Chapter Four:
Peering out his bedroom door, Izuku rose a little bit off the ground. He stilled his eagerly flapping wings and landed. But his hands still wouldn't stop folding and unfolding. He scrutinized the large cart overflowing with stolen possessions. Most of the valuables had been packed away in boxes surrounded by tissue, but his tricycle peeked out the top. The handle had a pom-pom made of gold thread. That must be why it had been taken.
Inko spoke in a low voice, then gave Giran a gold bar. The pawn broker turned and left, not without one last look that Izuku didn't like.
A gemstone peeking out of a box sparkled green—just like the emeralds on Uncle Yoichi's fake book. Izuku stood on his tiptoes, but couldn't quite see. With a push of his wings, he rose off the ground. Sure enough, it was a familiar golden book with emeralds forming Yoichi's name on the cover. Izuku had finally found the treasure that would let his family escape to a happy life! Already, Izuku could picture the cool mountains with clear lakes and beautiful forest. He imagined his mother, Uncle Yoichi, and Tomura enjoying a picnic together next to the water. His two uncles he hadn't yet met were distant shadows in his mind.
Entranced by this vision, Izuku reached for the book. The movement jostled the boxes.
Inko whirled around, "Izuku, stop, I haven't checked for—"
Her words came a minute too late. Izuku had already placed his hand down on the emerald.
The explosion sent Izuku flying into the wall. The cart tumbled down on top of Inko.
Izuku screamed until his throat gave out as he tried to pull boxes off his mother.
The sound of sobbing woke Yoichi up even before the lights went on. He jolted up and pressed his forehead to the bars of his cage. Not for the first time, he longed to step past the golden barrier. "Izuku? What's wrong?"
As Izuku stepped into the light, Yoichi gasped. A giant bruise spread down Izuku's face. The sight of his nephew in such a condition made Yoichi growl. Unconsciously, he reached for magic he couldn't use.
Izuku sniffled. "Uncle Yoichi…I failed you…I'm sorry."
Yoichi's heart nearly stopped. "Hisashi knows?" No, if that was the case, then Izuku wouldn't be down here. He'd be locked up in a cell. Yoichi felt fear at the image of his nephew imprisoned, mingled with a hefty dose of guilt.
Izuku hiccupped. "Mom…got hurt because of me…"
Yoichi stretched a hand through the bars, but couldn't reach. "Come over here, kid." When Izuku stepped closer, he pulled his nephew into a hug. "Tell me everything."
In a raspy voice, Izuku said, "The mean movers gave our stuff back, but someone slapped an explosion curse on top. I saw your book, I grabbed it, and…because of me…"
"No, no, don't blame yourself." Yoichi swallowed. He wanted to ask how bad the damage had been, but he couldn't bring himself to skip straight to such a callous question. It seemed unlikely anyone would dare kill Inko. She was still the High Lord's consort, no matter how far she had fallen out of favor. More likely it would have been a minor explosion.
Izuku whispered, "The cart fell on Mom and she broke her leg. She broke it in two places!"
Ah, so the cart had done most of the damage. It would have been largely bad luck, a prank turned more deadly than intended. Yoichi wondered if Giran or the original thieves had been responsible. Just because it had been partly an accident didn't mean he wouldn't take revenge at the first chance he could get.
"Because of me…" Izuku hiccupped again.
"No, because of whoever did this. Surely they'll be punished." Yoichi didn't feel quite so confident. The High Lord dispensed justice, and Hisashi ignored what didn't suit him to notice. Would Hisashi take this attack on his consort as an insult to himself or would he decide to sweep it under the rug to conceal his failure to protect Inko?
Izuku heaved his shoulders and visibly got ahold of himself. "The guards took your book as evidence for when my father gets back. I'm sorry, Uncle Yoichi. I hurt you, too."
Yoichi's entire world came crashing down.
It must have shown on his face. Izuku swallowed. "I-I'll get the book back after the trial."
What if Hisashi noticed the magic on the book? If there was a trial, it would be very likely to come out. Yoichi grabbed Izuku by the shoulders. "Look at me. You can't express any interest in that book. Act like you don't care about it. You had no idea there was anything special about that book, do you understand me?"
Izuku nodded. "The trial won't happen until Dad returns…will that be too late? You wanted them to rescue you while he was gone. Maybe I can get a message to your husbands another way."
