"How do you plan on doing this?" Dabi asked as he watched Izuku take out his old school bag. They both sat inside a rundown room that was given to Izuku ever since he joined the league. "I heard you say that you wouldn't need any assistance."
"Yeah, it took me some time to figure out what my options were and keeping the league's involvement to a minimum is critical to our success," Izuku said, placing down his suit and equipment inside. He looked around for a while before finding his M9 Bayonet.
"You're not taking anything else?" Dabi questioned.
"Can't, it's too much of a risk," Izuku responded back, resting the knife at the top. He closed the bag, laying it down on the freezing concrete floor.
Izuku had known he would need to convince a pulling act, so that his plan would work. Knowing that he would have to break one promise he made for himself many months ago. "Mom, looks like I'm only going to make things worse for you in the future," Izuku said to himself.
"I'm curious to know what you are planning," Dabi said. "Mind telling me what you wish to do? I won't share it of course."
"Sure, not that I care much," Izuku replied. "I was initially debating between two plans, but it comes down to the one which carries less risk of me being found out. However, the first part will most likely be the hardest." He tapped his right foot on the ground slightly. "Initially I planned on disguising myself with a fake name and different appearance. But instead, I am going to reveal myself to the police and my mother."
Dabi glanced at Izuku's posture with interest. "On paper that seems more riskier than just changing your identity, but it seems to actually be the other way around."
"That's right. Coming back to my old lifestyle while keeping up a persona would work out much better. Anything I tell them will be believed without question… I am only just a kid after all," Izuku said, forming a smile at the end of his lips.
"On top of that, you've got no criminal history… recorded criminal history," Dabi pointed out, realizing perfectly what Izuku was up to. "You're one little sneaky guy. When did you come up with this?"
"Several weeks ago…" Izuku paused.
Dabi noticed once more that something was odd. "Is something on your mind?" he asked.
Izuku sat in silence, keeping the tightness around his mouth shut. The barely suppressed emotions in his eyes waited to explode from their prison. Izuku had spent almost an entire year preparing to confront the pledge he made to himself. The pure hatred and disgust he felt for the society who had left him to suffer were closing in, waiting for him to challenge it.
Izuku was suddenly brought back into his normal state from Dabi's voice. "Is this about your family?"
Izuku sighed. "I wouldn't be lying if I never said I had any problems with my mother," he admitted.
Dabi worried he would press on too much, yet he wanted to help the boy. He felt as if they both shared a similar bond. "Do you resent her?"
Izuku looked down, recollecting his memories of Inko. "I wouldn't say I would, but at the same time, I have nothing good to say about her too."
"Then what is troubling you?" Dabi asked calmly.
He then noticed Izuku's appearance slowly change into what he had felt the first time they met. Izuku's black aura manifested itself in front of Dabi, resembling a dark figure, towering over him.
"I shouldn't have to talk about her anymore," Izuku said quietly with a chill voice. "Sometimes it's difficult to remove the last remaining pieces of my past self. What I'm worrying about is how long I will have to wait."
Dabi sat in his chair, unaware of how to respond to the sudden change in the boy. He only knew that he had to calm Izuku down.
Izuku stared at the floor with cold dead eyes, seemingly unaware of Dabi's presence. Until he looked up at him. "Funny isn't it? You think I'm someone else."
Dabi tensed up his arms. "Is it really you?" he asked bluntly.
"Yes," Izuku said. He moved his body to show no aggression, resulting in the dark aura evaporating. Visible traces of the shadow disappeared behind Izuku's back. "I just had to release the build-up. It's under control now." He smiled eerily, completely ignoring what had transpired earlier.
Dabi looked at him, confused from what he heard. "Are you sure that's a normal thing to experience?"
"Normal? Far from it," Izuku shared. "That is just my real self, that I must hide from everyone else. Otherwise I would never be able to blend in." He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry for lashing out like that."
Dabi exhaled deeply, resting his arms on his jeans. "I swear that you need to warn me about these kinds of things before you do them." He pointed at Izuku. "Can you control it?"
Izuku laughed nervously. "I am getting better at it, but if I ignore it for too long… It's starts to eat away at my mind. Always telling me to remember the day I felt happiness and relief, when- "
"Look, if you don't want to talk about this, it's fine. I am only concerned now if this will keep happening. Especially in front of someone who isn't us." Dabi said. He shifted his hands inside his pant's pockets.
