Stage Two: Production

Pre-Release


Izuku groaned as he came to, his head aching as the lights pierced his eyes. He sat up slowly, holding his head. It didn't feel like a concussion- something he was much too familiar with- nor did it feel like a migraine, just a simple headache. So why couldn't he remember the last few hours? As he looked around he came to the realization that this was neither his bed nor his room. Although the bed was situated in a corner of the room like his own, his desk, Hero merch, and bookcase were nowhere to be seen in the small room.

He was lying under a comforter with a green diamond pattern coming down from the upper left corner to the lower right, covering half of the blanket and plain grey sheets below that. The pillow was a simple white. The walls were a stark white and across from him was set of double-door that- from the shine they gave off in the light- were made of a synthetic material, although what they led to he didn't know. To his left was another door. The floor was made of clear glass, over a space crammed full of colored wires. In the corner between the two was a desk, a 180 degree monitor- like the kind he could never afford, not in a million years- sat on top of it. A high-backed chair that looked extra comfortable was in front of it, and beneath the desk he saw a pair of PC towers, both humming in the otherwise silent room.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by an electronic ringing, coming from the monitor. Hesitantly, Izuku walked across the clear floor- he was still wearing his high-tops, he noted- and approached the PC as it rang. He sat down and immediately the call answered itself. On the screen was displayed a man, his skin sallow and red hair streaked with gray.

"Ah, you're awake Izuku-kun!" The man called, smiling broadly.

"Wh-where am I? Wh-who are you?" Izuku asked, his voice cracking into higher pitches than it normally would. The red-haired man nodded sagely, as if he was contemplating deep philosophical questions.

"Well, as for who I am, I am rather disappointed you don't remember me, Izuku-kun. But, well, what is a man to do? My name is Sugoh Akihiko. And as for where you are? Well, that's a bit difficult to answer, but I shall endeavor to do so." Izuku clenched his jaw and gripped the arms of the chair in fear, anxiety and anger as the man mocked him.

"Currently, you are- nowhere!" Izuku blinked as he tried to figure out what exactly that meant, but his thoughts were interrupted by the man- Sugoh- continuing.

"But to be more precise, you currently are existing as a stream of data, a small blip of information contained within a network known as the Neural Record Vault, the N.R.V.; or, the Nerve, for short. As to how? My Quirk, since I'm certain you're dying to know, allows me to digitize something or someone and put them inside of a computer program. Now, you may be asking yourself, 'why am I here?' right about now. And to answer that-" While Izuku was in fact wondering that, he was now more concerned with the wide, sadistic smile now stretching the man's lips.

"I want you to be the first person to truly experience my simulations. The computer in front of you has been loaded with nine different scenarios, chosen by me in order to push you to your limits, and force you to go beyond them." Izuku began shaking as the man spoke, eyes wide with fear as his tone grew more sinister and unhinged.

"Before you get any ideas, you cannot leave, not until you have completed all. Nine. Scenarios. Unfortunately, should you attempt to leave through that door without permission..." Izuku's attention was drawn to a door that hadn't been there before, above was a bright green exit sign, and for a moment his hopes skyrocketed. "Then you will receive a...

"Let's call it a controlled shock."

Lightning coursed through Izuku's veins and scorched him from inside out while pain lit up his nerves, as if electricity was carbonizing his flesh while his muscles contracted forcefully. His diaphragm contracted and expanded sporadically, knocking his breath from him while his heart beat rapidly and unevenly- whether due to the adrenaline being released by his body or the electricity itself he wasn't sure which. His mind was blank, white with the pain washing through his system as his nerves screamed out in agony.

After what felt like an eternity it stopped, his breath nowhere to be found while he realized that he had fallen out of his chair and was now curled into a ball on the floor, tears leaking out of his eyes while he wheezed.

It felt like some of his teeth might have cracked.