"You can't. It's too dangerous. If you got caught, you have no idea what big brother would do to you." Yoichi felt lightheaded. Izuku had never been supposed to be in danger. The plan had been for Izuku to send a single message through magical means that no one would ever trace back to him. Then Kaiji and Sanzou would take care of the rest. The kid would never be involved.
But Yoichi had been lying to himself. There had always been a risk of Izuku being caught with the book or caught sneaking down here. He'd been on morally slippery ground the moment he decided to use a five year old. Inko's injury had been a direct result of their plan. All of Izuku's ill treatment proved that he was no longer under Hisashi's protection. If Yoichi had previously believed that Izuku would be safe from reprisals as All for One's son, then Yoichi had been lying to himself yet again. The task had been dangerous since day one, and he'd damn well known it. Only one thing had changed: at some point, danger to Izuku had become unacceptable.
"I could steal the box." Izuku's eyes narrowed with determination. "Maybe I can use the same ability I used to break the wards around your room."
"No! If you do that, then Hisashi will know that someone can break his wards. Given that you're involved in the court case, you'll be a prime suspect. He might even realize that you have the same gift as him."
"But if I leave with you, Uncle Yoichi, then it won't matter."
"It's too dangerous," Yoichi repeated. Sending a five year old on a heist? There were a million ways it could go wrong.
"We should ask my mom," Izuku said. "She might know a way to get the book. Do you think they would let her look at the evidence since she's the person who got hurt? Maybe she could slip the letter in."
Or perhaps Inko might turn in her own son for a chance to earn favor from her husband. Yoichi swallowed. He could tell that Izuku loved and completely trusted his mother. But up until recently, Izuku had loved and trusted All for One. Yoichi simply couldn't risk it. If it had only been himself at stake, then he would have gambled at any odds for his freedom. But even if Yoichi rotted in this cage for the rest of his miserable eternity, he couldn't let Izuku become the target of All for One's wrath like the Shimura family.
Oh. Yoichi loved Izuku. He blinked, shocked at the revelation. At some point, his lie had become true.
Tears stung Yoichi's eyes. He tried to hold them back, to not let Izuku see. Though he forced a smile on his face, he didn't think it looked right. "Izuku, we're going to have to abandon the escape plan. It's too dangerous."
Izuku's mouth set mulishly. "No! I want to save you and Big Brother Tomura. I want to go live in the mountain castle."
"Promise me that you'll stop this and stay safe."
"I don't want to be safe! I want to help!"
"You won't save anyone. You'll get yourself thrown into a dark prison, just like me. Worse than me."
"I'll tell Mommy, then she'll make a good plan."
No, no, no! Telling Inko could lead to the worst case scenario! Yoichi didn't trust Inko any further than he could throw her, and after his muscle deterioration in captivity, that wasn't very far. If she was as obsessed with Hisashi as all the past lovers, then she'd even sell out her own son in a heartbeat. But how could he convince a child not to trust his mother?
Yoichi had to stop Izuku no matter what. A mixture of terror and sorrow made his wings shake. He couldn't live with the guilt if his nephew took the fall for him. But Yoichi recognized the determination on Izuku's face, which reminded him both of himself and his brother. Their family was stubborn. Izuku wouldn't give up just because someone told him it was dangerous. Yoichi would have to give him a better reason. Fear made his voice come out guttural as if angry. "You were never going to come live at my castle. I lied to you so that you would help me."
Izuku took a step backward. "Why are you saying that?"
"If you tell your mother about me, then she'll think that you're stupid and easily tricked."
Izuku's shoulders shook as tears flowed again. "That's not true!"
Yoichi jabbed where he knew there was a weak spot. "She'll worry about you, the silly son who walked straight into a trap. I lied to you and manipulated you so that you'd help me escape. Now I'm giving up on you because you're useless to me."
Izuku whispered, "You said that you loved me." Tears flowed down his cheeks.
Yoichi forced out a laugh. Perhaps the harshness of the sound would make it more genuine. "I don't love you. It was all a lie. I don't need you any longer. Get out of here and never come back."
Izuku cried too hard to speak.
"GO!" Yoichi screamed at him.
Izuku turned and ran.
The darkness returned to Yoichi's cell. He huddled in his cage with his wings wrapped around him. Finally his own tears escaped. The room was silent except for his sobs.
