***Warnings: Lots of sexual harassment between Izuku, Tomura, and Dabi. Language.

Chapter 12: The Escape: Part 1 It's Now or Never

Bakugo returns to the mines after taking a much-needed rest and eating a full (yet shitty) meal. He feels even stronger than before. The slaves in the mines have just switched shifts, which means the nobles are resting now. Bakugo wants to fly but remembers that everyone down here can't, and he wants to draw as little attention to himself as he can. None of the guards standing watch bother him nor care to look his way. He's granted access the slave quarters (not that anyone could keep him out) and finds the room with the nobles. Bakugo tells the guard on duty that he is taking over, and the ant thanks him for the break.

Checking inside first, Bakugo counts five nobles- four curled up in a pile and the stag beetle sitting by himself but still close to the others. Bakugo checks behind him to make sure there are no other guards around before slipping inside and closing the door. There is barely any light and the torch he's carrying won't last for very long. He holds the flame in front of the stag beetle, making the large Insectoid blink his eyes open when he feels the heat, then quickly averts his gaze.

"Sorry, but I need to be able to see you," Bakugo says, crouching down to face him. "Don't wake the others,"

"You're that hornet from before," Shoji says in a soft voice, glancing at the others before looking back at Bakugo. "What is it that you want?"

"I'll tell you, so shut up and listen because I hate to repeat myself!" Bakugo tells him of the plan, what he is expected to do, and what will happen after they get out.

Shoji listened intently to every word. "I see. If you never said Prince Shouto's name, I wouldn't have believed you and taken you for a spy," he says, unfazed by Bakugo's scowling, angry face.

"You're an ass," Bakugo hisses at him. "Are you doing this or not? I don't give a shit if you all rot in here!"

"No need for foul language," Shoji says calmly. "I think it's a solid plan, and while it may take some convincing to the others, I assure you that we will be ready to leave as soon as you say."

"Good," Bakugo stands back up. "I won't hesitate to leave anyone behind if they panic. When we move, we move fast. Got it?"

Shoji nods. "Yes. Everyone will be ready. And tell the others 'thank you' for us. We appreciate their aid."

"Fine. Just don't fuck anything up. There's no room for failure."

Izuku is running out of time. He can feel it in his blood. The dreaded heat cycle of his kind, which he is starting to believe is more of a curse, has been bubbling its way to the surface. His body's been uncomfortable since his moment with Bakugo when they touched. Izuku rolls back and forth on the bed, feeling restless and tired all at once. As if being trapped in this room isn't enough, he has to be suffering as well. Hopefully, the others are getting everything into place and they can leave.

'Please...please hold out until we escape,' Izuku continues begging to himself while still rolling on the bed and never heard the door to the room open. 'Stupid body! How I wish I were born anything but omega!' he can feel himself growing frustrated, ready to let out a holler of rage when something in the room instantly stops him from doing so. His eyes widen while his antennas twerk and twitch. 'Is that Dabi? No. It feels nothing like Dabi. It's not Bakugo or Iida, either.' Whatever it is, it's behind him, making hundreds of little clicking noises along the floor.

Izuku knows then who it is, but whispers out, "W-Who's there?" He can't bring himself to turn around to look at the Centipede King.

"Oh, you heard me," Tomura says with a small, breathy chuckle. "I just happened to be going by when I heard sounds of your distress and came to...see how you are faring."

Izuku was grateful for the covers shielding his trembling body. "I'm well, thank you. You can leave now."

"Well, now that's rude," Tomura says. "You are a guest in my home. I own everything around you,"

Izuku feels the weight of Tomura on the bed and thinks the gamma is sitting on the edge. It's not Tomura's humanoid body, though. It's the long centipede part. Izuku almost jumps out of his skin when he feels the pointy legs touching his body from beneath the covers. Bottom lip trembling, Izuku looks down and sees the top sheet lifting up and down with the back antennas. The Vespa part of him wants to release his stinger and just stab the flesh awkwardly caressing his own. But any sudden, rash movements may affect their plan, so Izuku lays very still, waiting to see what Tomura will do next.