"Now that you know the consequences for disobeying, I shall explain a bit more. Are you listening?" Izuku flinched at the man's voice, curling around himself even tighter, pain lancing through him at the motion, but once it was obvious the man was waiting for a response, Izuku managed to squeak something out.

"Wh-why m-me...?" He asked, still in pain from the 'controlled shock'. Sugoh chuckled.

"Why, because you're the only reason I could even create this glorious program, of course. Who better to beta test it than its inspiration?" Sugoh chuckled again, menacingly this time. "Now, to begin with I should tell you of the dangers of the sim-" Sugoh cut himself off, making Izuku look over the desk in worry as the man chuckled sadistically. "Actually, I think it'd be best for you to find out yourself." Izuku's eyes widened, but before he could say anything the man's image disappeared, revealing a rotary of rectangular shapes. All of them were grey with some slight hints of a design, Izuku noticed as he weakly pulled himself into the chair, save for one. It's cover was a pitch black behind a man dressed in a suit, his face a blank canvas in that it had no features, no hair or eyes or even ears. Written above him was a single, solitary word, written as if someone had gone over it multiple times with a pencil in a hurry.

It said "Slender...?"


Izuku was thrust into a pitch blackness, darker than ink.

Then, he wasn't.

Suddenly, he was standing amidst tall pine trees, the moon high above him shining just enough light so that he could see in front of him.

Was he... was he out? Was it all just a sick joke? Suddenly, he felt something in his pocket vibrate. Scrambling for the phone, he pulled it out and- much to his dismay- found an unfamiliar model clad in a grey-green case, a fractal pattern spread across the back rather than his usual All-Might case.

He swallowed and tapped the button on the side, turning the screen on to reveal one message on the screen.

Sugoh-Jii-San: One (1) New Message

Grimacing at the name chosen by the man, Izuku clicked the notification and was treated to a fingerprint scanner. On a guess he pressed his thumb to the circle and it unlocked with a quiet click.

I almost forgot, Izuku-kun, to tell you that this phone will tell you what you need to do in each scenario yourself!

But this time, I'll help you out! You need to collect 100 pages scattered around the map before Slenderman catches you!

GLHF!

Izuku blinked at the message, swallowing.

"What... is a 'slender-man'?" He asked the empty air as a counter blinked onto the screen of the phone.

0/100

"Okay, so... collect a hundred pages? Okay, okay, I can do that. Alright, let's get going." He told himself, burying his fear and anxiety deeper inside himself now that he had a moment to himself.

After another moment, Izuku began to walk, using the dim light from his phone (which didn't have a battery indicator) as a makeshift flashlight, hoping that it wouldn't die on him. He was careful in his steps, trying not to roll his ankle on a root, and kept turning left and right, thinking perhaps he could spot whatever it was that was apparently chasing him before it saw him.

fshhxzz

Suddenly, his phone dimmed and let out a burst of static. He turned it back to face him and winced at the light, only for his eyes to go wide as static began creeping around the edges of the screen. He turned around in a circle and caught sight of a tall, pale figure that seemed to be hunching over something- or perhaps he was bowed by the mass of black spread out from his back. Izuku blinked and it was a few dozen steps closer than he was before. Izuku backed away slowly, only to break out into a full run as the tall, pale humanoid began walking. As Izuku created distance, the static emanating from his phone lessened in intensity, eventually dissipating completely. He swallowed thickly and looked down at the bright-white screen, seeing if something had changed or if he had gotten another message- anything- only for his foot to catch something. As he went down he grunted in pain as his phone was sent flying and his palms were scraped up by the rocks and sticks littered across the forest floor.

From where he was he heard the faintest crackle of static from his phone.

'Oh no.'

