Hello! I come bringing yet another fic to the fandom! I hope you all enjoy!
I do not own My Hero Academia.
Denki stared at the books and papers scattered across his desk. He sighed before leaning forward onto his elbows and burying his face in his hands. His teacher's earlier words echoed in his mind.
"Your test scores are much higher than last semester's. You've always been a team player, but you're more efficiently communicating and your ability to assess your situation is much quicker. I don't believe you've even overused your quirk once this semester." A corner of the man's lips slid up into a smirk. "At least, not during class. The improvement you've shown over the course of the year is quite impressive, Kaminari."
He grinned to himself, not forgetting the dread that had pooled in his stomach when he'd been asked to stay after homeroom.
And it's all thanks to you, Aizawa-sensei.
He straightened up and shifted his focus back to the papers in front of him when a buzz cut through the quiet dorm room, and he gritted his teeth at the sound. He glared at the bottom drawer of his desk when the buzzing didn't stop. There was a brief pause before it resumed. He yanked the drawer open, not surprised at the number flashing on the screen. He watched the phone vibrate, making no move to answer it.
He's not usually this persistent.
When the buzzing finally ceased and didn't start back up again, he grabbed the phone.
8 missed calls
12 new messages
Denki winced. His chest tightened when he remembered the message he'd received just two nights ago.
It's time to come home.
He dropped the phone onto his desk and slouched back in his chair. He stared up at his ceiling before running a hand down his face.
Why now?
The phone started vibrating again, dancing across the wood and making a grating sound. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He racked his brain for any excuse he could think of.
It'll look suspicious for me to drop out now, especially after Aizawa-sensei said I've improved so much. Yeah! He'll have to agree with that. That will buy me some time until—
The phone buzzed yet again, but the flash on the screen caused him to lean forward in his chair. His eyebrows furrowed.
He's never video called me before….
He picked up the phone, his throat drying instantly. He took a deep breath before grabbing his headphones. Once they were secure in his ears, he slid his thumb across the screen. A man with blond hair pulled back into a bun appeared on the screen, a brilliant smile flashing across his face.
"It's about time you finally answered me—"
"What do you want, dad?" Denki snapped.
The corners of his father's lips twitched the slightest bit before he cleared his throat.
"I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past couple days, Denki. I expected you to be home yesterday."
I don't want to go home.
"Sorry, we've been really busy here, and it's not a good time for me to leave. I meant to call you…." he trailed off when the smile completely disappeared from the man's face.
"You were aware our contract was coming to an end."
Denki fought the urge to fidget in his seat.
"I thought—"
"No!" His father interrupted. "I told you it didn't matter once the contract was up. You needed to come home the second I said so…." He tilted his head, and his eyes slowly widened. "You want to stay, don't you?"
Denki cringed before summoning all the strength he had to shake his head.
"No, I just thought it would look suspicious if—" he started only to get interrupted again.
"You know you can't be a hero, Denki. I thought you understood that after what you did to your mom."
"That…." His voice cracked. He clenched his eyes shut and inhaled deeply through his nose. Ignoring the tightness in his chest, he opened his eyes back up and rapidly blinked to keep the water suddenly flooding them at bay. "Th-that was years ago. I've gotten better control of my quirk now."
Before he could say anymore, his dad was all too ready to cut him off.
"You killed your mother. Nothing can take that back. I don't know what those heroes might've told you, but you can't—"
"I'm not coming home."
Denki's voice was firm. Anger flashed in his dad's eyes.
"I'm sorry?"
"I said," Denki reiterated, making sure his voice didn't shake, "I'm not coming home."
The man's lips quirked into a grim line. He pinched the bridge of his nose before looking back up at the camera.
"I should've known this would happen. I thought you were old enough to handle this, but it looks like I was wrong."
His dad tilted the phone. The sight paralyzed him.
His dad was in his bedroom, but all the furniture had been removed. Every poster he'd left behind had been taken down. Every comic book he didn't bring with him had been packed away. Any evidence that he'd ever lived in that room was gone. A lone mattress was carelessly tossed in the corner, but what was on it made his heart freeze in his chest.