"Don't worry," Izuku insisted. "The only reason I let my true self come out is because I have already accepted it, I just only need not ignore it for too long. When I completed my first task for the league, my mind became clear for a while. I am certain my consciousness is forcing me to never forget why I exist."
"Need I even ask what it is trying for you to not forget?" Dabi asked.
Izuku smiled. "It's reminding me to make the world understand where it's place is."
"That sounds awfully vague," Dabi joked. "You'd make a great comic book villain."
There was a pause, until both laughed audibly.
Izuku took a breath in, before standing up from his bed. "I appreciate you worrying about me Dabi, but I'll be fine. I can release it at anytime like I did just now, but I would have to do it outside of anyone's presence."
"Just make sure not to scare little kids with it," Dabi said.
"Why would I do that?" Izuku asked with a serious tone, breaking the cheerful atmosphere.
Dabi gave him a weird look. "What do you mean? It's a joke."
"It wasn't funny," Izuku said. "Why would I scare an innocent kid?"
The young man hesitated from Izuku's sudden shift once more, baffled at why the boy cared so much about it. "Ok, look I didn't mean it that way. Sorry."
Izuku grabbed his schoolbag and tossed it over his shoulder. "I'll see you around," Izuku said, as he walked towards the room's door, closing it behind him.
"Was my joke really that bad?" Dabi thought immediately. "Jeez, didn't think it would be this hard to ease up to him."
Izuku threaded his way through his old neighbourhood. The sky was already dark, with street lights illuminating the road ahead of him. He passed the playground where he used to play often in his childhood.
He stopped at the spot where Katsuki had beaten him up and left him to suffer under the rain. "Really brings back memories doesn't it Kacchan," Izuku thought.
Izuku placed his bag down and opened it, taking out his knife and a set of dirty ragged clothes that he prepared earlier. He put in on, afterwards removing the knife from its holster.
Without hesitation, Izuku slashed himself across the chest and arms multiple times. The lacerations caused his shirt to tear apart. Gushes of blood sprayed out from his wounds, staining his clothing and skin. Izuku stumbled, almost falling to the ground. He knew he had to make his return believable.
He slowly cleaned his knife with his shirt and placed it back inside his school bag. Izuku's legs wobbled under his own weight as he stood up and carried the bag with one hand. "Got to make it there…" he paused, regaining his breath, "before I lose consciousness."
Inko had never liked living alone. After her son's sudden disappearance, it became apparent at how lonely her life became. She stared at the living room wall, watching the clock hands slowly move across the board. The dinner she prepared for herself had grown cold.
The doorbell rang, yet she paid no attention. Until a large bang was heard across from the front door. Inko's head turned to face the entrance alarmed from what she heard. "Is that the police?" she asked with a loud voice.
No response came, which prompted Inko to walk up towards the door. She looked through the peephole, only to find no one standing outside. She unlocked the door and grabbed the handle, slowly turning it. To her left, stood her son, leaning across the wall, breathing heavily.
She looked at him, only to realise what state he was in. "Oh my god, my baby," Inko cried out. She did not know what else to say. At the same time, she could not believe what she was seeing in front of her eyes.
Her motherly instinct took over. She grabbed onto Izuku and carried him inside the apartment before laying him down towards the front door entrance.
"I'm calling the hospital, everything will be alright," Inko urged him. She ran towards the living room to grab the phone.
Izuku held onto his bag, before letting it go beside the wall. His vision grew blurry as he heard his mother run around frantically, calling for help on the phone. The last thing he remembered was Inko wrapping towels around his wounds.
…
"It looks like he's finally starting to wake up," said a distorted voice. "Get the nurses over here to replace his IV drip."
Izuku attempted to open his eyes, but it was still difficult for him to discern what was happening. He could see several figures walking around him, wearing white garbs.
"We can call in his mother after we get him stabilized," the voice said.
Izuku had begun to regain his vision with time, only to see him hospitalized inside a private room. One doctor noticed and walked over to him.
"You'll be alright son. Soon enough you'll be skipping around like everyone else," the man said. He nodded at Izuku before gesturing one nurse to replace his IV bag. He turned around to face the boy once again, "You're lucky to be still alive. I've never seen someone with so much blood loss due to excessive bleeding, survive." The man stopped, thinking that it would be best not to scare the boy.
