Izuku had heard the news. The terrifying, horrifying news. They all did. Each student in UA was told by their teacher in the dorm's common room that All For One had escaped Tartarus.
And that by the records officials could actually retrieve, All For One had actually escaped two weeks prior to them finding out. It was… paralyzingly scary. That the man had escaped, managed to get multiple pawns into Tartarus to keep up the illusion that everything was fine when in reality nearly all staff members had been killed if not gone missing.
(This was something that took time. Something that was planned. Was this what he wanted to do for a long time? What was a few months in Tartarus for a man who had lived centuries? He could wait. He had time. They did not.)
For the fellow inmates, they were either killed, missing, or were perfectly safe in their cells.
The officials couldn't quite grasp why All For One did what he did for each inmate.
And frankly, neither could Izuku.
He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to know.
Aizawa-sensei had promised them that he would protect every single one of them with his life.
Izuku wanted his teacher to live.
He wanted all of his classmates, his friends, to live.
So when All For One came crashing in on a field trip, Izuku knew that his time was essentially up.
(He wished for more time. More time to be with his friends. More time to be with his mom, with All Might. With his classmates and teachers. More time to be a teen, and to learn how to be a hero. More time to learn how to use One For All to its full potential. More time to prepare. He wouldn't get that time. He could feel it in his bones.)
It was startling to see All For One fully healed. His short white hair seemed to curl a bit, and his red eyes shone with malice. He… he looked absolutely healthy. Multiple theories flew through Izuku's mind the moment he made the connection that the man was All For One.
(He didn't have enough time to continue. There was never enough time the moment All For One escaped. Not enough for the heroes, that is.)
But all the while as Izuku and his classmates, his teachers, and any other heroes in the vicinity, fought and got beaten, Izuku couldn't help but feel something nagging at the back of his head.
There was… something familiar about All For One.
Not in the way that Izuku recognized him from the quirk dreams. No. It was something else.
Something.
He.
Couldn't.
Reach.
(Something he wouldn't get in time. No time. No time at all. It all boils down to who has time and who doesn't.)
His classmates were strewn about. All heavily injured. He feared for the older heroes' lives.
(Were any citizens still alive? Were they able to get out in time? Did they have enough time to keep them safe?)
The centuries old man floated down to where Izuku laid.
"There you are." All For One nearly purred with a look of possession written all over his newly healed face.
That man's grin made Izuku sick.
"Get the fuck away from him!" Kacchan yelled from the ground, blood falling from his mouth.
Izuku didn't know if it was directed at him or All For One. But considering Izuku could hardly move, his limbs twisted and broken, it was probably directed at the villain.
The young teen's whole body tensed as All For One didn't even bother looking over Kacchan's way. No, he just kept on staring at Izuku.
"You'll never get it." He gritted out, quiet enough that only the two of them could hear it.
After all, sounds echoed in the rubble of their battle ground.
The man's grin turned into a smirk.
The smirk then turned into an open mouth laugh.
It was loud.
It rattled Izuku's soul.
"I suppose that's all you think I want." He finally said as his laughter died. "But don't worry, your fate will be better than your predecessors."
Fear etched itself into him. He couldn't move. He couldn't get away.
The man loomed closer. Ever so close.
Izuku couldn't get away.
And then All For One touched Izuku's hand.
Pain as sharp as fire, as intense as ice, engulfed the teen's broken hand. An ear piercing shriek tore its way out from Izuku's lungs. It was too much; it hurt!
"Look at how mutilated you made yourself be." A faint voice tisked. "This will hurt, but only for a moment."
Tears of pain slipped out of tightly squeezed eyes. Izuku didn't even notice he closed them.
Uraraka's scream was the reason why Izuku managed to open his eyes just as a dull numbness took over the pain.
Why had she screamed? Was she okay?
Those questions were quickly thrown out the moment his eyes naturally fell onto his hand.
Or what should have been his hand.
Izuku let out another screen as he saw that his hand was-was-was merged with All For One's. It, it was like there was just. Flesh that connected their arms. It-it was like… There was All For One's arm, and it led down to where Izuku's hand should be. To where their hands should be connected. But it's just flesh and something that looks more like one continuous arm. A-And Izuku couldn't feel his hand. His costume was in tatters from the fight, but now anything that was left of his glove was on the ground. Unable to hold onto the form of what should have been his hand.
To his disgust and horror, the-the flesh of what could possibly be All For One's arm moved forward. The sleeve of his own suit were bursting at the seams, from the excess amount of… body.
Izuku nearly puked at the sight of-of his arm being- what? Devoured?
A jolt of pain caused black spots to appear. Blinking rapidly, Izuku cleared them away. He-he couldn't pass out at a time like this. Where he-where he was-
"Don't worry, I'll fix you up." All For One cooed. He was too close. Izuku was too close. Izuku was merging with-
"Let him go!" Someone cries out. Izuku wasn't sure who. It sounded like Sero?
Izuku looked up, and saw All For One ignoring them. Had the man's gaze ever left Izuku at all?
Reaching out with his other arm, All For One picked Izuku up. Bringing him closer. Bringing the teen's legs up to waist level. Holding him awkwardly due to their arms. Making the absorption process easier.
Panic seized the teen much like All For One did. He tried to flail around, to escape, but it was futile.