"It's a shame your alpha mate is not here to care for you right now,"

'Alpha mate,' Izuku repeats to himself. 'I have no alpha mate,' but an image of Bakugo appears in his mind, then he remembers Bakugo's touch, the plan, and how powerless he feels with not able to bring more help to aid the others. Bakugo has his plan, Iida has his, and Izuku only has to seduce or poison Dabi. There is no honor in poisoning, and even less in seduction.

Tomura's lower half creeps up along the length of Izuku's body, stopping at his shoulders. 'Think, Izuku! Think! How can you get out of this? Think! Think! Think!' the tip of the back antenna slips out from under the sheet and strokes his cheek. Unable to help himself, Izuku yelps and leaps from the bed in a flash, flying up to hover over Tomura. The Centipede King looks up at him with a crazed smirk.

"Leave my room," Izuku commands of him. "You don't belong in here when my mate is not present!" 'That's it, Izuku! Turn them against each other! Now is your chance!' "Dabi said we are going to leave and we'll have our own place together,"

"Oh, did he now?" Tomura's smirk fades to a frown. "And just where does he think you will go? To the Valley?" The smirk returns. "Foolish little Cherry Bee. He will take you further into the darkness of the Wastelands!"

"No. I will welcome him into the Valley as my mate," Izuku lies to Tomura. "But only Dabi."

Tomura's eyes turn dark and dangerous as he rears himself up towards Izuku on his centipede half. Izuku darts backward and away from Tomura's approach, but he hits the wall, and suddenly, he can't move. 'Oh no! The webbing!' Izuku grips his teeth as he tries to pull his body off of the webs but only succeeds in becoming tangled further. 'No! Damn it!'

"Oh, dear me...you seem to be a little stuck," Tomura laughs at him.

Izuku ceases in struggling to analyze the situation he's in. Currently, he is safe from Tomura because he is stuck up high where the centipede can't reach, and even if he tries, Tomura risks becoming stuck as well. As bad as it is, Izuku is actually safe from Tomura's touch.

"You look so sweet up there, all tangle and helpless..."

"Dabi will help me down. Please summon him,"

"I can get you down too,"

"But I want my mate,"

Tomura stares manically at him. "Don't go thinking yourself so high and mighty, little Cherry Bee. You're nothing but a breeding ground for hybrid children."

"That's not what Dabi says,"

"Then he is lying to you,"

"What's going on in here?"

Izuku turns to see that Dabi has entered, looking from both him and Tomura.

"Why is he in the web?" Dabi demands Tomura answer.

"He flew into it himself," Tomura answers.

"And why would he do that?" Dabi questions. "I doubt he would be up there, stuck to the web, if you hadn't been in our room."

"This is MY room," Tomura reminds him. "Everything in this place belongs to me!"

"Yes, as you like to remind me," Dabi sets all eight eyes on Izuku. "What happened in here, wife?"

"I was resting in bed when he came in and...he touched me."

Dabi, face showing no expression, looks to Tomura. "You can't be touching my mate,"

Tomura laughs at him. "If you had been in here doing your damn job, I wouldn't have had to come in. The Cherry Bee is very close to his heat. If you can't do it, then I can in your place."

'That's it! Go at each other!' Izuku says to himself, then shouts 'no' at Tomura.

Tomura hisses at him. "SHUT UP!"

"He is married to me, and I am the alpha here, AND I am acting on the Master's command,"

Izuku watches as Tomura backs down at the mention of the 'master.'

"Stay out of our room," Dabi tells Tomura. "And keep your creepy-crawly scrawny legs off of my mate. I'm done with this conversation. Now leave."

"I am the king! You do not command me!" Tomura races up to Dabi and rears up to hover over him. Dabi isn't fazed and stands calmly, humanoid hands in his coat pockets.

"But the Master commands you, and you have your orders. I told you to leave. Now go!"

Izuku surprised that Tomura did not put up more of a fight but did as Dabi commanded. He flinches when Dabi slams and locks the door

"Now I have to get you down from there,"

"Yes, please help me down," Izuku watches as Dabi's spider legs climb up the wall without getting stuck on webs. He tries not to tremble when all eight legs sound him accompanied by eye glowing blue eyes. It's an awkward situation to be in. "Please, I want to get down," Why isn't Dabi helping him? Or answering him? He fears what Dabi will do while being so close with his heat nearing its peak. When Dabi leans his face towards Izuku's, he quickly turns away. "Please, get me down." He says again.

