Second Chance
Author's Note: Hey everyone and welcome back to Second Chance! So, I do take what you guys say in the comments into account. I really appreciate all those who have left me comments, kudos, etc! I hope you guys are enjoying this so far! Don't really have much of an author's note today. Anyway, on with the fic!
Chapter Warnings: Mentioned kidnapping, torture
Chapter Four: Changing Tides: Into the Unknown
Chapter Summary: Bakugou makes a declaration to the class. Hawks comes in contact with someone and gets a possible lead. Meanwhile, Todoroki finds himself starting to sympathize with the League. Shouta is going through the motions as he remains at the hands of All For One. Later, Aizawa realizes he's in heat.
Their plans were falling almost too perfectly. They had planned this thoroughly. Going over every single possibility. Bakugou had been a failed attempt, but with Todoroki, this would be different. Dabi knew that for a fact. The kindness they were showing to the young Omega teen was throwing him off guard. Like he wasn't expecting if they would lash out or if they would laugh it off.
It was working almost too perfectly. He would say it was a sort of mask that Todoroki was putting on for them, but he already knew the answer to that. All for One had been right about the approach that they should take with Todoroki. Get him comfortable, let him see how they were day to day. Just the thought of Aizawa being away from him or if he was being harmed would do the trick in keeping him from acting.
And it was working.
Each and every day, Todoroki would ask about Aizawa's wellbeing. Begging to know if he was okay and if he was alive. Kurogiri would get the status report on him, telling them and they would relay the information.
Todoroki had grown up in a home where he knew nothing but abuse and neglect at the hands of his father. Only getting a kind hand from his mother until she too had turned on him in a mental breakdown. Here he was, at the hands of villains, and he was being shown kindness even as he hurled insults at them. Tried to get them to react to him. He wasn't getting the reaction that he would have believed. Dabi would see the shock in Todoroki's eyes every single time.
Todoroki really had been the perfect choice among the students of Class 1-A. It would take more time, but eventually, Todoroki would stop seeing them as coldblooded criminals and see the sparks of humanity within. See that they were more than just the titles that were given to them. They just wanted to be able to do what they wanted.
Dabi would smirk to himself, knowing that he had been the one who planted the seed into the plans about Todoroki. Initially, it had been just the idea of gaining Shouta Aizawa to their side. Gaining the power of Erasure. A perfect failure to Hero Society. A Pro Hero, a teacher of heroics, turned villain. Shigaraki loved the idea of Eraserhead. He was infatuated with the idea that he could get Eraserhead on their side. Eraserhead was the only hero that held any sort of respect from Shigaraki, and he hated all of hero society.
After knowing the events that happened before he had joined the League and what he had seen at the Training Camp, he knew even if it was more of a risk to take, having a student would keep Aizawa from acting out and attempting to escape. He would be too concerned for the safety of his student. Leave it to heroes to prioritize the lives of others. They were using that same mindset back at them to keep him from doing anything.
They still went out, but they were very cautious about their actions. Making sure those easily identifiable weren't ever seen. They were far from U.A. The heroes would have a difficult time trying to track them down. They utilized Kurogiri's warp gates. As their plans progressed, they would eventually set up a diverse for the heroes.
It was all about buying time now.
Though, Dabi had to admit, he couldn't resist. He had climbed through the window like he normally did. When he traveled through towns, he wore gloves, a mask, had a high-rise collar jacket. Any way to hide his burn scars from anyone's sight.
He made sure he was in the apartment completely before he even thought of taking off his disguise. He didn't have much time before he had to be back, so he was going to use his time wisely.
Now, he just had to wait.
X
When Bakugou had been kidnapped, Midoriya had practically shut down. His mind not wanting to do anything as he had laid broken and battered in his hospital bed. Now, all he that was happening was pure anger. He was pissed off. At the League. At himself. He had failed again. He had been so distracted that he didn't realize what was happening until it was too late.
Now both Todoroki and Aizawa were gone. It had been a few days since their abduction and each one of them had been side lined. For the being, their work studies were on pause and classes had been cancelled in the meantime. Heroes and police alike had been flooding into U.A. The faculty was on edge. Midoriya couldn't even look Present Mic in the face.
First his childhood best friend and now his boyfriend and his teacher. Members of his pack were missing again. What kind of hero was he?
Not one of them had even returned to their rooms hardly since they got back. Mostly staying in the common room, even to sleep. It was like none of them wanted to let the other out of their line of sight. He knew they were feeling exactly what he was. They wanted to be involved. They wanted to help bring Aizawa and Todoroki home.
They were restricted to U.A.'s campus. They weren't allowed to go anywhere for the time being. He wanted to be out there looking for them. Trying to find anything on the League. Who knows what was happening to them right about now.
They were feeding off of each other. Their pheromones mixing together. Trying to sooth each other, the anger that they were feeling. The feeling of being lost.
All Midoriya knew was, nothing was going to stop them from trying to find their missing pack members. They had to make their family whole again.
"I can't believe they just sidelined us like this." Kirishima hissed. Midoriya eyed him for a moment. He understood why Kirishima was reacting the way he was. It was like the Training Camp. Kirishima couldn't do anything when Bakugou was kidnapped. Kirishima understood him better than anyone right now. They were both in the same position.
"As much as I hate it, I understand why." Yaoyorozu stated. Her eyes were downcast, the dampened mood that she was in radiating off of her. "After our actions during Kamino Ward and what happened with Bakugou, I don't think they want that happening again."
"We have our licenses!" Kaminari exclaimed, "We can help!"
"Kaminari, trust me when I say, I want too as well." Iida stated, "We have to listen to the heroes. The League of Villains have made it obvious that they are after us. They want to keep us safe."