Yoichi had done the right thing. That was probably why it hurt so much. Doing the right thing was harder than taking the easy way.
Except the so-called right thing had also hurt Izuku. Yoichi felt a lot less virtuous about that part. He could not shake the lingering image of Izuku's devastated eyes.
Yoichi had thrown away his only chance at escape, and he didn't even know if he'd been right. No, he had to be right. Izuku's safety was more important than emotional pain.
If only Yoichi had never spoken to Izuku in the first place.
Izuku wept into his pillow for hours, muffling the sound so his mother wouldn't hear. He couldn't possibly worry her when she was injured. He didn't want her to think he was stupid like his uncle said.
Just like Daddy, Uncle Yoichi had stopped loving Izuku as abruptly as a switch being flicked off. Izuku wondered if his mother might one day stop loving him too. He'd been so confident that would never happen, but maybe it could happen with anyone.
Rage suddenly overwhelmed Izuku's pain. It wasn't fair. He punched his pillow, then his wall, then the unpacked box next to him.
The box tipped over, spilling out Izuku's previously stolen belongings. A single emerald gleamed from the front of a book with a golden cover.
Izuku's breath caught. He flipped open the book. It was hollow inside. This was Uncle Yoichi's enchanted device for transmitting letters.
Then what had Izuku grabbed to cause the explosion? A different book? Come to think of it, Izuku hadn't gotten a close look at the item. It might have been a jewelry box.
Uncle Yoichi had stopped loving Izuku because Izuku was no longer useful to him. But if Izuku could send the letter, then he'd be useful again. His uncle's love might come back.
Izuku sat down in front of his desk and wrote exactly what he remembered. He stuck the letter in an envelope, not bothering to seal it. He placed the letter into the box.
The letter vanished.
The reply to the letter arrived by the time Izuku woke up the next morning, asking him to bring down the wards around Yoichi's cell today.
When Izuku left his bedroom, his mother was setting food on the dining room table. She wobbled, supporting the dish with one hand with her crutch tucked under her other arm.
Izuku cried, "You should rest, Mommy."
"I will, sweetie. I was just making your breakfast." Inko set down the plate of eggs. Sweat dripped down her forehead. Izuku missed the days when they'd had staff to help them. All of his mother's friends had vanished just like his own. Daddy ought to be here, helping Mommy. But Izuku had given up on his dad. If only Izuku was bigger and stronger, then he could make his own breakfast and carry his mom so she didn't have to hop on her broken leg.
While Izuku ate, Inko collapsed onto the sofa. By the time he'd finished, she'd fallen asleep. Izuku tucked a blanket over her, then tiptoed out. At least Inko couldn't ask any questions about his overstuffed backpack. Izuku had packed all his favorite toys. After he brought down the wards, he would go see Yoichi and ask again to come live at his castle. They would go pick up Mommy and it would be a fun surprise for her. Izuku still firmly believed that after he proved his usefulness, his uncle would love him again.
Standing before the door, Izuku pressed his hands to the wards and once again lowered them. He left the door slightly cracked.
When he turned around, a shrieker stared at him. This undead had purple scaly wings and an overly large mouth slitted down one side. It squeaked, then turned and took flight.
"Stop!" Izuku ordered. But this time, the shrieker didn't obey. Reporting escape attempts must be a higher priority than obeying the prince's orders. Izuku leapt into the air and latched onto the shrieker's leg.
As the undead soared, it tried to shake him off. Rocked up and down, Izuku felt dizzy. He bumped into the wall as they tore down the hallway. Izuku had to stop the shrieker, but he didn't know how. He was barely clinging on.
Power pulsed under Izuku's fingers. The shrieker had not just one gift, but several of them. Instinctively, Izuku reached out and grabbed.
With a pitiful cry, the shrieker exploded into a pile of dust, all magic gone. Izuku fell. His oversized backpack cushioned his landing. But the raging torrent of magic inside of him overwhelmed his senses. His eyes rolled backward, and he passed out.
After staying up all night in a state of anxiety, Yoichi had finally collapsed into sleep in the morning. He woke up when something heavy landed on top of his cage.