"Maybe I like you up here, stuck and helpless, when so close to your heat,"

Izuku's eyes widen and he hopes that doesn't mean what he thinks it means.

"You look good enough to eat,"

'He's getting turned on! I can sense it!' Izuku needs to get himself out of this situation.

"A bit of this antenna is already gone," Dabi flicks at the scabbed tip, then leans forward to lick it. "You don't need two."

"NO! STOP IT!" Before Dabi could bite, Izuku does first, releasing his mandibles. However, he misses when he strikes for Dabi's throat. Dabi's mandibles were not out, so Izuku quickly retracts his. "I...I'm sorry! I-"

"Did you really think I was going to eat you?"

"Dabi...a lot has happened to me in the last hour and...and I'm very jumpy right now. If you want everything to go over well...if you want me to breed properly...y-you can't have me stressed. You said so yourself. I won't give you strong offspring if I'm too stressed." Saying the words made him feel sick to his stomach.

Dabi smiles. "Oh, I understand. Being so close to your heat makes you a little crazy and sensitive. I suppose you want me to make it 'special?'"

'Special?' Izuku sees the chance to use the sleeping potion, or poison, or whatever it is, when Dabi isn't on guard. "Yes, make it special. If you want to come to the Valley, you have to show me that you can...be a good person."

Dabi raises a dark brow. "The Valley? You would willingly take me to the Valley as your mate?"

"I made a vow, and I never break my promises. I can't live in this dark place any longer. I want to return to the Valley, and you can come with me."

Dabi is silent for a moment, then says, "You're lying."

"What reason would I have to lie?"

"Your heat is making you think this way," Dabi says. "But that's alright. I'll play along with your omega senses." Dabi quickly and easily cuts the webbing from Izuku, freeing him. "As you said, I can't stress you out. So, we'll have a special night. Just the two of us, when your heat hits,"

Izuku lands on the floor as Dabi crawls down from the wall.

"Late tonight," Izuku offers. "When King Tomura is asleep. He might barge in."

Dabi thinks for a moment. "I suppose you're right. Then I will have a...special evening prepared. An alpha can set off an omega's heat early."

Izuku nods. "I know."

Dabi tilts his head slightly. "You're being very...compliant all of a sudden."

"My heat," Izuku lies. "It weakens my resolve to think and act. It...makes me a slave to an alpha."

Dabi nods. "I understand. That's perfect, then. I'll have the night prepared, at the latest time, when Tomura is asleep."

"Yes...when he is asleep." 'And you will be, too.'

Iida rushes down to the mines after his visit with Izuku to tell Bakugo that the plan is going to happen sooner than later. He asks around for Bakugo, and one of the guard's points to the area of the Pit. Iida swallows his dread of the place and approaches the room where he spots Bakugo hovering over the Pit with a torch. Iida can hear the squealing and cries of the beasts below.

"Bakugo!" Iida calls his name and waves the hornet over. "I have news,"

"What is it?"

Iida leans in to whisper. "Izuku is too close to his heat, so he needs to strike tonight. Dabi is having a special dinner with him where Izuku will plant the sleeping poison in Dabi's food or drink. It will be late tonight when Tomura is asleep."

Bakugo nods. "Good. Tell Izuku to remain with Dabi to make sure he keeps sleeping. When you're certain you are ready and have the key to free All Might, go and get Izuku first. I'll get the others up and out."

"And tell them to head east, towards the dawn," Iida says. "The treetops point in the direction of the sun. That is what we will follow, and the sound of the locus. I will tell our firefly to send the message to Shouto to be ready."

Bakugo smirks and licks his lips. "Let's get this shit underway!"

"But what if we're caught?" Uraraka asks Shoji.

"So long as everyone cooperates, we should be able to escape without much issue," Shoji tells her. "There will be Prince Shouto and General Bakugo's soldiers posted throughout the Wastelands to help us."

