." Izuku read out loud as he inserted his own childhood mysterious voice in there to make it seem more ominous and creepy. However, that effect withered away as he gave a small laugh and looked at Shouto with expectancy. "C'mon Todoroki! Go ahead and try it!"
Still twirling the piece of candy in his hand, soon Shouto felt a pressure to repeat Izuku's actions as he gave another slow nod in acknowledgment. With adroit fingertips that undid the wrapper with more care than his friend, he slowly placed the piece of chocolate in his mouth and gained the same sensation that flared in Izuku's mouth. However, Shouto's cheeks turned red as he began to be overcome with the sugar, something that was withheld from him his entire life. Recollecting the flavors of sugar in his mouth, he relished in the little crackles the sugar sparked on his tongue and he could feel his mouth still continue to linger that taste as he swallowed it down his own throat, really keeping the acid away from this moment. Remembering the flap of paper, he pulled it out and gave a quick glance to Izuku for approval before clearing his voice box to be prepared to speak words that were withheld in there for the past few hours. "You're going to embark on a new journey that will give you a different perspective on life." Shouto read softly and with a more serious tone than Izuku did. Rereading the words, he only felt himself getting more confused by what they were supposed to mean past the literal sense of them. The metaphorical description left him curious and with crinkles in between his eyes as he tried to decipher the hidden message underneath the written words.
Though, once again, his exquisite train of thought was obstructed once more by the hyperactivity coming from Izuku. "Wow, that sounds cool. Hey, maybe we're supposed to go on this mystery journey together!" He added on as he moved closer to Shouto to reread the same words that were reread by the other boy's eyes.
Shouto bobbed his head towards that idea and soon the questions that swirled in his mind shoved themselves into the back as that resolution seemed plausible. "Maybe…" Shouto whispered out as he shoved that slip of paper within his pocket and found a trashcan mere steps away to the shining wrapper. When he retraced them back to Izuku, who had placed his own within his bag, he gave a fast glimpse at his hidden All Might watch to see the time that flashed in between the lines of his grandiose smile. "It's 10:30…" Shouto muttered out to himself as he was caught in surprise by how much time passed between the two of them. For him, it only felt a mere hour or two withered away but it was more and it made Shouto soon become aware of his surroundings. Now noting the time, he began to see the change in scenery and noticed that the mass of children that had been walking around earlier dwindled down to only a few and the bright lights that blanketed them earlier were off as people turned themselves in for the night. Only wisps in the wind carried remnants of laughter and gossip from earlier conversations against the bareness of the street and the clear air made Shouto's gelled back hair soon stick out as he curled more into his cape.
"Really!? It's 10:30!?" Izuku exclaimed as he also looked at the empty streets, though his face carried more bafflement and expression that Shouto as his body twisted back and forth to see the same empty road the other boy saw. "I can't believe it! But I guess….gosh, how does the saying go? 'Time passes by when you're having fun', there that's it!" he chuckled out with his freckles lining themselves up against the bobs of his cheeks. "I've had a lot of fun with you Todoroki today! Though….if you're able to stay out for a little longer, there's somewhere special I want to show you. Would that be ok or do you have to be back right away?" he asked bashfully, his foot rubbing against the hard ground with his chin lowering itself into a submissive state. His hands began to fiddle behind him, a nervous tick he gained from hanging around his "friends" long enough.
Shouto knew the correct answer to that question and "yes" or "of course" wasn't a part of that language. He knew that his father would have noticed his disappearance by now and would soon scout around for him and pull him back by the ear, causing him to fall and create damage to the costume his sister made. He knew that he needed to return home for the early training that was going to occur the next day where the savory taste that still left itself in his mouth would be replaced with the bitter taste of bile and leftovers. That was the path he needed to take and the scar on his eye proved all of that.
Yet….
"Sure….why not." Shouto said in agreement, the outer tips of his lips curving upwards as his hand clutched onto his bucket tighter, ready to go on this small trip with Izuku to this new found location. No matter what, everything Shouto participated in tonight all could lead him into trouble so why not continue the trend and seize the moment while it was handed to him.
The affirmation Shouto gave made Izuku's emerald eyes light up in happiness as he tossed the bashful look away and grabbed onto Shouto's free hand, leading him to the destination he wanted to show him. "Alright let's go then! The sooner we go over there, the sooner we can come back so our parents won't be worried about us!" and with that comment, Izuku began to pick up his pace into a light run as Shouto dragged behind him, making sure his feet didn't trip over cracks or unrelated bumps.
