I miss the kiss of treachery – Robert Smith The Cure "Disintegration."

-Izuku-

He awoke early, restless and with a longing. He was in his cage, but he wanted her. He needed her. It was not comforting; she had turned him over. He understood he indeed did, but that very act should have been enough, but it wasn't. I was a burning ache, an addiction that couldn't or wouldn't be satisfied by any other.

Was it the sex? Was it her voice? He tried to place his finger on it and decipher the mystery of his desire for Himiko Toga. It was consuming, he had asked for her yesterday, but he wasn't sure if they would bring her so soon. Thoughts of escape formed; he would be in the same spot again. Nezu wanted him to be his monster—a gilded cage for now. A promise of freedom, a promise that he questioned would ever really be his. When the rap at the door announced the security detail, he walked over to the designated area and placed his hand on the wall.

The door opened, and in walked Midnight, Vlad King, mirrored sunglasses, and all; he could smell the fear coming off Midnight. She was afraid of him; Vlad King was wary but not afraid. He saw the shackles in their hands, and silently he laughed; he could yank those glasses right off their faces, the bonds would prove inconvenient, but they could be broken with enough effort, but let them have their comforts as false as they were.

"We are going to take you to the medical wing for a full evaluation; you will then attend your first counseling session, lunch with Himiko, then you will be taken to the training ground theta for evaluation," Vlad said.

"Want to see what I can do when not in beast form?"

"Something like that."

"Don't you already have enough data on that? My first scrape at the dockyard was in my normal form. So was our first encounter Vlad."

"You were different when we fought; I don't think it would be the same. Now will you allow us to shackle you?"

"Sticks and stones may break my bones…but whips and chains excite me," he said, submitting to them binding him. Midnight shuddered some; she was uncomfortable around him, and he scared her, but he also seemed to permeate her mind at times.

The shackles covered his hands thoroughly, the chain ran around his waist to a set of ankle shackles, and a metal mask and collar were placed around his mouth. He was looking every more at the part of the monster; he was escorted out into the daylight. The same armed guards ringed him as they moved, keeping a measured distance from him, weapons in their hands; he noticed a few of them had guns. Interesting

They would walk and stop them from moving again; this process repeated once they entered the school. Izuku could piece together that they avoided coming into contact with other students. A small laugh escaped his lips.

"Something funny?" Midnight asked from behind him.

"I feel like the school's dirty little whore being moved like this. You are stopping to make sure no one else sees me. I take it lunch will not be in the cafeteria."

"No, it will not. We are just taking precautions for your sake."

"Liar, you are doing it for the school's sake. You would have to answer too many questions if people saw me. And all the security."

The rest of the trip was in silence as they entered the medical wing; the room was metal and not inviting. Looking at the cold metal table in the center, he had a momentary flashback to his creation; he wasn't aware of the growl that escaped his throat, causing his handlers to go on high alert.

"Are you ok, Mr. Midoriya?" Nezu's voice rang out over the speakers.

"Not fond of the room; it brings back unpleasant memories, but I will participate."

Carefully his handlers moved him to the table, removing his shackles and having him strip down to his underwear before having him lay on the table, where they re-secured him.

"Is this how I am supposed to trust you, Nezu," shackles and restraints. "I thought you wanted to give me a chance to be a hero."

"Now, Mr. Midoriya, trust must be earned; being cooperative will allow the staff to be accustomed to your presence, and once they know they are safe, we can begin to allow more freedom. Their only dealing with you was when the beast had emerged, and the experience was more than enough to leave an everlasting impression. Changing minds takes time; they must know you and not that beast. Tolerate what I ask of you, and I will reward you; as your father, it is my job to see you turn from the path you were on to the path I think you should be." Nezu responded.

"As you wish, Father." As the final restraint was put in place, he looked at Midnight, who was double-checking the bond. "Should you be leather when you strap me to a bed?"

"Only if you have been naughty, have you been naughty, Mr. Midoriya?" the rated R heroine quipped back.

"Very naughty, Mistress Midnight, oh so naughty." He replied, eyeing her suggestively.

Midnight was about to respond, but she walked out, saying the restraints were secure. The door opened, and All-Might, Recovery Girl, and Aizawa walked in.

"Mr. Aizawa is here strictly as an expert in your… condition Mr. Midoriya."

"Works for me, hello All-Might."

"Young Midoriya." The pro responded. "I want you to know that I am against the treatment you are receiving and that I believe that you should not be treated as a monster."

"That's because you are an idiot," Aizawa added.

"And you are prejudiced," All-Might bit back. "Young Midoriya is a victim; society and even I failed him; he has been made into something against his will, and you treat him as nothing more than a representation of your anger."

"Watch your tongue," Aizawa growled.

"Or what?" All-Might said, "Are you going to try and attack me? Care to guess how that will go for you? Are you going to try and kill him again? Poison, fire, wooden stakes, silver weapons, and when the beast emerges, what then, Aizawa, whom will you sacrifice on your alter of rage, President Mic, Endeavor, Mirko, Velocity, or do you plan to turn him over to the commission so they can make him what you say he is."

"It wasn't your wife that died."

"And it wasn't Young Midoriya that did it; the Lord of Blood is dead, his daughter is dead, his sons are dead, and all that lives is his last victim. You call for logical and logical actions, expelling more students than any other simply because they don't meet whatever standard you set forth. Do you also blame the murder victim for being murdered or the kidnap victim for being kidnapped? What will satiate you in this beyond his absolute demise for being turned into something he didn't ask for?"

