The next morning was full of travel. Monoma felt like he was walking forever. He groaned and shook his head. This entire trip was one of his more terrible ideas. Not that he didn't want to see what was going on with Album, but he was tired of walking. Very tired.
"Hey everyone, we're almost there." Ila announced from the front of the group.
"Finally," Monoma grumbled. Album glared at him.
"Quit your complaining, you're the one that wanted to come."
"I wouldn't have come if you stopped being so secretive and just told me what was going on in the first place." Monoma rolled his eyes.
Album seethed in frustration and cupped his hands as if he were crushing Monoma's skull. Monoma only stared impassively and blinked slowly. "You are a little shit, you know that?"
"Yeah." Monoma said, now smirking.
"You're a cute little shit, but still annoying."
"I know." Monoma blinked and smiled innocently.
"Ugh." Album sighed and turned straight ahead again.
They all kept walking, for about half the day before finally arriving at what Monoma assumed was their destination. It was the only building for miles, and it looked abandoned. The wood was rotted, there were several signs that said 'keep out' and caution tape all over the building. Not to mention a tall, metal gate you had to climb over to get on the grounds.
"Alright, here we are." Ila said quietly.
In Monoma's opinion, this place was pretty creepy. Apparently Midoriya thought so too, because he stuck even closer to all of them than usual.
Up ahead, someone screamed, so Monoma did too, Izuku soon following suit. They clung to each other as Adrien rolled his eyes and Album used his superior height to see what was going on.
"Oh god…"Album muttered.
"What?" Izuku asked urgently. "What is it?"
"Oh wait…" Album squinted through the darkness. "Never mind. It's just a spider."
"A WHAT?"
"Spider, it's pretty big, but I thought it was something bad. It's nothing to worry about though."
"Let me see!" Adrien said, trying to crawl his way up Album's back to get a look.
"I think I'm gonna faint." Monoma said. "You better kill it right fucking now!"
"Why? It's not doing anything to you." Album grumbled.
"It's giving me ANXIETY! That's what it's doing!"
"Oh, and I suppose you want to destroy everything that gives you anxiety."
Monoma stared at him incredulously, "YES!" he shouted and glared.
"I think I should just wait outside." Izuku whimpered, starting to back up.
"I saw some outside too." Adrien said. "And Album's right, it is huge."
"Still glad you came?" Album asked, snickering a bit.
"For your information, I haven't been glad I came since I started coming."
"Dunno why, but that sentence sounded really dirty." Adrein said.
"You're disgusting." Monoma hissed, jabbing a finger at Adrien's chest.
"You said it."
As they continued further down the narrow hallway, drawing closer to where the first scream had first emanated, Monoma saw something moving in the darkness.
They stuck to the opposite side of the wall, as close as possible, Monoma grabbing on to Album, Izuku grabbing on to Monoma as they crept passed it.
Well, they all crept passed it except Adrien who was trying to get it to go after them.
"Adrien you better shut up!" Monoma shouted and then flinched back when the spider moved slightly.
"This is so scary." Izuku murmured, his nails digging into Monoma's arms.
Monoma would've told him to stop but he was too busy digging his nails into Album's arms, who gritted his teeth and bore it.
They kept moving, and at some point, everyone split up into separate groups to explore the building. Ila told them to meet back out front in an hour. Now normally, Monoma would've said fuck Ila, but they were probably all meeting back outside to burn the building, and he didn't want to be caught up in this when it went down.
Burning alive, crushed to death, buried under a pile of dead spiders. What a fun way to die. Not.
"So… what was it like here?" Izuku asked, glancing up at Album.
"It was… pretty bad." Album murmured, opening a door to look inside one of the classrooms. "The teaching methods were… unconventional. But I escaped a long time ago. It's weird to be back after all these years."
Seeing it again reminded Album of everything that had happened back then, and it made him realize that he wasn't quite as over it as he thought."
"What happened to you?" Monoma asked.
"It's," Album paused and felt a shiver go down his spine, "a lot of things happened."
"Like what."