The birdcage fell over sideways. Yoichi went rolling. A chunk of plaster hit the ground next to the cage. More dust rained down on him. Shielding his face with his hands, Yoichi screamed, "Motherfucker—"
Jumping down from a hole in the ceiling, Kaiji landed on the ground next to the cage. "Miss me, love?" His eyes sparkled and a patch of dirt stood out on his cheek across his scar.
Yoichi couldn't speak. He couldn't believe his own eyes. He'd completely given up hope, and now this. A tear trickled down his cheek.
Sanzou leapt down too and ripped open the cage door. A piercing alarm sounded.
Yoichi jumped up. His legs wobbled—as soon as he was outside the cage, the enchantment easing his pain vanished. Suddenly his muscles burned and cramped. Yoichi fell on top of Kaiji and Sanzou, one arm around each of their necks. He was laughing and sobbing at the same time. He peppered both of their faces with kisses, sloppy and poorly angled. It didn't matter where he touched them, just as long as he could feel contact with them again.
"Stop it, you'll make me cry too," Kaiji said gruffly. "We have to get out of here." The alarm continued to howl, making it difficult to hear his voice.
Yoichi shouted, "Wait! We have to get Izuku."
"All for One's son?" Sanzou frowned.
"My nephew! The one who got you two in here! I promised him that he could come with us." The alarm had faded away, but Yoichi's ears were still ringing. He knew they had to get out fast. His brother would have been magically alerted as soon as the cage broke. Shriekers would be on their way. But Yoichi had promised Izuku.
"You weren't lying about that?" Kaiji asked.
Yoichi winced. "I was lying at the time but not now! We have to get Izuku's mother, too. He wouldn't leave without her."
Sanzou asked, "Do you trust All for One's consort?"
"No, not the slightest bit. I've never met the woman but Izuku implied that she wanted to kill me. Maybe we should knock her out and kidnap her? She broke her leg, she won't be able to fight back. Oh, but that would upset Izuku. I'm not even sure if he still wants to live with me, after what I said to him." Yoichi bit his lip. "We could ask them if they want to escape with us?"
Kaiji stared. "You want us to fight our way through the castle to reach someone who might immediately betray us? If she sees our faces or recognizes our voices, then she can expose us to All for One and your safe refuge will be gone. Even if she doesn't, then we have to try and get a child and an injured women out with your brother on our tail? And you aren't even sure if they want to go with you?"
When Kaiji put it like that, it sounded like a bad idea. So instead of arguing, Yoichi widened his eyes and gazed up pleadingly.
Kaiji flinched. "Don't use the eyes on me! It won't work this time! You can't convince me to go along with all of your hairbrained schemes that way!"
Yoichi pushed back his hair and pouted up from under his eyelashes.
Kaiji's scowl started to crack. "Sanzou, help me, I'm about to do something stupid again."
Alas, Sanzou had always been more difficult for Yoichi to bend to his will. But Yoichi turned the pout on him anyway. Sanzou closed his eyes. Curses! Foiled!
Sanzou exhaled. "I have a better idea. Let's escape on our own now, then use our letter box to contact your nephew and sister-in-law later. We can require certain magical oaths and safeguards before we agree to shelter them, so our secret will be safe."
Yoichi didn't like leaving without Izuku. It left a sick twisting deep in his gut. But Sanzou's plan made sense. It wasn't only Yoichi's life at stake—he couldn't risk Kaiji and Sanzou. Also, if the escape failed, then Inko and Izuku would be heavily punished if they were caught with him. Since All for One had discarded his consort and son, the security wouldn't be as heavy on them alone. It would be both easier and safer to sneak out Izuku and Inko later. There was no possible reason to object to Sanzou's plan, except that it made Yoichi feel bad.
Taking a deep breath, Yoichi said, "You're right, as usual. What would we do without you?"
Sanzou snorted. "Both you idiots would be dead in a week. Come on." Flicking his fingers, Sanzou sprinkled a white dust over himself. He vanished, invisible. Handing the dust sack to Kaiji, Sanzou asked Yoichi, "Do you want some too?"
Yoichi shook his head. "I'll play decoy."
Now invisible, Kaiji reached out and snapped the collar around Yoichi's neck. With a pinch of magic, his claws went straight through the metal. Yoichi felt power come rushing back to him, his legs pulsing with renewed energy. He couldn't heal as fast as his older brother, but at least he felt like he could walk again if not fly. An invisible presence on his other side, Sanzou handed Yoichi a rapier. The hilt formed the shape of a golden flower with an emerald in the center. "We brought your sword," Sanzou said, a smile in his voice.