After what seemed like minutes of heavy panting and near falls, the boys made it on the other side of town where it was patched with dirt and forestry that had an elongated fence casing them out. Shouto looked at the nature behind the hidden fence, wondering where this had been placed this entire time and how Izuku managed to find it. Given the darkness that loomed over here with only the city lamps beaming in the foggy background, it seemed like this placed was deserted, with only the sounds of a river to keep them company. Signs were posted onto the fence but Shouto couldn't make them out in the lack of luminosity. However, he soon heard a "Pssst" coming from the side of him and he saw Izuku pulling up a side of the fence that looked like it had been broken in before. In silence, he motioned Shouto to follow him once more as he ducked under the metal and crawled onto the other side. Once he made it and dusted off the dirt that patched itself onto his glowing white costume, his hand signaled Shouto to repeat the same steps he took. Gulping in apprehension, Shouto removed the fear that lodged itself in the pit of his stomach and, leaving his pumpkin bucket by the side of the fence, he grabbed onto his cape and held it close to him as he snaked his way through, trying not to get snagged by snapped wires. Successfully and with only a bit of dirt on his knees, Shouto made it through and the boys began to walk through the valley of trees and fog that made them clutch onto their costumes for any remaining warmth.
As concentration loomed over them with Izuku finding where his path would be, Shouto decided to be the one this time around to break the silence between them as he was pinched with curiosity. "So...where are we going?" he asked quietly, hoping it was loud enough for Izuku to hear but not loud enough to disrupt any animals that could have possible been roaming around the area.
"Ah! There's this tree up ahead! Kacchan, one of my best friends, takes us here all the time and it's by that tree that we all decided to stay together in our friendship. It's a really beautiful tree and I know you're going to like it just like we did!" Izuku said with enthusiasm as his head went down, trying to retrace his steps from that fated day.
With that explanation to soothe over Shouto, the boys continued to walk together in quiet, only occasionally giving silent whispers to watch their steps or to not get lost behind. The path they continued on was windy and filled with obstacles that neither of their costumes could have endured under this light. They crossed over the the deafening river Shouto heard in the beginning and even side stepped on some rocks that were built with the claim that it would be a short cut to their destination. Time didn't make itself aware in their current venue and no matter how many times Shouto looked down on his watch, the darkness suspending around them made it hard for even his eyes to see what time it could have been. Soon enough though, a resounding gasp came from Izuku as his eyes twinkled at the sight. "There it is!" He pointed into the fog. Squinting through it, a silhouette of it appeared with its height and branches intermingled each other as the wind moved its leaves around, creating almost what looked like an oil painting. "C'mon Todoroki, we have to hurry!" Izuku shouted as he began to bolt from his friend, his steps moving faster than anything Shouto had ever seen coming from him. His figure began to wade in the colored smoke and fear entrapped Shouto as he quickly followed after him.
"Midoriya! Wait for me!" Shouto called out frantically, his voice cracking in panic as he burned through his leg muscles to keep up the fogged image of Izuku. Yet, no matter how hard he pushed and tore through the inner cores of his body, it was as if Izuku quickened his pace twice as fast as what Shouto could handle. Spit began to drool out of the corners of his mouth as he continuously called for Izuku to only have whispers of giggles being returned back to him. His heart pounded against the inner walls of his chest that fought with the heavy pants his lungs emitted. "Midoriya! Midoriya, wait for me!" Shouto's voice box yelled out, adding scratches to his speech as he pushed the limits and went beyond anything he had spoken out in the recent years.
"Don't worry Todoroki! You're almost there!" Shouto could hear Izuku calling back, though his voice felt more angelic as his figure only became fragments under the steam.
"Midoriya, please wait for-!"
Snap!
Immediately, Shouto's calls became distant memories as he felt clamps of fangs chomped on his ankle, causing him to crash into the dirt and have his body be broken under the small rocks that protruded underneath. Wind escaped from his lungs and he felt a loss of breathe for a solid minute before an enlarged gasp erupted from his mouth, following by quickened wheezes with the whites of his eyes sticking out from his skull. He could feel a warm, wet feeling trickling down parts of his body, even through the wrinkles on his forehead as it trickled down into his eyes, making his vision hazy.
Even though his arms received damaged, when he finally got control, he twisted his body to see his entrapment and hysteria returned to him seeing his ankle severed and entrapped by a bear trap that dug deep enough into his muscle mass to feel bones. No matter how much he tried to wriggle out of it, it would only sink in further into the muscle tissue and shrieks exploded out from within him that were marked with echoes in the air. Tears began to spill down Shouto's cheeks and it mixed with the blood that poured down his face and left a residue in his mouth that tasted like rusted copper.