Midoriya had to agree with Iida, but he also agreed with Kaminari. He wanted to be out there searching. Looking for answers, but they were also students. Aizawa would be firm in his answer if he were here. He would tell them that they were not allowed to be involved. They would be in this same position now either way.
Though, he also couldn't say anything. He had gone with Kirishima and Todoroki on their plans for rescuing Bakugou. With the help of Yaoyorozu and Iida, it had worked.
He wasn't sure if they would get that lucky this time. It was only because of the pro heroes that they did get lucky. Just happening to be in the right place at the right time to rescue Bakugou.
Bakugou had remained oddly silent. He had been for a few days now. His knuckles were still busted. He had refused Recovery Girl's help when she had seen them. Leaving behind healing wounds on his hands. Bakugou had looked at him a few seconds later. Neither said a word. Bakugou's face didn't even change.
Bakugou had been in the same position that Aizawa and Todoroki were currently in. He was the one who understood to a full capacity what could possibly be happening.
Midoriya was ready to do whatever call they made. He wanted to be out there. He wanted to be searching. It felt wrong just sitting here and waiting. It felt so wrong to do.
"I don't know about you extras, but I'm going." Bakugou finally stated, cutting through the silence that had fallen.
Midoriya blinked as Bakugou had looked right at him while saying it. There was a light in his eye. One that Midoriya knew quite well. "Kaachan…"
"Bakugou, we'll get into a lot of trouble." Iida stated.
The Omega glared, the anger coming to his face by the second before he was hissing out, "Do you really think I'm okay with just sitting here on my ass when I have been in that exact same position as them?!" Bakugou growled. He wasn't even yelling. It made him almost scarier. There was no way to explain the calm but angry demeanor that Bakugou was currently holding. Midoriya had only seen this once before from Bakugou, and it had been so long since then.
"I understand, Bakugou." Yaoyorozu stated, casting him the look of understanding. The Alpha girl stepped forward, "But it's not like what happened to you. We don't have any information or anything to help lead us there. The pros and the police haven't found anything. What are we going to be able to do?"
Bakugou gritted his teeth, snarling as a small explosion popped off in his hand. "We are the ones those bastards are always after."
"Which is even more reason to why we are sidelined." Iida interjected.
Midoriya knew where Bakugou was taking this. He didn't have to say a word to understand. Shinsou hummed, picking up on it as he nodded, "I see." He whispered.
"I don't care what you have to say, Four-Eyes." Bakugou snapped, "I'm going rather anyone likes it or not. I've been there, done that. Has anyone taken into account of that crusty ass face villain has the hots for Aizawa-sensei?" The blonde Omega turned on his heel, scoffing as he added, "I'm not letting the one person who had faith in me since I got here to go through hell because of some villains."
Midoriya watched him walk away for a moment before he was looking back at the class with a glance. Kirishima was looking at him and nodded.
In unspoken words, they had all agreed with Bakugou. Midoriya turned on his heel, chasing after his childhood friend without saying a word.
X
The second that he had walked into his apartment, he knew something was up as the hairs on the back of his neck started to stand. His feathers tweaking slight to notify him that there was another presence in his house. He let some of his feathers loose, letting his guard go up. Bringing some of his feathers into the shape of a sword into his hand as he moved into the house.
Hawks crept through his house, starting to reach for his phone as he got to the living space of his apartment.
As he rounded the corner, he gasped as his phone was ripped from his hand before his shoulder was being pushed up against the wall. He would have reacted if it wasn't for the pheromones that he had picked up a second later as he turned his gaze to look up at the person.
Dabi was standing there, a smirk on his burnt face. Tilting his head as he purred out, "Well, hey there, pretty bird."
Hawks sighed, letting his feathers move back to his wings as he smiled, "Dabi, you have to stop breaking into my apartment."
Dabi shrugged, "Where's the fun in that?" He questioned, smirking as he leaned in, letting his lips ghost over Hawks' ear for a moment. "I am a villain after all."
"Just another crime to add to your list." Hawks chuckled for a second, shaking his head, "I thought you weren't Dabi around me?"
The Alpha leaned back, letting Hawks go and shoving his hands into his pockets and he leaned back against the table that Hawks had by the wall. "Can't take the villain out of me just as much as you can't take the hero out of the little bird."
The Omega rolled his eyes, walking further into his apartment, noticing the cracked open window that led to the balcony. Which was Dabi's normal point of entry into his house. "People are going to start suspecting something." Hawks stated, letting his feathers fly off his back long enough to pull off his coat.
"That you're sleeping with a villain?" Dabi teased, moving around the room, and pulling himself over the back of the couch and plopping down on the seat.
Hawks emptied his pockets out onto the table, eyeing the villain for a moment. He couldn't even begin to explain what even started this weird relationship between the two of them. The only reason he got in contact with Dabi in the first place was because of orders from the Hero Commission. Ever since Kamino Ward and their sudden disappearance, he had been ordered to try and infiltrate. Find where they were hiding. Find out their plans.
Then, it changed one night after he had gone into heat.
He had fallen right into bed with Dabi.
It wasn't the worst thing if he was being honest. It originally made Dabi believe that there was something there. What hero would willingly sleep with a villain? If the world ever found out, it could be the end of his career. Even if it had started as just purely physical to try and lure Dabi into a sense of security.
Until Dabi figured him out.
It was when Dabi broke into his apartment for the first time.
Hawks didn't know how Dabi even figured it all out. He just smirked whenever Hawks admitted to it. It was in that moment that the Omega realized it was more than just physical with him. That it wasn't just no strings attached. He had caught feelings. He actually had been looking forward to when him and Dabi would meet up. How he didn't have to feel like the Hero Commission was breathing down his neck to solve a case. He knew what would happen if the Commission ever did find out, and the repercussions would not be good. He would lose everything. Maybe more.