As Yoichi strapped his sword to his waist, the wailing of shriekers came from above. The invisibility couldn't trick the shriekers' sense of smell or their ability to detect magic. It was solely to hide Kaiji and Sanzou's faces so that Yoichi's fake identity as their consort Kazuki remained safe.
When the first shriekers dropped down from ceiling, Yoichi stood apparently alone. He gasped and clutched his side as if weak and barely able to stand. He heard a rustling as Kaiji and Sanzou moved into position.
Pretending to fall, Yoichi extended a hand and cried, "Help me!"
A shrieker leapt forward to catch Yoichi. In a swift movement, Yoichi drew his sword and beheaded the creature.
The other shriekers reached for Yoichi, claws sheathed since they'd been ordered to avoid damaging him. Kaiji and Sanzou attacked them from behind. Yoichi pivoted and dodged, deliberately shifting his body so the shriekers would be impaled on his lovers' swords. He'd fought with his husbands so many times that he knew their movements perfectly even without seeing them. His cramped legs strained and his wings weren't strong enough to fly, but Yoichi had been sickly as a child. He knew how to fight without using much body strength.
Yoichi stepped backward and swayed. His sword dropped, faking an opening. When a shrieker lunged, Yoichi sidestepped and stabbed it in the gut. He leaned backward to avoid the spray of black, old blood.
Kaiji had once said that Yoichi fought like a dancer, drawing his enemies into his movements and leading them straight to the tip of his sword. Yoichi's enemies had called him the Bloodstained Flower of the Battlefield. Yoichi had disliked the epithet until he'd realized it made people underestimate him. They didn't expect it when he fought dirty, either.
Yoichi kicked the corpse on the ground into another shrieker's face, then used the distraction to step behind and stab his enemy in the back.
Sanzou beheaded the last shrieker, and then the garden was silent except for the trickle of blood dripping down the artificial flowers.
Kaiji stared at Yoichi, eyes taking in the blood coating Yoichi's sword and the hair falling loose around his face. "I want you."
Sanzou elbowed his lord in the side. "What our husband is trying to say is that your skill and beauty remains as unparalleled as ever. However, we should get moving before the next batch arrives, or worse, your older brother."
Kaiji's nose wrinkled. "Ugh, why did you have to bring up the in-law? Way to throw a bucket of ice water over my ardor."
"That was the general idea," Sanzou said, picking up Yoichi and carrying him up through the hole in the ceiling, away from the cursed garden and its birdcage.
Izuku stumbled back into his quarters, bruised and his face dripping with snot. Sitting on the sofa with her broken leg propped up, Inko looked up with alarm. "Sweetie? What happened? Did you get bullied again?" She made an aborted movement to rise, wincing as she jostled her leg.
Sobbing, Izuku threw himself at the sofa and hugged his mother around the waist. "He lied! He didn't come for me!"
"Who?" Inko asked, stroking her son's hair.
"Uncle Yoichi!" Izuku had promised not to tell his mother, but his uncle had broken his promise first. Now Izuku didn't care anymore. He cried harder, clutching at his mother. "I-I tried my hardest to be useful…" Now Izuku saw clearly what should have been obvious from the beginning: after helping his uncle escape, his use had been up. No wonder Uncle Yoichi had thrown him away, just like Daddy. Neither of them had any need for him any longer.
Inko paled. "Izuku, do you have something to do with the shrieker army that left the castle for some reason?"
"I brought down the wards." Izuku poured out the whole story to his mother.
When he'd finished, Inko moaned as if she had been stabbed in the gut. She whispered, "Oh, wings and tail protect me…"
"I did something wrong," Izuku said sadly. He could tell from the look on her face.
Inko tried to smile, but she was clearly on the verge of tears. It made her face twist like a death mask. "Izuku, you're a very kind boy, but if anyone found out that you helped Yoichi escape, then you would be taken away. You might never see me again. I need you to promise me: never, ever tell anyone." Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly. She breathed hoarsely.
"I promise," Izuku whispered. "Am I in trouble?"
Inko's scary face faltered. "You should be. You've been sneaking out late at night and lying to me."