"I've called for your mother, she'll be here soon."
Izuku moved his head and stared at the ceiling. His plan had so far seemed to work. It was only a matter of time before he would have to explain how he got into such a situation.
"Blood pressure seems to be at a normal level. One-hundred and five after the blood transfusion," said one of the nurses. She read from a monitor screen that extended in front of her.
"Good," said the doctor. "Prep another packet of O-type blood just in case something happens."
"Yes, Doctor." The nurse moved away from the screen, leaving the room with a clipboard.
The doctor sat down on his chair. "You almost gave me a heart attack boy," he shared. He took off his glasses and rubbed the sweat off the top of his forehead. "How the hell did you even get into that state?"
Izuku did not respond. Knowing it would be best to keep his mouth shut.
"In any case, I was surprised to find out that the boy who went missing a long time ago. Just happened to appear here after meeting an important client of mine."
Izuku shifted his eyes to meet with the doctor, but it was still difficult for him to see clearly. He only saw the doctor give off a faint smile.
"Don't worry about the police questioning your self-inflicted wounds. I've made sure to change that when I wrote the medical report." The doctor said promisingly. "All for One sends his regards." He put back on his glasses and left the room before Izuku could reply.
Izuku lay on his bed for a second, before laughing to himself. He could not believe how far his leader's influence reached. Yet he had no time to question why that was the case.
The door suddenly sprang wide open, revealing Inko in tears. She ran towards him, hugging him.
"That hurts mom," Izuku muttered underneath her.
"Not this again Izuku," Inko said quietly. She backed up to see her son. "I'm so sorry for everything."
She noticed that his appearance had drastically changed since she last saw him. Apart from the bandages that covered most of his upper body and arms. Izuku gave off a grim presence as if he had been fighting to survive the entire time. They glanced at each other for a moment, only for her to see his emotionless eyes, seemingly detached from feeling happiness or joy.
She stumbled on her words, before holding onto his right hand. "Izuku, everything is ok now. You're safe," Inko reassured. Tears formed on her cheeks, and dripped down onto the bedsheets, "Who would do this to my son?"
Izuku attempted to formulate a sentence, but his voice failed him. All he could do was watch his mother cry over him.
It was a day later when the police showed up to Izuku in his hospital room. Naomasa's slumped shoulders rose at the sight of seeing the boy. It was as if a huge pile of weight had been lifted from his body and mind. "Izuku Midoriya," he said, "Glad to see you alive... and well." He moved over to the bed Izuku rested on, noticing the absurd amount of injuries sustained on the boy. "Never expected for it to happen this way, but we're glad that you're safe."
"Thanks," Izuku replied. "Not really in the best shape, but I'm glad to be here anyway." He forced a smile.
"We've gotten the medical report just now, so I am here to clear up a few things with you if that's ok," Naomasa said. He took off his coat, fixing it over a visitor's chair. He moved it closer towards Izuku, sitting down in one heavy swoop.
Izuku was quiet but respectful. "Of course, sir. But every time I think about it, I see myself reliving the same nightmare over and over again." He looked at the sheets covering his legs, gripping the covers with his hands. "That is the last thing I want to remember." He said, lying to the detective.
Naomasa felt terrible for the boy, but he knew he had to get the job done. "We'll take this slow Izuku, and we'll stop if it gets too hard on you," he said.
Izuku nodded, prompting the detective to start his questioning.
"Alright," Naomasa said. "You disappeared after you left for school in the morning on the 25th of April. Can you tell me what happened?"
"I decided to take my usual shortcut for school until I was kidnapped by several people," Izuku said slowly.
"Did you see their faces?" Naomasa asked.
"No, they put a cloth over my head immediately and I wasn't able to see anything," Izuku told him.
Naomasa looked at Izuku and felt no indication of him lying. "Do you know why they kidnapped you?"
"I'm not really certain, all I know is that… I…" Izuku began to breathe heavily, clutching one hand against his chest.
Naomasa jumped over, reassuring the boy that everything would be alright. "Take a deep breath Izuku. This won't take long, please understand that I am trying to help you."
Izuku calmed down and let go of his grip. Slowly returning to his normal condition, inhaling and exhaling deeply through his nose.