It was after that they stopped being just Dabi and Hawks. Villain and Hero. It turned into something else entirely. Dabi had started to show a softer side that he wasn't known for within the criminal world. It had shocked Hawks even more the first time that Dabi said his name. A name had he hadn't used since he was a child.
Takami Keigo.
Dabi still wouldn't tell him to this day how he knew his name, but it had led to a huge discovery. One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the League of Villain's.
Tomura Shigaraki and Dabi were the only two League members with no known records of who they were or where they came from before the formation of the League of Villains. That was until All for One revealed Shigaraki's identity to All Might at Kamino.
Dabi, on the other hand, told him his name.
It honestly fit perfectly into the timeline of events that he was able to look into. He had confirmed everything that Dabi told him. Hawks knew Shouto Todoroki held a further connection with the League of Villains that he didn't even know about. Not even Endeavor.
Dabi was Touya Todoroki. The eldest child of Enji and Rei Todoroki. The elder brother of Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shouto. Believed to have perished in a quirk accident when he was a teenager. Dabi had told him many things about what had happened in Endeavor's household.
It made him understand why Todoroki had been taken.
But he couldn't bring himself to tell the heroes involved. Especially Endeavor. Hawks grew up idolizing Endeavor. He almost couldn't believe what Dabi had been telling him, until the Omega had broken into sealed records inside of the Hero Commission that all but confirmed it for him. He couldn't let it slip that he had knowledge of Dabi's true identity all along. It also meant that he would have to come clean about his relationship to him.
Neither of them ever spoke about what they did outside of it. What the League of Villains were doing. What the heroes were doing. They were just Touya and Keigo. Not their personas.
Even if he asked Dabi why this was all happening, where Aizawa and Todoroki had been stashed, he would never get the answer. The only way he could was to denounce hero society, give it all up as a sign of allegiance. For a moment, he thought about it, but he also knew that the Hero Commission would either: one, allow him to do so or two, lock him away in Tartarus Prison for treason.
He was stuck.
"What are you doing here?" Hawks questioned.
Dabi made a noise, reaching for his phone in his pocket, "Can't I just come see my favorite little hero?"
The Omega cast him a look as he reached up and pulled his eye protection off of his head and placing them onto the table. "It's risky for you to come out and see me. You know that."
"I'm aware." Dabi shot back before a sharp glance was given to him. "Are you going to tattle on me to my old man?"
Hawks scoffed, "No. You know that." He shuffled on his feet for a second, looking back at Dabi for a moment. "I need to know if they are safe at least."
Dabi peeked up from his phone, his blue eyes practically burning a hole into Hawks at this point. The Omega knew it was a risk to even ask Dabi that. He wasn't even sure if he would get an answer. The Omega blinked as Dabi appeared right in front of him within a blink of an eye, grabbing ahold of his wrist before jerking him forward. Dabi's smirk never wavered as he reached up, moving some of Hawks' unkempt hair out of his face. His fingers trailing down his cheek. Dabi wouldn't hurt him. That he knew.
Dabi chuckled after a second, "U.A. is already being torn to bits by the media. People are losing their faith in the heroes that much more." Dabi stated. While it didn't answer the question, Hawks matched his energy. Giving him just as sharp of a glance. Dabi leaned in, letting his lips ghost over Hawks', "They are perfectly safe. It's all working the way we want it too. You know I wouldn't harm Shouto. I've been doing my job." Hawks was actually surprised that Dabi did speak about the two. He wasn't actually expecting him to answer. "I really wish I could have stuck around to see the look on my old man's face when he realized his masterpiece had been taken. You know I can't tell you where they are. Either you'll run off and tell the heroes and ruin our plans or you'll hide it. Just like you're hiding me as your dirty little secret while it will make you an accomplice. So, it's better I just don't say anything else."
The Omega reached up, letting his arms loop around Dabi's shoulders, letting his fingers card into the spikey black hair underneath his fingertips. He wasn't the only one who would lose a lot if this ever came out. Not as long as if one of them remained as a hero or a villain. Dabi was in the same position as him.
"What are we doing?" Hawks questioned, his voice dropping for a second. This was wrong. So wrong. They shouldn't be doing this. Hawks should just be arresting Dabi, taking him in for questioning about the abduction. He wouldn't. He couldn't.
"Risking everything." Dabi replied, "But you don't care, do you?"
Hawks shook his head, "No."
He should still be pushing for an answer. Though, maybe, just maybe, he could get the Commission to agree for him to push the infiltration operation further. Dabi would help. He knew that. From what he got from Dabi; he wouldn't let harm come to Todoroki if he had any say about it. Dabi wasn't on edge either. He was acting normally, which could only mean that he was telling the truth. That they were both okay.
The question was: how long would it stay that way? What were their true plans?
It had been a week since their abduction. A week of unknowing what was happening. For a second, Present Mic's face came to mind. Aizawa's students and Todoroki's classmates. The pain and suffering they were going through.
Hawks didn't have anything he cared about or treasured except for his hero work and Dabi.
If it was Dabi, he was sure he would be losing his mind. Rather he wanted to admit it or not.
Present Mic was wearing himself thin throughout the last week. He was sure Mic had spent more time off of U.A. campus looking for answers than he had been actually there. He knew the U.A. students had been taken out of their work studies for the time being and they were restricted to the school.
He also knew that the heroes and the police hadn't gotten anywhere. They kept hitting dead ends. Yet, here he was, standing right before one of the people responsible for this mess. He wanted to continue being selfish. Keeping Touya for himself while Dabi remained doing his own thing. He was trapped between a rock and a hard place and couldn't go anywhere.
Dabi hummed, leaning their foreheads together for a moment as he said, "But there is something you can do."