Izuku sniffled. He pouted and widened his eyes.
Inko exhaled. "I know you've been through a lot lately. No dessert for a week."
Izuku, knowing he'd gotten off lightly, nodded. He felt exhausted and bone-deep sad. "I'm sorry, Mommy."
"I'm sorry, too," Inko said.
"For what?" Izuku asked, half-terrified that she would say that she was also going to throw him away because he'd become too much of a burden on her.
Inko looked like she regretted speaking. "Because I can't fix all of this."
Izuku took her meaning entirely too well. They were going to continue to be bullied and looked down on by everyone. They were trapped in this palace full of enemies. Nothing was going to get better.
Yoichi hummed as he held up two child-sized yukatas. The first robe was blue with white swirly stripes. The second was green with a fireworks pattern on the back. "I couldn't decide which one Izuku would like, so I brought both of them."
Kaiji rolled his eyes. "I swear, you've been going overboard decorating the kid's room. It's overflowing with toys. You don't even know if he's coming to live with us or not."
Yoichi winced. That was the catch to his current happiness. If Inko refused to come, then Yoichi would never see his nephew again. "It seems likely! I've read all the reports from our spies. Inko seems like a devoted mother. Fortunately, she's not crazily obsessed with Hisashi as I feared. It's hard to believe it, but my brother might have learned something from the last five times his lovers tried to kill me or both of us."
"All for One, learning from a mistake? What kind of shitty miracle is that?" Kaiji leaned back against the futon. They were in the palace living room, decorated in traditional fashion with sliding doors, a tatami mat, and inked hanging paintings. Yoichi had taken on his pink-haired Kazuki form. Since Hisashi didn't know who had rescued him, his secret identity was safe for now.
Twisting his hands, Yoichi bit his lip. "I hope I groveled enough in my letter. What if Inko doesn't forgive me? What if she decides that she can't trust me or my offer of sanctuary?"
Kaiji said, "You groveled like you've never groveled before in your entire overly proud life. If you'd begged any harder, she might have thought you were being sarcastic."
Yoichi jolted as if struck by lightning. In his flustered state, he dropped the yukatas. "Oh, no, do you think she might?"
Kaiji sighed. "I was joking."
Sanzou slid the door open and took off his shoes. "One of my agents has word on Tenko's location. I've called Toshinori for help grabbing him."
"Oh, good, I've been preparing Tenko's room, too." Yoichi bent over to pick up the clothing and carefully fold it. He couldn't let Izuku's future belongings get damaged. "It's going to be quite an adjustment, having two children here."
Kaiji cleaned his ear with one finger. "I'm enjoying the peace and quiet while it lasts. I bet All for One's kid will be a ball of trouble, especially since they have the same gift."
"Nonsense!" Yoichi glared. "Izuku is a sweet, adorable, and innocent child. My brother's genetic material must be completely recessive. Otherwise, there's no way he could have produced such an extremely kind-hearted boy. Oh, did I tell you how smart he is too? He's only five years old and he was already a decent opponent at cards."
"You've told us. You can't stop bragging about your nephew." Kaiji tried to scowl, but it ended up more like a fond smile.
"You're going to love him as soon as you meet him," Yoichi insisted. If Kaiji got to meet Izuku. If only Inko would agree to the plan. Yoichi's hands went to his hair, twirling.
Sanzou patted Yoichi on the back. "You can relax. I still have agents placed highly in All for One's court. I have no less than three plans to get them out."
Yoichi had never been able to hide his emotions from Sanzou. He flashed a grateful smile. "Thank you." He swallowed. "I don't think I will be able to completely feel better until Izuku is here. I made him a promise. I can't forget the look on his face the last time I saw him. Sometimes I still wish I'd gone back for him." In fact, Yoichi had been having nightmares about it.
Sanzou put an arm around Yoichi's shoulder. "We're doing everything in our power to rescue your nephew."
Kaiji hugged Yoichi from the other side. "How could I possibly pass up on a chance to steal both All for One's brother and son? I have to complete my set."
Yoichi laughed and hugged them both back. "I love you two," he murmured. He stood like that, soaking in their warmth. Sanzou smelled like sweat and a touch of mint from his shampoo. No matter how recently he'd showered, Kaiji always had a slightly metallic scent from his constant training.