"Sensei…."
His homeroom teacher lied on the mattress. From the position of his arms, Denki could only guess they were bound behind his back. He could see the ropes winding around Shouta's ankles. Several strands of dark hair covered Shouta's face, but he could still see the silver tape covering his mouth. The hero didn't move a muscle.
What the hell did dad do to Aizawa-sensei?
"Relax, Denki, he's just unconscious," his dad said, as if he'd read his mind. "He should be waking up any minute. I really didn't want to bring him in to this, but I didn't have a choice when you didn't pick up the phone. I had to get your attention. I can't say I feel too bad about it now. He's the reason you thought you could be a hero, isn't he?"
He clenched his teeth and took a deep breath through his nose, fighting the nausea quickly welling within him.
"You don't just want me to come home…you're leaving, aren't you?" Denki nearly whispered, but it was loud enough for his dad to hear.
"We're leaving. It's time to move on, Denki. This was our last contract here. Most of the team has already left. The rest of us are just waiting on you."
He took another deep breath.
"If you hurt him—"
The phone tilted back so his dad was in view.
"As long as you come straight home, you won't have to worry about that. Hell, if you hurry and catch the train, there's a slight chance we might be able to head out before he wakes up. He won't have to know."
He won't have to know…he shouldn't even be there…this shouldn't be happening to him after everything I've done. I should've known better.
"But I don't think the sedative will last much longer. If you would've answered earlier…."
It's my fault….
His stomach churned violently. He managed to swallow despite the lump in his throat.
"I'll come home right away."
His dad's brilliant smile returned.
"I knew you'd see reason. See you soon, Denki."
The screen went black. Denki blinked, warm tears trailing down his cheek. He stood up and leaned heavily against the desk, his stomach protesting the movement.
Dad really took down Aizawa-sensei while he was out on patrol. He abducted my teacher just to get me to come home. If I hadn't been stupid enough to think I could be a hero….
Why didn't I just pick up the phone?
His stomach lurched and he bolted out of his room and into the bathroom down the hall. He barely had a second to notice he was alone before he staggered into one of the stalls. His throat burned as bile forced its way up. He didn't bother fighting it. He gripped the sides of the toilet, and his arms shook as he tried to keep himself up. Once he'd emptied his stomach, he flushed the toilet and slouched down against the side of the stall.
Footsteps echoed in the bathroom as someone walked in.
"Kaminari?" Denki froze at the voice. The footsteps made their way across the tile. "Are you okay?"
"I'm f-fine, Shinsou!"
He forced as much enthusiasm into his voice as he could. Hitoshi stopped just in front of his stall.
"I could hear you throwing up from down the hall. You can't be fine."
He gripped the sides of the stall and clamored up to his feet. He took a deep breath, fighting the wave of nausea threatening to come back.
I hope no one else heard me. I need to get out of here. I can't drag anyone else into this.
"I'm really fine. It's just that stomach virus going around campus. I thought I heard a couple second years caught it."
He fumbled with the lock and opened the stall door, nearly stumbling into Hitoshi. Firm hands quickly grabbed his arms and kept him upright.
"Do you want me to call Aizawa-sensei? I'm sure he could—"
"No!" Hitoshi jerked back at the forceful tone. "I-I'm sorry. I'm just exhausted. I'm sure I'll be over this by tomorrow. Aizawa-sensei's out on patrol anyway. There's no need to bother him."
He stalked past Hitoshi and out of the bathroom, and the other student didn't hesitate to follow him into the hall.
"Kaminari—"
He cast a weak smile over his shoulder.
"I'll probably feel better after some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, all right?"
Hitoshi stopped in the middle of the hall and watched him until he made it to his room. He gave a slight wave before opening his door. The second he was in his room and his door shut behind him, he leaned back against it and ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. He looked around his dorm. He'd only brought a few posters from home with him. His books were strewn about his desk and bed. His backpack hung on the back of his chair. He grinned to himself.
Who knew such a small room that I've only lived in for a few months could be considered home?