Hawks was confused as he pulled back, tilting his head, "What?"
"I'm sure that former sidekick of All Might's would love to know what the Shie Hassaikai have been up too." Hawks was beyond confused now. Was Dabi trying to divert the heroes from still looking for Aizawa and Todoroki. Honestly, it made sense, but it wouldn't stop them. The Alpha picked up on his questioning look as he added in, "Twice made contact with the head of that organization. Overhaul? He's wanting to meet up with Shigaraki, but word on the street is that he's working on something big."
"Something big?" Hawks questioned.
Dabi nodded. "Quirk destroying bullets."
Hawks froze, his eyes widening as he registered what Dabi just told him. "Are you serious?"
The Alpha hummed, pulling away from him completely as he lifted up his phone and turned it so Hawks could see a picture on it. "There's a reason people like to send me to do things." Dabi stated. His eyes settled on a little girl. Light blue hair and red eyes. Bandages covering her body. "Her name is Eri from what we've found. All for One has an interest in her because of her quirk. It'll be a while from now, but she will play a key role later."
"Why are you telling me this?" Hawks questioned. He had never gotten insider information about League plans before. "What does this have to do with Eraserhead and Shouto?"
Dabi smirked, "Everything."
Hawks' heart was racing. He could use this. Even though Dabi told him he wasn't giving up the location of the missing heroes, he was giving him something else entirely that he could work with. "What's her quirk? How do you even know this little girl?"
"She is the thing behind the entire operation of the Shie Hassaikai." Dabi stated, "I'm not sure what her quirk actually is, but All for One seems to know about it. Shigaraki plans to do the meet with that Overhaul bastard."
Hawks could feel his stomach drop. This little girl was at the center of a yakuza's entire organization? All for One was interested in her quirk? What? Quirk destroying bullets. It hit him full force. If she was the center of it, that meant whatever those bullets were that Dabi were talking about were from her. He looked at the picture again, his eyes lingering on the bandages. The bandages were enough to tell him what was happening and it made him sick to his stomach.
"In a few months from now, the League is going to make their move against these bastards. All for One plans to come out of the shadows for it." Dabi continued, "So, what you need to do is have the heroes ready."
"Why—"
"I'm only telling you because this is a little girl going through something unimageable." Dabi stated, cutting him off, "My guess will be she has no idea the severity of her power. I wasn't able to get a close enough look, but she doesn't seem to have any sort of control over herself. Which she'll need someone to help her with that."
Hawks saw exactly where this was going.
"Eraserhead."
Dabi nodded.
What did this mean? That the League planned on taking this little girl? Was he just told about another possible abduction?
"Don't tell me you guys are going to go kidnap this little girl?" Hawks questioned.
Dabi shook his head, "No. The heroes are going to rescue her." Alright, Hawks was confused. If Aizawa had something to do with this, why would the heroes be rescuing her? Though, it was clear to him that they needed to intervene no matter what. This little girl, Eri was out there somewhere. She was in pain and needed help.
"But you just said Eraser—"
"Will be there to help her." Hawks was starting to understand what Dabi was trying to tell him, without him actually telling him their plans. Hawks hummed and nodded. "So, you need to get the heat onto the Shie Hassaikai." Dabi leaned in, pressing his lips into Hawks' for a second before he was pulling away and starting for the window. He paused while he was there, looking over his shoulder with a smirk, "Believe me when I say, you want to let this play out. Try and make sure some of those brats are there. Maybe that Deku kid. He might be helpful."
With that, Dabi was gone. Hawks was left there to sit with the information. He had to use his cards properly. Do it without tipping off the heroes about his connection to Dabi. Dabi gave him everything he needed just now.
If Aizawa was supposed to be a key figure for this little girl, that could only mean one thing.
The League of Villains were going to release him.
It didn't make any sense, but it put a hurry into his step as he reached for all his hero gear, moving to throw it back on as he headed for the window. This was good. He needed to get to Sir Nighteye, and maybe talk to U.A. about involving the hero course students again.
Maybe, this was the breakthrough they needed.
X
So far, the League was keeping their word about not harming him. Instead, they were talking to him. Acting as if he was some old friend that they were catching up with. Speaking with as if they had been friends. They would ask probing questions that he wouldn't answer. He refused to give the satisfaction of getting an answer out of him.
At one point, he had been moved from the room, being guided further into the building that he was being held it. It almost looked like a large house of sorts. It was fairly big. He had been shown a living space, a kitchen, a couple bathrooms, bedrooms. One of them they had all but shoved him into. Locking him inside. There were no windows, so he wasn't able to tell if it was daylight or nighttime. He wasn't even sure how long it had been since they had woken up here.
He hadn't seen Aizawa or All for One again, but he had been told that Aizawa was alive. If what they said was true about the collars, if Aizawa had fought back or used his quirk, Todoroki would also be dead, so he was willing to believe that he was alive.
It was almost like clockwork that one of the League members, typically Dabi, would come for him, releasing him from the room. It had surprised him that they had actually given him practically free reign of the place, thought he was always in sight of someone.
He didn't have anything to pass the time, but the others were more than willing to tell him their stories. Only Shigaraki and Dabi kept tightlipped about their own pasts, not saying a word on it. He hated how he actually understood why they all ended up on the wrong side of the law. Why they ended up villains. They were given a difficult hand to deal with and used it on a different path.
It made him think, he could have been just like that. If he had continued down a path of hatred the way that he had been. He could have turned out just like them. He didn't condone anything they did, but he could see what lead them here. How they were outcasts of society and banded together as a pack.
What he didn't understand is how they knew about his past. That he couldn't explain. Only someone with insider knowledge would know that it happened.