"Which way do we go when we leave?" Jiro asks.

"East. Towards the sun," Shoji says. "We follow General Bakugo first. I'm assuming he will be our first line of defense should we encounter anything that may hinder our escape. The most important thing for all of us to do is to keep running. We follow the sun and the sound of the locus," He turns to Momo. "I think you should be in front, Momo. I'll bring up the rear, with General Bakugo flying overhead. During our escape, we'll have All Might with us as well."

Momo nods. "We will keep All Might in the middle," She, like the others, are aware of All Might's condition. "I suggest we move in a single file."

"But what about Tokoyami?" Uraraka looks to the luna moth curled up against Shoji.

"I'll be fine," Tokoyami responds, though his fever has gotten worse and he's had to depend on Shoji to keep him standing.

"I'll carry him," Shoji says. "We must do all we can to help Izuku and Bakugo. I know it's going to be a challenge, but we should all use our strengths," he looks at Jiro, "Or find them again, so we can help if needed."

"Yes. We don't want to prove more of a burden than we already are," Momo says. "I'm trained in the sword. When we begin our escape, I'll take one from the guards and I'll be our front line of defense."

"Good idea, Momo!" Uraraka says happily. "We're finally going to get out of here! After all this time! We can see the sun again!"

"We're not out of the dark yet," Jiro reminds her. "We need to think of a plan should we get caught."

"We won't get caught," Uraraka assures her. "We'll have enough help in getting away. It's like Shoji says; we just have to pull our strengths together to make it!"

"This is our only chance to escape," Shoji says. "We may never get another chance, and we will likely die before that chance comes. General Bakugo is insistent that, if anyone falls behind, they will stay behind. We need to pull together. It's now, or never."

Izuku sits on the edge of the bed, staring down at his choice of clothing for the 'special evening.' To look seductive, he has to show more skin, so he decided on just an open vest and loose-fitting pants. His stomach twisted and ached with nerves as well as the building of his heat. In a few moments, Dabi will enter the room with a 'special' dinner for their 'special' evening. Everything depends on the sleeping poison. Izuku has it tucked in the back of the chair at the table where they will sit to eat. He'll need to wait for an opening to sneak the poison into Dabi's drink. But what if it fails?

'No, I can't think that way. It won't fail! I have to do this, for All Might and the others!'

"Good evening, wife," it's Dabi.

Izuku looks to the door with wide eyes and manages a small smile. "G-Good evening,"

Dabi sniffs the air as he walks in with a large tray of food and wine. "You smell sweet and ripe, like a plump little cherry."

Izuku forced himself to chuckle at the joke. "I am a Cherry Bee," 'Stupid thing to say,' Izuku thinks.

"I see you're dressed for the evening?" Dabi places the tray on the table.

"Did you want me to dress another way?" Izuku asks.

"Naked, maybe?"

Izuku hesitated for a moment, debating whether he should do as Dabi suggested or insist he keep his clothes on. His goal is to lure Dabi into a weakened state of mind, giving him a false sense of security. It wouldn't be much longer that he will have to endure Dabi's requests, so Izuku built up the courage to slide the vest from his torso.

"That's good enough," Dabi says from the table. "I didn't think you would actually do it. I suppose you really are witless when you're in heat."

Izuku knows it to be true, though at this moment, he still has his wits about him. His body throbs with a dull, constant ache that won't cease until his heat hits full on. As he takes his place at the table, Izuku studies the food, looking for the easiest item to plant the sleeping poison on, or in. Nothing but the wine is suitable. Somehow, he has to get Dabi away from the table for a few moments so he can slip it in.

"Still so nervous around me," Dabi states flatly. "You make me feel like a terrible person. Am I really that bad?"

'Yes.' "I'm uncomfortable with all of this and I'm trying to get used to it. I want to be a good mate, and if this marriage is to work, I need to push through my insecurities."

Dabi lifts the pitcher from the tray. "Perhaps some strong wine to help ease your nerves?"

"Yes, please." Izuku holds out his cup as Dabi pours the red liquid. He brings the cup to his lip, but frowns on the rim when he sees that Dabi isn't pouring himself any wine. "Are you not drinking the wine?"