He trudged over to the desk. One of the phones lit up. He looked at the message.
Minizawa: Let me know if you need anything.
He gripped the phone so tight he thought it might break.
What if I…no. I can't. I've done more than enough. I can't drag anyone else into this.
I'm so sorry, Shinsou.
He set the phone down and stuffed the other one into his pocket. Making his way back to the door, he cracked it open and peeked out into the hall.
It was empty.
He looked around his room one last time before sneaking out into the hallway.
*break*
Shouta fought his way through the fog clouding his mind. Faint voices filtered in around him, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. His head was pounding, and his limbs felt as though lead were flowing through his veins. He tried to shift but found that he couldn't move his arms or legs. Slowly, the voices around him became clearer.
"I think he's waking up. Do you want me to…." the voice trailed off.
"I can handle him. He can't put up much of a fight. Go outside and wait for my son, Kaito."
It took a couple tries for him to open his eyes. He blinked to clear his vision. A blond man loomed over him. He recognized the brilliant smile in an instant.
"Aizawa-sensei, this is my dad!"
The corner of his lip lifted up a tad as the man smiled at him, Denki's own smile an exact mirror of his father's.
"Denki's told me so much about you, Aizawa-san. It's a pleasure to finally meet you! I'm Kaminari Akashi. I wish we could be meeting under better circumstances."
He automatically tried to back away from the man as he stepped closer but found his hands cuffed behind his back and his ankles bound together. A soft material crinkled beneath him. He glanced around at the nearly bare room and realized he was lying on a mattress in the corner.
What the hell is going on?
He tried to voice his question but only emitted a muffled grunt due to the strip of duct tape covering his mouth.
"Sorry," Akashi said, crouching down until he was almost eye-level with the hero. "I didn't want to drag you into this, but Denki was being a bit too stubborn. He should be here soon, though."
His heart dropped into his stomach. Akashi tilted his head and chuckled. He reached out to grab his shoulder, but he tried to jerk out of the way and hit the wall, letting out a muffled grunt at the impact. Akashi merely shook his head.
"Now how exactly do you find yourself in the middle of everything? You seem like a good man, Aizawa-san. I genuinely feel bad that you've gotten caught in the crossfire so much over the last year, but I guess that's what happens when you're a hero."
Understanding hit Shouta like a tidal wave.
Kaminari…there's no way…this is some sort of mistake….
He racked his brain for an explanation. Any. His heart pounded in his chest.
I know Hizashi said there had to be a traitor, but none of the staff knew where the training camp was.
He can't be….
As if he could read his mind, Akashi's smile widened.
"You must be one hell of a teacher. Denki didn't want to come home. He actually thought he had a shot at becoming a hero. Although, he is a teenager. You've taught them for a few years. It's about this age they start rebelling against their parents, isn't it?" His smile started to fade, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "I really didn't want him to move into the dorms, but we were still under contract. I didn't have much of a choice in the matter, especially with how insistent you were about the students moving in as soon as possible…."
Shouta mentally shook his head and ignored the rambling man before him. Paying no mind to the still lingering drowsiness, he struggled against the cuffs binding his wrists. The material bit into his flesh, and blood trickled out from under the cuffs. Akashi sighed and put a hand on his shoulder to tilt him away from the wall.
"There's no point wasting your energy. You're already bleeding, and you'll only hurt yourself more. I can already tell you Denki won't be happy about this."
He was about to continue when another man walked into the room.
"Your son's here."
Akashi immediately straightened up. It was silent except for the faint footsteps just beyond the room that got louder with each passing second. Shouta ceased his struggling when he student finally entered. He blinked, as if that would make Denki disappear. The boy's arms were crossed over his chest. His shoulders were slouched forward.
And Denki wasn't smiling.
His dad approached him, but he never once took his eyes off his teacher; not even when Akashi embraced him, a gesture which he did not return.
"Hi, dad," he mumbled.