"You tell me when you're ready. Ok?" Naomasa insisted.
"Sorry, I am good now," Izuku said quietly.
The detective looked at his notes. "Where did they take you, and what did they do?"
"I don't know where I was, only that I was kept underground somewhere. I was kept as a slave, forced to fight for my survival."
Naomasa's eyes widened, not being able to believe what he had heard at first glance. "They made you fight against your own will?" He asked with a shocked voice.
Izuku looked at the detective, not saying another word. He had to be careful to not sound suspicious.
Naomasa tapped his foot with contempt at the thought of someone doing such a horrific act. He moved his hand across his mouth, covering it slightly. "Do you know why they did it?"
"Entertainment," Izuku responded. "The reason why I am still alive is that someone helped me escape."
"How did you escape? Please if you know anything that can be of use to us, tell me," Naomasa pleaded.
"I don't know who saved me, except for that I know it was a woman's voice. I don't remember much as I wasn't really aware of what was happening, my mind was in a comatose-like state… All I know is that this person got me out of there while being chased by them. The next thing I remember is waking up close to the playground in my neighbourhood, behind a large set of bushes."
Naomasa listened, writing down everything single bit of detail. "And then I am assuming you went back home to alert your mother," he concluded.
Izuku nodded. "That's all I know sir, I am sorry."
Naomasa raised up his hands. "Don't be Izuku, this is not your fault." He looked over his notes, twirling his pen occasionally. "From what I understand, you were forced to partake in an underground organisation that deals with illegal fighting." He said with a stern voice. "Was there anyone else in the same position as you? And did you remember any faces you saw?"
Izuku made sure to make it look like he thought for a while. "I know there were people who were taken in as well, but I never got to talk with anyone. Anyone who I saw wore masks on their faces," he concluded with a soft voice.
"So, they were careful with the way they operated," Naomasa thought to himself. "What the hell did this kid go through?" He could tell that the boy had changed from the last time he saw him. There was a different kind of atmosphere surrounding Izuku. One that definitely proved he lost his innocence.
Naomasa knew there was no point in questioning Izuku any further. He did not want to make the boy relive any more of the painful things he experienced. "Ok, thanks for telling me everything you can Izuku. Even this, can help us figure out something," he said calmly, folding the paper away into his pocket. "If you ever remember something from this point on, let me know."
The detective stood up and grabbed his beige coat and walked towards the door. Inko rushed in, looking at Naomasa and then to Izuku.
"Everything is alright Miss," Naomasa asserted to her. "I'll send you a report of his condition once I am able to, but please know that we'll do whatever we can to help bring justice to the people who did this."
"Once your son gets better and is allowed to leave the hospital. I think it would be in his best interest to visit a psychologist so he can get the help he needs."
Before Naomasa could exit the room, he stopped at the sound of Izuku speaking up.
"Mom," Izuku said with a sincere voice. "I want to become a hero so that this never happens to anyone else." He did his best to contain the laughter inside him. Everything had worked out perfectly.
Naomasa smiled. He exited and closed the door. He had no idea of how else to feel about what the boy told him earlier. Something about their conversation felt odd, but he could not put his finger on what it was. The detective gripped his hat, "Regardless, I'll make sure to get to the bottom of this. Now that we know they exist, hopefully, we'll catch those bastards." He had no reason not to trust the boy's words.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Izuku reunites himself back into his old life, however only doing so in order to get what he wants. Now he plans on putting on the guise of wanting to become a hero, so we'll see how that plays out soon.
(Read below if you want to get a better understanding of my intentions for Izuku's character progression – Not a spoiler, but if you have already understood what I am going for, then props to you).
One thing I want to mention about Izuku's development, without also giving too much of it away. Is that while he has become a villain at heart and has psychopathic tendencies (LOL), he still has morals for what he views as wrong and right. It's pretty much similar to Stain's ideology, but with some different changes that I believe would fit Izuku's mindset more, while still honouring the original character. I am trying my best to make it believable and that his transition into a villain makes sense. Where some of his past hero-like thoughts still come out and shape him into the person he is today. It's a variation between Lawful Evil and Chaotic Neutral. You will sort of see this throughout the story, and you might have already seen through some little bits I have written. We don't know where his character will go, and I won't say anything else. But thank you as always for reading, you guys are the best!