"MIDORIYA! MIDORIYA, HELP ME!" Shouto screamed out one last time before laying his body down. His heterochromatic eyes stared at the sky in agony for a small while and the leaves from the trees above swirled and twirled around him, causing a painful array of colors to be splattered against his visual field. "Midoriya, please…." He said one last time with raspiness as he allowed his formal look to be disheveled under the loss of blood.
"C'mon Todoroki, you're almost here! Just need to come up a little more!" Shouto heard in response, feeling a ghastly aura reach into his system and string his heart up that lifted his torso up from the jagged ground. Eyeing his ankle again caused a revolt of bile to uprise from his stomach as he vomited on the side, creating a little pool of acidic contents. Swallowing the pain back down, he analyzed the bear trap that devoured his ankle in, eating his flesh as if it was a type of desert. After a few breaths, he removed his scarred gloves and shoved them into his mouth to conceal anymore screams as he worked around the trap. Never seeing an instrument like this before, he tried to pry it open his nimble fingers but it would only compress into his leg further, making the job harder. Looking around the contraption, he fiddled around with it enough until it slowly decompressed from his ankle, causing a hissing sound to occur. Freedom was found to his bruised and bloody ankle and he located a small item on the side to get him on his feet.
With wobbly steps and blood receded out of most orifices on Shouto's body, he limped towards the voice of Izuku, trying to find his friend from between the fog. He could still see the silhouette of the tree in the distance and his eyes focused in on that, trying to make out lines between the blur. However, colors mashed into each other and Shouto could feel himself teetering from side to side as he tried to reach his destination. His head kept plunging downwards as he raised it back up, creating whiplashes against his drenched face and it kept going until Shouto's damaged foot caught onto rock and knocked him back onto the ground, though this time the rubble on the ground was more jagged than previously and a series of cuts and unwanted syringes of pain leaped into his body.
With only an ounce of strength left in his core, Shouto whimpered into the ground as he cracked his arm ligaments to stretch forward and pull his body forward, scraping against the natural Earth as his fingernails dug more into it. He could his soul shutting down with each arm movement but with each thought to give up, he could hear Izuku's voice eagerly encouraging him to keep moving. In Shouto's mind, they would be soon reunited and he could get help from his dear friend. Shouto noticed the scratches on Izuku's arm, he must have had a solution to this blood bath he was enduring.
Soon enough, Shouto reached to the magical tree that was filled with mystical sparkles as it shimmered under the moonlight. Even though his face was mangled, Shouto still managed to release a relieved smile that only made tears stream harder down his cheeks. "Midoriya!" he weakly called as he continued to crawl over despite the screams of death his body his body was giving. Horror screeched throughout his limbs as more blood poured but that didn't matter to Shouto. What mattered was that he got to finally reach his friend and his fingernails kept shattering under the strain of depth he placed into the dirt to continue crawling over.
With each pulse towards Izuku, Shouto felt his clothes dissipating under the rugged ground with each movement he made towards his friend. His eyesight kept blurring and the loss of blood made his mind spin like a deathly carousel, something that would signal anyone towards the reaper of death but Shouto pushed that out of his mind as he continuously drove himself to not give up in his tracks. Coughs spewed out from his decaying lungs as he spat out blood but that still didn't make him stop. All he wanted was to spend his last night of freedom with his friend and he wasn't going to let impairments on his vital systems get the best of him. Not tonight.
"Midoriya…." Shouto called out to him, his eyelids beginning to droop in darkness as he saw an obscured image of his friend. When he got no response, Shouto kept calling his name, desperation lining the words of his cries. "Midoriya….please answer….I'm sorry it took me so long….but I finally found you." Shouto wailed out in the softest voice his frame would allow him to speak out.
However, when Shouto got close enough to Izuku to reach out and touch him, his blood ran cold as he felt a decayed corpse under the skin of his palm. Reeling it back, he took a closer look at Izuku as his rumpled eyes bulged out once more as he saw the true form of Izuku as the questions he had earlier in the night were all answered at once.
Izuku wasn't a living boy that was filled with visibility, he was a dead corpse that had maggots running through the sockets were his emerald eyes should have been placed. His ghost costume was ripped into shreds that had patches of his ombre jade hair scattered around. Shouto's eyes took a swipe at his arms and he could see infected scars that ran through his arm that caused little warts and decomposed skin that revealed bones underneath the corroded composition.
"Midoriya…." Shouto called out once more as he felt his heartbeats coming to a slower pace and his eyes suspending further down. With last bit of strength, he moved his arm to grab onto Izuku's boney hand, joining him on an everlasting journey with spirit and laughter as his view on life drastically changed with the last beat of his heart.