The second his dad released him from the hug, he took a few steps closer to the mattress before practically collapsing to his knees before the captured hero. He started to reach for Shouta only to slowly retract his hand. His lips quirked into a grim line, and he tore his gaze away from his teacher while he took a deep breath. He looked back to Shouta and reached for the strip of duct tape.
"Denki—"
"We need to talk. He deserves an explanation more than anyone."
Akashi huffed but ultimately exited the room and left the two alone.
"Make it quick," he called from the hallway. "We don't have much time."
Despite the attempts to be gentle, Shouta's skin stung when the tape was removed. His student winced, mumbling an apology under his breath. Shouta didn't waste a moment.
"Kaminari, I know this has to be some sort of mistake. I…."
He was about to say more when he saw Denki shaking his head.
"I'm…I'm so sorry, Aizawa-sensei." The teen buried his face in his hands, slightly muffling his words. "I never thought my dad would do something like this. I should've just answered his calls."
"This is a huge misunderstanding. I can help you—"
Denki looked back up to meet Shouta's gaze.
"After everything I've done, you'd still help me? You nearly died because of me, twice! I cut off the communication between the USJ and the rest of campus. I gave the villains my location at the training camp. Do you really want to help me?"
The teacher and student were silent for only a moment. Shouta's heart was still rapidly beating in his chest.
He's just a kid. He couldn't have known what he was doing. His father had to coerce him into this. He must know I can help him, but I don't have much time….
"You're still one of my students." Denki stiffened at the words. "It's my job to help you. Does anyone know you're here?"
"Sensei—"
"Does anyone know you're here?" he repeated. Denki shook his head, and his hands clenched into fists and strained against the cuffs binding him. "My phone should be in my front right pocket. If it's not, you could find it—"
"I can't drag anyone else into this!" Denki snapped. Shouta clamped his jaw shut. His student's shoulders rapidly rose and fell. Something glistened in Denki's eyes, but the boy quickly rubbed them before a single tear could fall. "I'm sorry, Aizawa-sensei, but it's bad enough you're here. No one else needs to get involved in my mess. I've done enough to you…my fr-the other students…my mom. A villain like me doesn't deserve help from heroes like you."
A dagger may as well have drove itself through Shouta's chest. Before he could open his mouth again, footsteps echoed down the hallway as they approached the room. Akashi entered only seconds later.
Not now. Please…I just need a little more time with him….
"We're leaving, Denki. I'm sure someone will notice Eraser is missing and find him—"
Denki's eyes flashed dangerously. He whipped his head toward his father.
"No! We're not leaving him here. We're taking him back to campus where he'll be safe."
Akashi's jaw dropped, but Denki refused to back down. His father pinched the bridge of his nose before shaking his head. More footsteps approached the room. Akashi motioned another man closer and softly spoke with him. Shouta couldn't begin to guess what they were saying. Suddenly, Akashi stalked toward him and Denki.
"Kaito's got the car ready," he said. "You're helping me get him out to the car and will make sure he doesn't struggle on the way. You'll cooperate and not cause any trouble when we leave. Do I make myself clear?"
Denki clenched his jaw but nodded all the same. Shouta's eyes widened. He looked back to his student. He barely noticed Akashi reaching for the tape nearly beyond his line of sight.
"Kaminari, none of this is your fault. You must understand that. You can-don't touch me!"
His gaze was ripped away from Denki to the taller man looming over him and grabbing his shoulder. He lashed out with his bound legs, eliciting a grunt from Akashi when his own legs were swept out from under him, and he crashed to the ground. He glared at his son.
"What did I just say, Denki?" Akashi asked.
Denki clenched his hands into fists and took a deep breath as he shifted behind his teacher.
"I'm so sorry, sensei," he said again.
Before Shouta could look over his shoulder and activate his quirk, electricity pulsed through him. He opened his mouth, but the scream got stuck in his throat. Even if he weren't restrained, he couldn't have moved any of his limbs. Soon enough, the pain slowly started to dissipate, and the room filled with the sound of his ragged breathing. His skin tingled, and he still couldn't move. He groaned when two sets of hands turned him over onto his back. Denki looked down on him, grimacing at the sound of ripping tape. The boy gently brushed his hair out of his face before Akashi placed the tape over his mouth.