He hated the fact that there were some moments where he was amused watching the pack of villains. They acted similarly to what him and his classmates were like. If he didn't know for a fact that they were villains, he would have thought differently. It was so strange to him. It was even stranger that they were trying to get him involved with what they were doing. Showing him a hand of kindness compared to what he would have thought they would do.
It was like he was staring at a big family. They ate together, played video games. Occasionally, a few of them would leave. He hated when Dabi would leave. When Dabi left, he was usually corralled by the others trying to get him to do something. Toga would give him a string of questions about Midoriya, practically squealing in delight when he had accidentally confirmed that the two of them were in a relationship. Shigaraki was trying to pull him into playing video games, but he didn't have the slightest clue how to play and wasn't interested in the first place.
His main concern was on Aizawa. He hadn't seen him, and it had him on edge. He just wanted to know if Aizawa was okay. What was he going through? Todoroki was being held as a card above his head in keeping him in line. He hated the thought that knowing that Aizawa could be going through anything in that moment just because it meant that Todoroki would remain safe.
There were a lot of things that he was seeing. One of them was how brotherly Dabi was. Nothing was known about Dabi's past. His real name. Where he came from. He was a big mystery. Just like Shigaraki. There had been times that there felt like a familiarity whenever Dabi was around. Dabi also kept the peace between him and the other League members. When his tongue would get the best of him, and he would say something wrong.
Another thing had been, the League wouldn't lay a hand on him. Not one of them even if he hurtled insults at them. Tried to goad them. Instead, they would just change the subject or try and get him to do something else. If he didn't know any better, he wouldn't have thought any of them had committed heinous acts and crimes.
He was slowly finding himself getting comfortable in a room full of murders, kidnappers, and petty criminals. He couldn't even tell if it was just a charade. Not that he would really know the difference. He didn't understand most social cues or dynamics among friends. These people were not his friends or pack, and he would never let them in.
Yet, he found himself looking forward to when the door was opening for him.
He didn't understand it at all. Why he felt this way. Before, he would take any chance to try and find an escape. Try and figure out where Aizawa had been taken. He was believing them when they told him that Aizawa was okay. That he was alive. He never thought he would see a day where he believed a villain.
X
Shouta shivered. The cold chill moving through his body as he was laid onto the cool surface of the floor. His bound wrists were in front of his face as he shivered. His teeth were chattering. His hair was wet, sticking to the skin of his forehead, face, and neck. His clothes were drenched, clinging uncomfortably to his body.
No matter what they threw at him, he wouldn't break. He didn't know how long they had been at it. He had been in and out of consciousness for a while. At one point, they had him sedated. They were taking blood samples. Doing other tests that he couldn't quite tell what they were doing. His mind was swimming so much that he couldn't even keep a straight, coherent thought.
They would give him food and water. He didn't want to touch it, but it had been practically shoved down his throat if he didn't. Being told that he needed to keep his strength up. A part of him wondered if his mind had practically split at this point. He couldn't even register what was going on anymore.
This was the first time since it had started that he was starting to even slightly be able to think straight. One second, he was being put through a type of torture before the next they were trying to sooth him. He knew what they were doing. It was a manipulation tactic. Going through the motions of torture before they would give him some comfort. The only way it actually worked was when he wasn't coherent.
They kept Todoroki looming over his head. Telling him each and every time that if he didn't allow himself to be put through it, that they would get Todoroki.
What he didn't understand was the why. It didn't make sense to him. They weren't asking him any sort of questions. Trying to get something out of him. During his times of unconsciousness, he knew that anything could have been happening to him.
He was actually getting praises whenever they would get finished. The only time it truly stopped was when they needed sleep, and even then, it felt so continuous. He wasn't sure how long this had been going. If days had passed or if it was just merely hours. It was like they were throwing anything at him. Anything that would cause physical pain to his body. He had been through so much pain in his life, especially when he was attacked by the Nomu that he actually hardly felt it. It felt like nothing compared to that. When his bones were completely shattered, and he had almost bled out right in the USJ.
He kept thinking of his students. Hizashi. The other U.A. Teachers. He had to get through this so he could get back to them.
Through the blurriness of his vision, he forced his eyes to crack open. Revealing the same lab to him. He was back within the dark area. His two captors murmuring to each other. The Doctor was peering back at him, but his attention had remained on his conversation.
It felt like an out of body experience as he just laid there. Like his body was light. His nose picking up on scents he hadn't before. The overwhelming need to try and get back to Todoroki. He hadn't seen him once since all of this had started.
He hadn't even realized he had been muttering before All for One had walked over, kneeling beside him with a chuckle. "What was that, Shouta?" All for One had practically purred out his name, but Shouta didn't even have it in him to try and retaliate to it. He felt like he had no strength left in his body.
"To… Todoroki." He whispered.
He wanted to check on his student. Wanted to make sure he was okay.
All for One made a noise as Shouta barely caught the Doctor saying, "It's working, Master."
What was working?
"We will know for sure when we get him back." All for One stated.
He had so many questions, but most of all, he just wanted to know that they in fact kept up their end of the bargain and that Todoroki had remained unharmed. He had been listening to everything that they had said. Even so, the rest of his students came back to mind. What were they doing? Who was taking care of them? If they were listening to the other heroes? They were his problem children, but they had a knack for getting themselves mixed up in dangerous situations. Once again, the flare of instincts hit as he let out a slight growl but had no strength to actually use it on anything.
"He's been rather receptive to the conditioning." The Doctor added, "It's going along a lot faster than I thought it would."
All for One chuckled, "This man is a man of rationality, but even then… no one can deny their own instincts." The Villain reached forward, his hand settling against Shouta's cheek. The Omega had found himself leaning into it for a split second before reality came back and he jerked back. His eyes widened as he realized what he had just did.