Dabi picks a piece of meat off the tray. "I'm not really interested in wine tonight," he answers. "I'm hungry, not thirsty."

'Think, Izuku! Think!' "I don't want to be the only one drinking…"

Dabi smiles flatly at him. "How cute. You feel self-conscience? I suppose a glass or two will not hurt. Anything to ease my 'mate' into their heat."

Izuku lets out an inwardly sigh of relief as Dabi pours himself wine. He won't touch the meat but eats the nuts and sweet treats. Izuku doesn't want to know, or wonder, what the meat is or where it came from. That, he thinks, is a fact that he does not need to know in life. Dabi talks on about the plans he has for when they live in the Valley, and Izuku plays along. Time is running short. He needs to get Dabi to ingest the poison. Izuku tries to think of a distraction while still pretending to listen to Dabi's talk.

And, oddly enough, his heat was not coming on as fast as Izuku thought it would being so close to an alpha. Bakugo must have been right. If Bakugo were here, Izuku's certain he'd go into heat. But he doesn't desire Dabi at all, so there is no need to worry about that any longer. It would have happened by now. 'Good.' Izuku thinks to himself. 'Now…to get to that wine cup…'

"I'm thirsty," Izuku says after Dabi finishes a sentence.

"You have wine,"

"No. My heat is making me thirsty now. I'm a little hot. I would like some water, please."

Dabi rolls all eight eyes. "Water is rare here. We haven't had a rain storm in a long while."

"But you do have some stashed away?"

"We do," he sighs and rubs his forehead. "I suppose you want to me to get that for you, too?"

Izuku manages a small smile. "Please, husband?" The smile worked. Dabi gets up to go to the door, calling for a servant. Izuku takes this chance to get the poison and pour the contents into the wine. 'Success!' He stashes the tiny empty bottle back in its place just as Dabi comes back to the table.

"Your water will be here shortly," Dabi tells him.

"Thank you, husband," Izuku holds up his cup. "We should toast to this night. To changes in the world. To leaving Graventhorn. To living in the Valley," he holds his cup out towards Dabi. "To our marriage opening up to changes for the greater good."

Dabi looks at Izuku, studying the Cherry Bee's face before slowly lifting his cup. "You really wish for something good to come of this marriage?"

"I want to see changes," Izuku tells him. "You can help me make these changes. So, a toast to us. Yes?"

Dabi smirks and taps his cup to Izuku's. "To us, the new power couple." Dabi takes a heavy gulp of the wine.

Izuku gulps his as well. "A power couple of the new world," his smile brightens at his success. "I like that thought." 'Iida says it works fast. He should be getting sleepy very soon.' "Are you ready to go to the bed?" Izuku offers, feeling confident now that Dabi took the poison.

"I am a little weary," Dabi says. "I would like to lay down."

Izuku doesn't want to help Dabi too much because it might look suspicious. He goes to the bed on his own and waits for Dabi to approach. Dabi stumbles a bit when he stands up. "It must be my heat affecting you," Izuku offers.

"Must be," Dabi makes his way to the bed and sits beside Izuku.

"Lay down with me,"

"Yeah."

Izuku can see all of Dabi's eyes becoming heavy. He helps the alpha lay back on the bed and rests beside him. Izuku is anxiously waiting for Dabi to fall asleep. They are so close. The timing will be just right. He keeps smiling at Dabi, whose eyelids are drooping close. 'Almost there. Keep playing the role!' "I'm ready for you to mount me."

"I will…in just a moment," Dabi's eyes all shut and his breathing becomes slow and steady.

Izuku stares at him, wanting to make sure he is asleep before attempting to get up. After a few moments, he carefully slips from the bed. Dabi doesn't move. All the alpha's limbs and legs are limp with sleep. Perfect. Izuku quickly puts on his clothes, grinning from ear-to-ear. His plan worked! 'Now, to get to Bakugo, All Might, and the others!'

"Leaving so soon, wife?"

Izuku feels the world come crumbling down around him as Dabi's chilling, steady voice stills his blood and freezes his heart.

TBC in The Escape Part 2