Album sighed, "Like torture. You may not have noticed because it's so dark, but there's bloodstains everywhere. On the walls, the floors. And experimentations too. They wanted to know where quirks came from."
"Seriously? That's… more terrible than I thought. No wonder you want to burn this place down." Monoma said.
"Yeah. Being back here again is weird. It makes me feel like I'm still just a little kid."
"I… get that, kind of." Monoma said.
"Yeah, me too." Adrien said. He could think of some situations that would make him feel like he was just a little kid again too. One of those would be seeing his father again.
"I… don't really." Izuku blinked somewhat cluelessly.
Album walked over to one of the closets in the classroom and opened it. Inside was nothing but dust and darkness. "The school closed a while ago. But I think it was still in session for a couple years after I left."
Then Album went into the closet and closed the door.
"I don't think he's okay." Monoma whispered to Izuku, who shook his head looking worried.
Album remembered a long time ago when he spent hours locked inside this thing. He'd hoped that maybe he'd gotten over his fear of dark, tight spaces, but he'd been wrong. The walls seemed to be shrinking, constricting him, suffocating him.
He tried to stay in there longer, to see if the feeling went away, but it didn't, and he couldn't take it anymore.
Monoma, Izuku, and Adrien heard a scream from inside the closet and Izuku and Monoma instantly gripped each other because there must've been another spider in there.
Album came out, "How big?" Monoma asked.
"Album can't be more than three inches."
"I meant the fucking spider." Monoma said and threw a shoe at him.
Adrien dodged. He wasn't one for crude jokes, but maybe he should be, because this was kind of fun.
"What is he talking about?" Izuku asked.
"Talking about Album's di—" Adrien was cut off by another shoe.
"It wasn't a spider. I just don't like cramped spaces like that.
"Then why go into one, idiot," Monoma shook his head.
"Well… I was wondering if I still didn't like them. And I guess I don't."
Monoma sighed, "I guess not. Now come on, we should go back."
"Okay." They all finally agreed on something and started back toward the entrance, avoiding all the spiders in their path.
When they got outside, everyone was already busy dousing the edge of the building with gasoline.
"You guys ready for this?" Ila asked, coming over.
"Yeah." Album said, and he was really the only one of them with any right to answer.
Ila nodded and walked off to go talk to someone else. Album just stood there, staring straight ahead at the building with a spaced out look on his face.
"Hey uh… you okay?" Surprisingly it was Adrien who asked.
One moment, Album went to respond, and the next the building went up in flames. Izuku just hoped everyone was out before she did that.
"I mean… I will be." Album answered. He still had nightmares about this place sometimes, still dreamt about the closets, and metal chains. Still dreamed about the needles, and the tables. And of course he still dreamed about the teachers, and the things they would ask him. What happened if he didn't want to answer, and what happened if he wasn't quick enough. He dreamt about it all, remembered it too. It was something in the back of his mind, something he rarely consciously thought about anymore, but it was there. Along with the memory that his parents put him there."
But as the building went up in flames, Album felt a piece of that pain burn off too. What happened in there would always be with him, but he found comfort in knowing it didn't exist anymore.
"Album," Adrien said looking up at him.
"What is it you little brat?"
"You're crying."
He honestly hadn't realized. "I've never seen you cry before." Monoma said. "Or maybe I have and just don't remember."
"I've seen you cry, that's for sure." Album grumbled, wiping at his face.
Adrien stared at him for a moment before jutting his arms out like a snake striking, and wrapped them around Album's waist. They pulled away just as suddenly, and just as quickly as they arrived, however.
Monoma's hug was longer, although Album wasn't sure why. He probably had some ulterior motive, Album just couldn't see what it was. "Okay you don't have to bury your face in my neck and you definitely don't have to do it this long."
"But I want to." Monoma pouted.
By the time Midoriya had given a hug and pulled away, Monoma was still hugging him. "This is gay." Adrien said.
"It is not!" Album glared at him.
"And here I thought Ila had a chance."
"She had no fucking chance." Monoma hissed and snuck a scowl at the girl. She wasn't even looking his way, but he didn't care. He was sure she could feel his intense hatred for her.