What in the absolute hell was that? He knew this man was dangerous. Knew that he shouldn't allow for clouded thoughts to try and sway his judgement.
"If it wasn't for the exhaustion, we would probably be gaining some more resistance from him." The Doctor stated, getting out of his chair, and moving over. He kneeled down on Shouta's other side, guiding him to his back as he once against checked his vitals. "He is still certainly a hard one to break. I've never seen such a good hold onto someone's instincts like this one."
Shouta could feel his mind growing clearer as he let his gaze settle on All for One. The villain had pushed himself up, moving to the chair and sitting down. He didn't dare move while the Doctor was doing his thing. He knew what would happen if he tried to resist. He grimaced as he felt the needle prick his arm. At this point, he felt like a pin cushion.
"Do you know why many years ago Omegas were placed at the bottom of the hierarchy?" All for One questioned.
Shouta frowned, his eyebrows pressing together. He wasn't even sure what to say to that. It had been well over a century since the hierarchy fell apart. Where Alphas were on the top, followed by the Betas, and Omegas were on the bottom. Now, they were all equals. It didn't matter what gender or dynamic someone was.
What did that have to do with anything of this?
"When dynamics formed inside of people, it had been from one intersex person whose body was unlike any other. That person would later be referred to as the first Omega male. From there, the rise in dynamics came. Splitting off into three secondary genders." All for One monologued. "To think, our new society standards came from one single Omega man."
"What are you getting at?" Shouta questioned. His voice was hoarse, scratching his throat as he spoke.
"As the years past, people started to realize the differences in these dynamics. The Alphas were believed to be the natural born leaders. The protectors of their packs and family." All for One stopped for a moment, chuckling as he lifted a hand, waving it slightly, "Betas were those who had the easiest control of their instincts. Almost naturally being able to control any type of instinct they might have. Peacekeepers they were called. Omegas, on the other hand, probably had the strongest instincts of all."
Shouta frowned. Sure, he was an Omega. He had his fair share of discrimination against him for it. Being called names he wouldn't dare call someone else. Being treated differently if some of the more traditional minded people found out. "What does this have to do with me?"
All for One chuckled for a second, curling his fingers now. For some reason, it had pulled Shouta's focus. "People don't remember a time when Omegas had the ability to take over. Their instincts to care, nurture, and protect their pack had gotten so out of control that Alphas even were quaking in their boots at the sight of an Omega lost in their instincts." All for One paused and just from the tone of his voice, Shouta could assume a smirk was on his face now, "The one person no one dared to mess with was an Omega. Especially those that belonged to a pack, had families, had loved ones. Omegas would risk everything to protect those they were bonded to. So, in order to combat the rise in Omega death tolls because of this, the Alphas had stepped in. Creating a system to use an Omega's body to keep them in some sort of line. Society had begun to focus on the fact that Omegas had high successful conception rates even under intense pressure. In the end, it had created the hierarchy. Such a backwards mindset. Nothing is scarier than an Omega in touch with their instincts and not just the basis."
If Shouta was being honest, he wasn't sure if this was the truth or not. From what he heard, All for One was alive during that time. In the history books, it was always just taught that Omegas had been the bottom because of their ability to bear children and their need to be caregivers. In a way, it was true that Omegas tended to be natural caregivers. He wasn't sure if he could believe what All for One was saying, but at the same time, he felt inclined too.
"Even under immense pressure and physical pain, the one dynamic that never seems to break has always been an Omega."
He paused as the realization hit. Maybe, they weren't trying to break his psyche completely. They were just trying to wear him down. Get in touch with those instincts. If that was the case. Was he just some big experiment to see if it was true? If that was the case, why risk it? He had heard old tales of Omegas turning almost feral to the point that they left a trail of destruction in their wake.
"The greatest asset to a pack is an Omega. The most valuable piece to a pack."
Shouta thought about it for a moment. Thinking of all the known dynamics of the League of Villains. None of them were Omegas. Either Alphas or Betas. Shigaraki, Dabi, Twice, Kurogiri, and All for One were all confirmed Alphas. Mr. Compress, Spinner, Magne, and Toga were all Betas. Each person so far that they had kidnapped had been Omegas. Their abductions were more than just behaviors or quirks or value they held.
It was because of the fact they were Omegas.
It was a scientifically proven fact that packs operated better with a balance of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. Typically, one of each dynamic being a sort of head that worked together with the others. It was more uncommon to find a pack that didn't have at least one of each dynamic among their ranks.
"Back at the USJ, it happened to you even if you didn't notice it." All for One continued, "That was the day those students of yours became your pack. You essentially imprinted on each of them. Just like the very first recorded pack after the rise of dynamics."
Shouta swallowed the lump in his throat as the Doctor moved away from him. "I didn't mean to do it. It just happened." He hissed out, "I wasn't about to let my students be killed."
All for One shrugged, "And you did just that. Even if it almost cost you your life." He stopped for a moment, standing up, "To think all of this is because of All Might." Shouta couldn't say anything before he felt the pain erupting through his head and body. His body spasming as he gasped in pain, the scream getting cut off. He could smell his own distressed scent coming off of himself. Filling the room quickly. He could barely hear through the ringing of his ears again, trying to claw at his own face from the pain that he was experiencing going through his head. Like he was being shocked from it. "It's all because of him. He caused this. His presence isn't for peace. It just brings pain." With each passing second, it was like there was a rage that was starting to go through him. The need to protect his students even more.
Only, it wasn't from All for One or the League of Villains. He could feel his anger spiking from All Might.
He didn't understand it. Understand what was happening. He was able to clutch at his hair, throwing his body back as he shook his head. His body collided with a nearby tank as he curled in on himself, trying to brace onto the instincts that were trying to flare. The scent spreading throughout the room even more quickly, working to cloud his thoughts even more. That wasn't right. All Might wasn't the cause of villains attacking his students. All Might's very presence was hope. All Might had saved his life back at the USJ. Why was he feeling rage?