Izuku scrambled to his feet and dashed for his phone, ignoring the ache in his ankle and running as fast as he could until he could no longer hear the static, huffing and puffing as he slowed to a stop. Leaning against a tree he turned his head to look at something other than the ground and found that just a few steps away, pinned to a tree, was a page, covered in dark, jagged drawings of adults and children, a house and yellow sun in the background. He stepped closer to it and placed his fingers underneath the edge, giving it a sharp jerk to tear it free. As he tried to examine it closer, he found that it quickly burst into a mass of blue-white crystals, floating away into the sky. He inhaled through his nose and looked to his phone.

1/100

Alright, one down, ninety-nine more to go...


Post-Release


Izuku dangled his feet over the edge of his building's rooftop, kicking lightly against the building as he stared over the skyline into the sunrise, letting the rays wash over him as he nursed a cup of coffee- real coffee- the steaming mug warming his hands.

It was all so surreal, even now he wasn't entirely certain this wasn't another trick by that miserable excuse for a disease-ridden piece of dogshit Sugoh, made to lure him into a false sense of security before he was thrust into another hell-show. But, as he sipped his coffee, he relaxed. Never had the sim been able to reproduce flavors like this. The closest had been during the second to last game, where the taste of blood was close, but ever so slightly off.

Izuku would know, he had swallowed and thrown enough of the stuff up to know what it tasted like.

Humming, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and looked at them contemplatively. He didn't really care what brand they were, but he wondered if they would be any good. He had started the habit in the fifth game, stealing some from the gas station on a whim, but it didn't really cement itself until the second half of the sixth game. But as he had found out, taste and smell was something much different outside of the sim. He shook one out of the pack and plugged it to his lips, drawing a lighter out. He flicked it on and inhaled, cocking his head to the side curiously.

It was... stronger, more pungent. The tobacco was obvious among the more acrid flavors in the smoke. He hummed and let the lungful he had out through his nose before taking a drink of his coffee. He had only been home for a week now- and out of the sim for three- and he hadn't slept since his first night in his own bed. He studiously ignored how his body called for rest, for sleep, and drained the last of his coffee. He snuffed the cigarette against the roof and tossed it back into the pack. He retrieved his mug and lowered himself to the windowsill below, coming face to face with a person that was looking out their window at the city.

Izuku blinked.

They blinked.

Izuku waved.

They returned the gesture hesitantly.

Izuku stepped down to the fire escape just below him and left the resident confused on whether or not they was still dreaming before he ducked into his room through the open window and closed it, placing the mug onto his desk and grabbing a fresh set of clothes. They were his old ones and as such didn't fit him all that well anymore. They didn't feel near as comfortable as his detective uniform, or his S.T.A.R.S. uniform, or any other set of clothes he'd worn in the sim.

Hell, the maintenance jumpsuit he'd worn in the last game was better than what was in his closet now. They all felt like they would rip around his shoulders and that wasn't even mentioning how difficult it was to fit in his pants now. He didn't really understand it, he knew his shoulders were broader now but had his legs really gotten that much bigger too?

At least they were going shopping today. His mother had apparently been saving up his allowance for when he came home, as a coming home present, and he decided that he needed clothes more than anything else. So, the two of them were going shopping.

He made a note to get new shoes too, his current ones pinched his toes.


Pre-Release: Slender


Izuku's breath came out in harsh pants that glowed white in the chilly air, the breeze cutting through his gakuren and biting into his flesh, chilling his sweat against his skin and making him shiver even as he pushed himself harder, forced himself to run farther away from that thing chasing him.

Izuku had seen it up close. Once.

The horror of its seemingly-blank face would be seared into his mind until the end of his days, he was certain.

'Come on, come on... where are you?!' Izuku grit his teeth as he glanced down at the phone in his hand, covered in dirt and specks of mud.

7/100

To say he was anywhere close to being done was a gross overstatement. But even so, he kept telling himself that it would only take a few more hours, a few more pages and he could leave. He wasn't sure how he hadn't passed out from exhaustion yet, his legs trembling and thighs aching. His lungs burned and cried for oxygen that he couldn't stop to supply them. For the past hour, his phone had been emitting the faint crackling of static that signified that the Slenderman was near. Sometimes it faded slightly, lulling Izuku into thinking that he could maybe rest for a moment, only to return to its previous volume once more and kicking Izuku's fight or flight instincts firmly into 'flight' mode.