They decided to only watch for a little while before leaving, because someone was bound to show up eventually, and none of them wanted to be there when they did.
They were home Sunday, late afternoon, around five.
They'd said goodbye to Ila just outside of Tokyo. She was leaving, and had really only transferred to UA to find Album, and was now going back home. That was good news for Monoma, he never liked her anyway.
"You coming inside?" Album asked.
"And deal with Daniel who I know you didn't tell about this trip? Yeah no."
Right as Midoriya said, "Sure!"
No one had to do anything, however, because suddenly the door opened.
"Is it too late to run?" Adrien asked.
"Much." Album replied.
Daniel stood there, crossing his arms and Adrien hid behind Album, hoping he would get the brunt of the disappointment, and of course the guilt trip.
"Is it too late to pretend I have nothing to do with anything?"
"Since you said it out loud, yes." Album grumbled.
"Fuck." Monoma said.
"Hi Chonice-san."
"Hello Midoriya." Daniel said evenly. "Now WHERE have you two been?"
"It was Album's fault. He made me." Adrien accused, popping out from Album to blame him, before ducking back down.
"I didn't want you to come you little pest, so shut up about how it was my fault."
"You haven't answered." Daniel's eyes narrowed.
"Oh yeah, it was Monoma's fault." Album said.
"No, it was Midoriya's."
"No it was…" Midoriya frowned, "… Adrien?"
"NO! I already said it was Album."
"Yet you're the only one hiding. And you were the first to pass blame?" Daniel raised an eyebrow.
"I did that because I knew you would assume it was me and here you are, assuming it was me, proving me right!"
"I've never assumed you were at fault for anything."
"Sure." Adrien rolled his eyes, knowing that was a goddamn lie.
"Regardless, I don't care who's fault it is, you all went, so you're all at fault. What I want to know is WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN FOR THE PAST THREE DAYS!"
"Oh, that…" Adrien murmured.
They all fell silent, occasionally glancing at each other.
Daniel sighed, "It's always you three." He groaned.
"Yeah Midoriya, stop breaking so many rules." Monoma said. Daniel only raised an eyebrow looking unamused. Monoma laughed nervously.
"We uh… left the city." Album said.
"For what?"
"Just um… just to have some fun. We sort of thought you wouldn't let us go because," Album paused, "because we didn't."
"Why wouldn't I have let you go? I trust you to watch Adrien."
Adrien rolled his eyes. "If you want to go have some fun for the weekend just ask! I was starting to think you'd been kidnapped by a villain or something! Now go inside! We'll talk more when you've taken showers."
Adrien and Album both rushed inside, not wanting to talk anymore.
Daniel sighed and turned back to the other two, "You kids want a ride home?"
"Yes." Monoma said.
"Only if it's not too much trouble." Midoriya added.
"Oh it's no trouble." Daniel shook his head and they all headed to the car, Monoma and Izuku crawling into the back.
Daniel dropped Midoriya off first and he waved goodbye before running inside.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I don't want to talk to you about anything." Daniel answered.
"So you mean you didn't offer me this car ride to accuse me of trying to hurt Adrien and Album, but out of the goodness of your heart?"
"Yep. Unless that was some odd confession."
"No, no confession."
"Okay."
They spent the rest of the ride in silence. "So, your parents home yet?"
"No, my cousin's watching me."
"Your cousin?" Daniel sounded doubtful.
"It's a good cousin this time. My parents would only ever give me the best after all." Monoma allowed fake cheerfulness to enter his tone.
"Right."
They pulled into Monoma's neighborhood and Monoma hopped out when they reached his apartment complex. Still dark and dingy as ever.
Monoma started walking up the stairs as Daniel pulled out and away from the apartments.
From the corner of his eye, Monoma saw something, a figure of some sort. He squinted into the darkness and then saw it move. Monoma took a step back and watched as the thing revealed itself from the darkness of the building.
He recognized the thing-or rather, the person, as the guy from a couple days ago. The one with the knife. The one who'd… Monoma took a step back, his heart rate increasing tenfold. Oh god could this day get any worse? Later he would realize he shouldn't have asked himself that.