"What all do you know about your mother, Shouta?" All for One hummed.
Shouta's breath caught in his throat. He didn't really know anything about his mother. Nothing that he could remember very clearly. He was really young when she passed away. He barely remembered her face. Her voice. All he could remember was her scent. He could remember her smile in a way. He really had to think about it if he wanted to remember.
Then that scent hit his nose. Cherry blossom and clove.
"Shouta?" His eyes snapped open as he looked up. The feminine, smooth voice filling his ears. His eyes widened as he looked up to see a beautiful, pale woman with long curly, black hair. Soft, stormy grey eyes looking back at him. A soft smile that he could vaguely recall. She was kneeling down in front of him, giving him a soft look.
For a moment, his mind flashed back to the last memory he had of her.
Aizawa Miyu.
His mother.
"I know you're in pain, Shouta." She whispered.
"This isn't real." Shouta whispered. His breathing picking up as he felt his heart starting to race. His mother was dead.
Miyu smiled at him, reaching out and placing her hand against his cheek. He froze. He could feel it. It was like he couldn't move as she leaned in, her arms wrapping around his head and pulling him to her. Her scent completely filled his senses, overwhelming everything that had been there as he felt the rage starting to subside for a moment.
"Mom." He whispered.
"My beautiful Shouta." She murmured, her fingers running through his hair.
"You… you're dead." He stated, reaching up his cuffed hands and gripping onto her shirt. He didn't understand any of this. He wanted to say it was just some hallucination from the mention of his mother, but he could feel her underneath his hands, her scent wrapping around him in comfort, her arms around him in a motherly embrace.
"I am." She replied.
He felt the tears prickling his eyes. What was happening? How could this be happening? He couldn't think clearly enough to even begin to rationalize what was going on around him in that moment. The Omega bit down on his lip. "Make it stop."
"I can't, Shouta. Just endure it a bit longer." Miyu stated, "Then the pain will be over, and those who will care for you will be here."
"I don't understand." He whispered.
"You will." She immediately said back.
He whimpered as he felt the shocks go through his body again. His body jolting as he clutched on tighter to his mother. He never could remember being able to seek out her comfort before. It was like his instincts were going into overdrive from catching her scent that it was calming him by the second.
"What happened to you?" He found himself questioning. He never was told what happened to his mother. Why she had passed away. The circumstances surrounding it. His father had always been hush hush about it. Not telling him anything when he had questioned it. At one point, he had just stopped. It stopped mattering to him after a while. He knew he would never get the answer, but now he had a chance too.
Miyu softly hummed, "I was killed." She whispered, he pulled away slightly, wincing as the pain surged through him, looking right into his mother's soft eyes. "By All Might."
Within seconds, the pain that went through him was unlike anything that he had ever felt as a scream erupted through him. Feeling the rage overcoming his body. As he blinked, Miyu was gone, leaving behind a coldness around him. All Might's name ringing through his head as the pain continued.
All Might killed his mother.
She said he killed her.
He never felt so much rage before.
"It's all because of him." All for One drawled, "All Might killed your mother. All Might is the reason your students were attacked. All Might is the reason that Bakugou was kidnapped. All Might is the reason you almost died. It's all because of All Might."
It was like he was getting tunnel vision as he saw the flash of All Might's face in his mind. The primal growl that erupted from him as he gritted his teeth. Feeling the change within his body.
"It's all his fault."
He barely caught the mutter of, "I think it's time to bring Todoroki in."
The nausea churned in his stomach as he felt the foreign feeling moving through his throat and up into his mouth before it was forcing his mouth open, and the entire area went dark around him.
He coughed and sputtered as he hit the ground. The weird, metallic taste in his mouth as he gagged. He wasn't sure if it was hyper fixation or the fact that his guard was up, but he had caught the scents of the League members almost immediately. Swirling together. It felt almost strange that it was oddly comforting to him.
Then he caught the scent of strawberries and snow.
"Aizawa-sensei!"
It was like the flare of instincts went raging through him as he pushed himself up, poking his head up despite how his body trembled. Todoroki. He had to get to Todoroki. All for One had walked forward, kneeling down in front of Shouta, and releasing his hands from their shackles. Letting the cuffs clatter against the ground. Shouta had ignored the Alpha, instead trying to peek around him.
There was a sense of relief going through him to see Todoroki standing there. Well, the young Omega teenager was being held back by Dabi. His arms pinned down to his sides as he tried to pry his way out of the villain's grasp. He had noticed almost immediately that there wasn't any sign of distress coming from Todoroki. Just pure concern and worry mixed into his pheromones.
"Because you did so well, Shouta." All for One murmured. "As promised." He side stepped, motioning towards Todoroki.
It was almost as if it was on cue that Dabi released Todoroki and the Omega teenager bolted in his direction, falling down onto his knees by him. Shouta didn't even think twice before he wrapped an arm around his student's shoulders. His hand curling into his hair as he inhaled his scent. He had pulled away briefly, surveying over the young Omega for any signs of injuries. He didn't see one on him as he released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
It was like all the rage that he had felt before, how angry he had felt at the mention of All Might was gone and replaced with reassurance and happiness to see his student. To see that Todoroki was perfectly okay. That he was unharmed. That All for One and the League had kept up their end of the bargain.
Todoroki was looking at him in concern, his hands lingering over Shouta's skin but not quite touching him now. There were bruises littering his body. Scraps, some mild burns. Nothing that wouldn't heal on their own. They wouldn't even scar.
"Aizawa-sensei… I'm so sorry." Todoroki whispered.