Other times, it rose in pitch and intensity, the screen of his phone growing dim. That was when he began to push himself harder, forcing his legs to obey as he fled the creature that chased him.

'There!' Izuku gasped and lunged, stumbling a few steps only to come to rest against a tree, a white page pinned to it. He gratefully tore the paper free and watched as it burst into fractals that floated into the air in silence. 'Wait...' Izuku looked down at his phone and almost cried in relief. The static had stopped. Like a puppet with its strings cut, Izuku fell to his knees with a sob of relief. Finally, he could take a break, even if only for a little while...


Post Release


Izuku... was aware, that he had changed. That he was different from before. He knew that. And as he carried his newly-acquired clothes, that was driven home a bit harder. His mother had, of course, disapproved of his choice in fashion, but he liked them. From the macabre jokes to the ancient game merch, they felt like him. Like the All Might hoodies and action figures he hoarded before, they resonated with him, made him happy to own them.

Shirts that said Cut & Sew, or one that had bloody gunshot decals. He even found a hoodie with an image of familiar rib-like armor.

He knew his mother didn't like it. He knew that she was aware he wasn't sleeping, too. But... he was just glad that she was still his mother, that she didn't look at him in anger or disgust or pity, like the Heroes had done.


Pre-Release


Izuku's lungs burned and ached, his legs felt like jelly. Rocks and twigs pocked into him, but he couldn't bring himself to care as he sat on the forest floor. He wasn't sure how long he sat there for, but it couldn't have been longer than twenty minutes. He could feel his heart rate falling, the burn in his lungs subsiding as he gave them fresh air. His legs hurt, his joints aching and soles of his feet felt like they were on fire. As he gasped for air, he reveled in the flavor of crisp, cold forest air, the tinge of pine needles and dirt flooding his nostrils...

But... why did it smell faintly of tar?

Fshhxx

Izuku froze, his phone crackling in the silence previously permeated by his heaving breaths. He glanced at the device to find that the edges were turning blurry, sparks of grey shooting across the screen.

"Oh no..." He gasped, shooting to his feet-

only to fall flat on his face, both legs giving out on him while the static emanating from his phone grew louder.

"No, no no nononononono!" He began panicking, forcing one leg under him and pushing up with one hand on his knee, the other dragging his other leg into position.

After a moment of not falling, he tried to take a step, managing a single unsteady one.

FSHKXX

Suddenly, the static of his phone grew much louder.

Izuku turned and saw it. A tall, lean and pale figure clad in a dark suit, his tie a dark crimson. The undershirt was a clean white, buttoned up firmly. Long arms clad in dark sleeves terminating in pale, white hands. The fingers were long, six knuckles upon each digit curled as the being stepped forward, closer to Izuku.

Izuku didn't make a sound, instead he took another step, and then another, the adrenaline beginning to flow again as it came closer to him.

Unfortunately, adrenaline wasn't a cure-all.

As soon as Izuku tried to take a third step, his leg gave out from under him, throwing him to the ground.

"Shit!" He swore, very much unlike him but between the terror creeping into his body and the pain in his legs he felt it justified; ever more so as it came closer.

Suddenly, it froze.

Suddenly, it twitched.

Its face twisted.

Its fingers bent back, touching the back of its palm.

Its face tore.

The Slenderman lunged forward, grasping Izuku's frozen form in its too-long hands as its gaping maw opened wider, a bloody hole torn in a featureless head that leaked a viscous fluid that wasn't blood.

Izuku screamed.

Izuku knew that, in that moment, he was dead.


And that's a wrap. I tried imitating Rogue's style a bit here, how did it turn out?

Stay sane y'all.

~MindsandMirrors.