In their familiar presence, Yoichi let himself relax. And he desperately hoped for Inko's reply to come faster.
After her son had fallen asleep on the sofa, Inko hobbled to his room and found the enchanted book. She used one of her crutches to flip it onto the bed, then sat down. When she ran her hands over the emerald, she felt no trace of magic. Whoever had crafted this was good. Inko regretted the necessity to destroy such a rare and useful artifact, but she had no choice. This was evidence that her son had committed high treason. In All for One's court, no crime could be more unforgivable than stealing away his brother. Anyone but his son would be tortured to death. Even Izuku would likely be thrown in a lightless dungeon for years.
Inko flipped open the book. As she'd been told, it was hollow inside—except for a single envelope.
Inko's melancholy thoughts turned to pure, unadulterated rage. Yoichi hadn't been content to use Izuku to escape. The bastard still wanted to manipulate Izuku into spying for him again. Inko could understand why Yoichi had been desperate enough to turn to even a five-year-old in order to escape an eternity of torture at his brother's hands. She could never forgive him for hurting her child, but she could understand it. Now? There was no excuse. Yoichi was already safe and free, but he still had endangered her son with yet another contact. Did that absolute monster want to use Izuku until he died? The younger brother rivaled even the older one in heartlessness.
Anger exploded into magical power. Green flames sprang from Inko's hands, incinerating the box and the letter inside. When she was finished, not even ashes remained.
Izuku had gotten his backpack stolen by another kid again. He hadn't told his mother. He couldn't bear to worry her even more. Instead, he wandered the grassy grounds just outside the palace. He still felt funny in the stomach, the powers he'd stolen from the shrieker swirling inside of him.
The grounds were thick with more shriekers. Hisashi had returned in a mad fury, even though he was still voiceless from the throat spiders. He'd been giving orders using glowing letters coming from his hands. The entire court was in a quiet state, everyone afraid to set one foot wrong and become the targets of the High Lord's temper. Hisashi had created a dozen new shriekers already.
The shriekers paid Izuku no mind. They were looking for evidence left during the escape. But the shriekers called to Izuku with their glittering magic. When one walked past, Izuku nearly touched it. He stopped himself by grabbing his own wrist. His gift must remain secret. He mustn't cause his mother more trouble. If he did, then the very last person left in his life might finally decide that he was useless and stop loving him, too.
In response to Izuku's anxiety, a bit of dark light crackled down his skin. His claws extended, turning silver and sharply pointed. This must be one of the gifts he'd stolen from the dead shrieker.
Panting, Izuku stared at his hand. He saw power. He needed to become stronger. A tear fell from his eye. Then Izuku's face hardened with determination. He would obtain more gifts, until he was more powerful than anyone, even his father. No matter what, Izuku would become useful enough so that he would never be abandoned again.
Author's Note: If this ending frustrates you, then now you know why I dislike the "poor communication kills" trope. Muhahahaha!
I really do hate that trope, and I depressed myself writing this ending. So I decided to write a good ending, too. Next chapter, tune in for the alternate happy ending!
Also, I don't like the trope of lying to someone supposedly for their own good. In particular, I'm thinking of the variant where Character A pretends to be heartless and cruel to drive Character B away, but later on it turns out they had reasons so it all gets brushed under the rug with no acknowledgment of the hurt caused. In this fic, I wanted to show how Yoichi's lie caused trauma to Izuku regardless of his good intentions. It's bitterly ironic that Yoichi's biggest mistake in this fic happened when he was trying to sacrifice himself for Izuku's sake. Even if Yoichi met Izuku later and tried to apologize, years of pain can't be taken back. That was a defining moment for Izuku. In the last scene, we see the determination that will lead to Izuku becoming a badass like in the "Lost Souls" AU.
To use video game lingo, I think of this chapter as the "normal ending" to this fic, since a proper bad ending would have involved Yoichi being re-captured and Izuku getting caught helping him. It could have been a lot worse. I don't plan to write the bad ending because frankly the normal ending traumatized Izuku enough. The good ending will end this fic on a high note.
FYI, I've written several collaborations with some other Dad for One authors that will be posted over the next couple weeks on my Archive of Our Own account, katydid. I won't be posting these on because this website doesn't allow for multiple authors on a fic. Hence why I will have fewer updates on .