Shouta shook his head, "You have nothing to be sorry for." He frowned for a second as he noticed the glance that Todoroki had. The sudden tension that came to the teenager. "Did they harm you?" He questioned, trying to break whatever it was that suddenly distracted Todoroki.
Todoroki blinked, shaking his head as he placed his attention back on him. "No. We've just… talked." Shouta wanted to say something back to him, but Todoroki had leaned in slightly, whispering, "Aizawa-sensei, did you know that you're in heat?"
Shouta froze. He hadn't realized. It definitely would explain why his instincts have been have flare ups. They were always more prone to that whenever he neared a heat, was in one, or had just finished having one. This wasn't good. It made the situation that much worse with each passing second.
Though, it made him wonder.
Why didn't All for One do anything to him?
Sure, heats didn't completely make someone delirious. More or less heightened their instincts and notified people that either the Omega was in fact not currently carrying a child or their bodies were preparing themselves or just flushing their systems. The scents and pheromones of Omegas in heat were always strong. Pack dynamics would operate around them. Caring for the Omega as they rode out their heat. Making sure they had whatever they needed. It didn't completely knock them on their ass, but it would fatigue them. It was the worst time for an Omega Hero to do any type of Hero work. Their judgement was always clouded, or their bodies couldn't quite keep up.
The thing that worried Shouta the most was being right in the den of a group of villains who didn't have one Omega among their ranks. Just Alphas and Betas. The worst-case scenario of being an Omega in heat was being around another person who couldn't quite control their own instincts.
"I'll leave him to you." All for One stated. Shouta was confused. What the hell did he mean by that? As soon as All for One said it, a warp gate appeared behind him, and he disappeared into it. Leaving Shouta here with the League. Though, he wouldn't say he was sad about it. He could barely remember what had happened the last few days. Just that he had been in a lot of pain. It was comforting being back here with Todoroki.
Todoroki stayed close, actually reaching out and placing his hand on Shouta's arm as he faced the others. Shouta could feel the twist in his gut now the more that his mind began to clear completely. Like leaving that place he was in had given him some clarity. The more he thought about it, the more it revealed to him that the reason for it wasn't anything to do with the torture he had been experiencing but the pheromones that All for One had been letting off.
He was purposely keeping it to where Shouta couldn't remember what he was going through. It wasn't impossible. It was a tactic that Alphas could use on Omegas whenever they were under extreme emotional distress. They could relieve some of that pain out of them. That had to be what was happening. Only, it rose one issue.
It could only be done through pack members.
It made his heart skip a beat as he reached up, grabbing at his neck where his bond gland was located. He exhaled in relief as he realized that his skin was still unmarked.
He groaned as he felt the wave of pain crash into his abdomen, reaching to touch the area as he curled in on himself. He hated his heats. They always devastated his body. He knew it was because of his erratic sleep schedule and his lack of proper nutrition, but it didn't mean he couldn't hate it. Normally, just some pain medication would combat it and he wouldn't feel a thing.
Either way, he knew that he was going to react badly. His instincts always skyrocketed. His need to protect Todoroki would only grow for the upcoming days. He would have to do everything in his power to will his body not to do a thing.
Through the corner of his eye, he could see movement. Shigaraki was moving closer to them, and Shouta did the first thing that came to mind. He grabbed Todoroki, pulling him behind him as he let out a low growl. Trying to warn Shigaraki from coming further.
Shigaraki rose his hands, tilting his head as he said, "I'm not going to harm either of you." His body was still weak from what All for One had been doing to him. He was fatigued. Exhausted. He wanted to sleep, but he didn't want to close his eyes knowing that these villains were right there with them. Yet, there was something that was calming him by Shigaraki's demeanor. His scent was coming off as protective and nurturing. Just like an Alpha was known to be. It wasn't sour like the first time they had met. "Let's get you somewhere comfortable." He stated, turning his head to look at the others, "Make him something to eat."
"Make sure it's something light." Kurogiri stated, digging his hands into his pockets, "Omegas in heat often feel nausea, and the cramps will do a number on his body."
"One light, delicious meal coming right up!" Toga exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"What else do Omegas in heat normally need?" Shigaraki questioned, actually looking confused for a second as he looked at his packmates.
"Pillows and blankets." Twice stated, before instantly adding, "A way to mask that scent. It reeks. I love it!"
Dabi snorted, "Security." He simply stated before turning and walking away.
He did pause after a moment, looking back over his shoulder as Shigaraki also said, "They are our pack now. Just like we do for each other. We do for them."
"Whatever you say." Dabi stated, "I'll prepare the room."
Shouta couldn't say anything as another wave of pain ripped through him which had Shigaraki over to his side, kneeling down while muttering some soft reassurances. He could feel his mind starting to try and cloud over. The scent of an unmated Alpha reaching his nose. He barely caught Shigaraki telling Todoroki, "Let's go." And Todoroki had listened. Shouta wanted to shove Shigaraki away from him but found his strength depleting more by the second. This was hitting far worse than he would have thought. Even his own instincts were betraying him. "Get him some new clothes!"
He hated how Shigaraki was actually being gentle. The last time Shigaraki had touched him, his elbow had been decayed. It had taken time, but he finally completely healed from it. There was a spike of anxiety that went through him for a moment at the thought of Shigaraki's hands on him, but for a moment, the Alpha's pheromones actually calmed him. Telling him that he didn't mean any harm. That there was no ulterior motive.
He had no fight left in him to try and resist as Shigaraki hauled him off of the ground, sweeping him right off of his feet as he moved along. Giving out some more orders to the others before going down the same path that Dabi had gone.
Todoroki's hand was still on his arm, gripping onto his drenched shirt.
All he knew was, this wasn't going to end well at all.