"His wrists are bleeding," Denki mumbled. "I thought you said you wouldn't hurt him."
Akashi threw Shouta over his shoulder effortlessly. Shouta clenched his eyes shut when the room spun at the sudden movement. He didn't even know if Akashi responded, doing his best to ward off the nausea plaguing him. Locking an arm around his knees, the villain carried him out of the room and through the house. He heard a door open, and the cold night air whipped around him a second later. He willed himself to move but barely shifted a centimeter against Akashi's shoulder. The arm around his legs tightened at the small effort.
"I wouldn't try moving too much if I were you," Akashi chuckled. "I know all too well what it's like to be on the receiving end of my son's quirk. I'd consider you lucky, though. It looks like he won't have to shock you again before we get to the school."
A car door opened, and Shouta found himself sliding off Akashi's shoulder and getting set on his feet. Before he could attempt to find his balance, a hand on the top of his head forced him to bend down while someone else pulled him into the car. Akashi swiftly scooped his legs up and pushed them inside, quickly shutting the car door afterward. As soon as Akashi got in, Kaito sped onto the road. Shouta would've slammed against the backseat if Denki hadn't wrapped his arms around him to keep him in place.
The car was silent while they drove down the street. Something wet dropped into his hair. The arms around him pulled him even closer against Denki's chest.
"I promise you'll be safe," he whispered into Shouta's ear. "I won't hurt you or the rest of the students anymore, and you won't ever have to see me again."
The tingling across his skin slowly subsided as they drove through the city.
If I'm remembering correctly, it took nearly an hour to drive out to Kaminari's house. We should be getting close to the school by now. Maybe someone will—
"Hand me that case by your foot," Akashi ordered.
Denki did as he was told. Within seconds, Akashi procured a syringe from the case. Shouta could've sworn he heard a growl from the back of Denki's throat.
"Is that really necessary?"
"It's the only reason I agreed to your request," Akashi quipped right back. He met Shouta's gaze and shot him a grim smile. "Sorry, Eraser. This will keep you out for a while, but we need biggest head start we can get." He looked back to Denki. "Hold him still."
Shouta's eyes widened. Akashi took off his seatbelt, completely turned around, and leaned over the center console. The arm wrapped around his chest gripped him tighter. A hand grabbed his hair and tilted his head back to expose his neck. He used what little strength he had to twist out of the hold, but his student didn't relent. He froze at the prick that came only seconds later. Numbness quickly spread throughout his body. His eyes started to droop shut, no matter how hard he fought to keep them open. Denki stroked a hand through his hair and leaned in closer to his ear.
"Don't fight it. Just go to sleep."
No…Kaminari….
His vision was shrouded in darkness as the car slowed down. The last thing he heard was Denki's breath hitch.
"Goodbye, Aizawa-sensei."
*break*
"Hurry up."
The car rolled to a stop, and Denki didn't hesitate to open the door behind him and grab Shouta under his arms. His dad jumped out of the passenger seat and caught Shouta's legs before they could hit the ground. The two carried him to the gates. Akashi dropped Shouta's legs, and his feet hit the ground with a thud. Denki clenched his teeth.
"Will you be more careful with him?" he hissed.
Akashi rolled his eyes and reached into Shouta's utility belt, fishing out a single card. He swiped it at the card reader. The gates slowly opened. Denki dragged his teacher back onto campus and gently laid him down in the grass. He reached into Shouta's right pocket and pulled out his phone. He nearly winced as he entered the passcode, remembering how he used to watch the man's every move.
At least I can't hurt him anymore.
He browsed through the contacts until he found Hitoshi's number. He typed a quick message and set the phone on the ground. A pair of hands clamped down on his shoulders.
"Time to go, Denki."
He simply nodded and followed his dad through the gates just as they were beginning to close. He slid into the backseat. The car sped off down the road, and Denki looked out the back window until the gates were out of sight.
There's the first chapter! As always, feel free to let me know what you think! Until next time, stay safe and stay sexy!