Izuku did manage to turn his head. Enough to see everyone strewn about, as if a child had gotten rough with their toys and just left them there. He saw the blood and the bruises that littered their own faces, limbs, and costumes. He saw their horrified faces, that had either gone pale, or green with illness.
Asui actually did puke.
His green eyes landed on Kacchan. Kacchan who was so angry. Kacchan who looked like he wanted to kill. Kacchan who looked like he was scared.
Because they knew.
That no one
could
save
Izuku.
Even if they all cried out for it to stop. For All For One to just let Izuku go. They still yelled, and screamed, and shouted to let Izuku go. They wished for more time.
(There wasn't enough time. To heal. To wait for another hero. There was never enough time in this scenario.)
More pain had cut through Izuku's thoughts, or lack of them, reminding him what was happening to him. Some strange noise that was shifting and cracking was heard. Then there were the sounds of clothes popping and being torn even more so.
Shaking, Izuku looked down. Th-there was more flesh that was binding him together with All For One. Merging them. Melding them.
Izuku was being absorbed. The process was going faster, his whole right arm had become All For One's left. And his- and his legs had disappeared, leaving Izuku's lower torso to be connected to All For One's stomach. On the ground was the shredded remains of the lower half of his costume as well as parts of All For One's suit. His shoes were the only things that looked relatively intact compared to everything else. Just the thought of that nearly made Izuku hysterical.
Until he saw the burst of flesh that seemed to move in an almost viscus manner ate away his own body.
A waterfall of tears fell, Izuku screamed until his throat became bloody and raw. He was so scared. Some sort of primal instinct was demanding him to get away. He couldn't. He really, truly couldn't at this point. All For One had him.
When Izuku's cries started to die out, his vocal cords unable to properly handle making noises, something sounding suspiciously like a hum entered his ears. It… it sounded like a lullaby his mom used to sing to him as a child.
But-but why was he hearing that? Was-was he dying, and was his brain trying to make the process more comfortable? A-as if it wanted him to die peacefully?
"Shhhhh, that's right. That's better." A deep rumble shook Izuku.
With droplets of tears scattering his vision, Izuku saw All For One stare down at him. But this time his facial expression looked different. Like… like a father looking down at their child lovingly.
It was disgusting. Izuku didn't want that look aimed at him. Not from that man.
"There's no need to be frightened." The man lied. "I'll keep you safe."
Ever so slowly did Izuku shake his head. "No." The tiniest of whispers was rasped out.
He just cooed. As if Izuku said something cute.
"You don't have a choice in the matter. After all, it's a father's duty to keep his child safe."
Dark green eyebrows furrowed together. What-? What was All For One saying? He wasn't-he couldn't be…
Izuku shook his head more, as much as he could. It was impossible… right?
A soft kiss touched his crown.
"Oh how did I miss you, my son. My Izuku." All For One began to stroke Izuku's green curls. He had access to both hands again, as Izuku's right side had been consumed. Almost as if Izuku was floating on top of water.
All For One began to push Izuku. Making the process go faster.
"You'll get to finally meet you uncle. He's heard so much about you. I'm sure you two would get along swimmingly." The man just continued as if talking about the weather.
Izuku's eyes stung as what was left of the rest of him became numb. He turned his head for one last look at his friends. And as his head became the very last thing to get swallowed up, he couldn't help but think that going to UA was the best thing to ever happen to him. That receiving One For All was the start of it all. The chance to meet his hero. The chance to make new friends. To come to an understanding with Kacchan.
To find people who really, truly cared about him. That would cry as he died.
Izuku was selfish for that last thought, but, well, it was comforting somehow.
And then it was dark.
He couldn't breathe.
He couldn't hear.
He couldn't move.
He couldn't even feel One For All.
But he wasn't suffocating or dying or even hurting.
He just. Was.
If Izuku wasn't dead, then was he within All For One? It… made the most sense. But shouldn't he be dead? Or even unconscious? Or just ceased to be?
He did not know.
Time passed, he didn't know how long. It could've been hours, or mere seconds. After all, how could he tell time in such a place?
Then, suddenly, Izuku… felt something? He wasn't quite sure. It… was… warm? It felt like a hug? Was that even possible? Especially where he was?
I'm sorry. Something seemed to say.
Izuku wanted to jolt in shock.
I'm so sorry. That something said again.
Was it even talking? How could Izuku even hear it?
I'm here. I'm here for you.
A sadness that was his own and wasn't flowed through his being.
Uncle's here for you.
Izuku wanted to cry.
He finally remembered.
And he realized.
He and the first holder of One For All were trapped within the monstrous father known as All For One.
And they could never escape.
Quirk: Flesh and Blood
The user can absorb any person as long as they are biologically related together. The user then can split with the person and alter said person's body. It is unknown how much shared dna is needed in order for the user to merge their relatives to them. The last known record of the largest amount of persons absorbed was a baby, a child, and a teenager. The original user of Flesh and Blood was a parent back in the early days of Quirks emerging, and their quirk responded to the fear of their children being separated from them forever.
(Real quick, I'm crossposting my BNHA fics from AO3 to here and Wattpad, and this one was from Tunafishprincess's DFO Halloween contest, so that's why this is posted in November lol)
If anyone knows me and has talked to me about my bnha au's then they know that this was an AU I was thinking about. I have been told this has been my darkest au lol. I genuinely hope I did this idea justice and even though this is used for the dfo contest, if anyone wants to use this idea I'm all for it.
Happy Halloween everyone!