"You have no idea…"

"And you have no idea what burdens I have born, what I have sacrificed, what I have forsaken, so you watch your mouth before we play 32 pickups. Don't let the smile fool you, Aizawa, that's for the public, and we are not in public." A menace rarely seen radiated from All-Might. Aizawa said nothing.

Recovery Girl took her cue to step toward Izuku. "Now, do you prefer Mr. Midoriya or Izuku?"

"You can call me whatever you want as long as I can get the autograph of The Youthful Heroine: Recovery Girl." He responded.

"You know who I am?"

"Sure do; I was quite the fan of heroes before my incident."

"Do you mind if I exam you then Izuku?"

"Not really," he responded.

"How did you come to be like you are?"

"I don't know," he began before recanting his "transformation" in as much detail as he could provide.

"Why did you worship your tormentor so?"

"His blood, you have no idea the taste or feeling it gave. Imagine the most sublime thing, and it was that; it took over; it was the only release in all the pain of my transformation; when the blood would hit my tongue, the pain went away I could rest. I was awake for almost all of it; they wouldn't let me pass out; when I closed my eyes, they removed my eyelids. After enough pain, you will latch onto any form of salvation put before you; I saw my chest cavity open and bare to the world. Slavery afterward wasn't so bad."

"Why did you fight to protect him?"

"I had to. I loved him, it, but I rebelled."

"How so?" Aizawa said.

"He sent me to kill a woman who had overheard something she shouldn't have; I approached her and was in a position to do so but let her go; she was a good person. I implanted the command for her to fill a report about the lord of blood. Then right before the attack, I was supposed to kill the man in the shop, but I gave him the address of the Lord of Blood."

"Why?" Aizawa pressed.

"I don't know; it wasn't conscious at the time; it was like a part of me was hiding in my mind trying to fight back; it wasn't till you killed him that I was free. I missed him because I felt like I loved him, but I was thankful he and Agatha died. Do you understand what that is like to love someone who did such horrible things to you because of a sweet release?

"The men in the apartment building?"

"They were raping and beating a quirkless woman, and I couldn't allow that, and I needed blood."

"The people in the fighting pit?"

"Beast."

"The ranger?"

"I just took a little bit; she was fine. As cold as this sounds, I need more blood than food. I cannot survive without it, especially if I don't know, running for my life."

"The police officers?"

"Running for my fucking life and they lived, I could have just killed them, the same with the pros. At the time, my alternatives were OR DEATH. I didn't kill anyone, I regret; if that is your wondering, or is there some point at which you are getting? You point to all these things, but I was running on instinct, trying to find a way to live. Did you ever say why don't we talk and see if we can understand?"

"Would you have?"

"We will never know."

Recovery Girl finished all her exams before they left the room, and Izuku's guards returned after he was dressed; he was taken to his first psychiatrist appointment.

-Results-

"What are you able to ascertain?" Nezu asked.

"The Lord of Blood is Dr. Frankenstein, and the boy is his monster. The boy's muscles are layered and reinforced; his bones are denser and laced with something. His chest cavity has been reinforced to insane levels; there are organs there that I have no idea what they do or their functions."

"Can you figure out how to kill him?" Aizawa chimed in.

"If I could, I wouldn't tell you without good reason; yes, he committed some crimes, but he is also a victim. You know that no jury would convict after hearing what he went through. They may lock him in an asylum for a bit, but I am sure he could talk his way out."

"He is a threat," Aizawa said with an exasperated tone.

"Of course, he is, you idiot," Recovery Girl said. "he is a threat for several reasons; we have no idea what his physical limits or capabilities are exactly in this form. They are lesser than his other form, but from all the reports, he can pull off some rather dangerous and extraordinary feats. Same as someone with a dangerous quirk. His bloodlust seems to be under control unless his reserves run low, but that is not any different from those with blood quirks."

"Do all of you not understand his threat to everyone around him."

"I do; I saw what he was about to do to all of you before I arrived," All-Might said. "Can the beast be harnessed? Can it be controlled and kept inside? If so, what potential does Izuku Midoriya have, Aizawa?"

"You can't be serious?"

"No, take away everything else. He walked into class on day one with all the offensive capabilities you know of, and later you find out he frenzies without adequate blood supply. Tell me."

Aizawa refused to answer.

"We train him to recognize the signs of losing control so he can better take care of himself and not be a threat to others; he would probably win all three years of the Sports Festival and be on his way to becoming a top hero, his looks and if he leaned into the Vampire part. Dark Broody, mysterious, would be on the fast track to the top ten." Nezu said.

"And when people die around him?"

"Was it his fault? Could he have prevented it? Could he have done something else? Does he regret it, or does he revel in it?" All-Might said. "Aizawa, just answer these questions."

"Ok."

"Are all the Vampires in the world dead?"

"No."

"Are there more of them all over the world that no one knows about and even ones possibly more powerful than the Lord of Blood?"

"Yes."

"Are there more things out there than Vampires?"

"Yes."

"How effective of a Hunter would Izuku be if trained properly?"

"That's…"

"Yes, it is," All-Might said. "Yes, he can be a terrifying destructive force if we allow him to continue down that road alone with no hope. Or he could be the thing that turns the tide of this secret war you have been waging, a hero."

"And when he fails?"

"What if he doesn't? And what if he does, you can't stop him, you can't kill him, your only hope is to starve him and hope he dies before the beast awakens to ensure that doesn't happen. The beast has only responded to life-and-death situations he would not have made it out of otherwise. When he fought Endeavor and Mirko, he didn't transform; he transformed when you cut his head off. He started to transform when you and Endeavor tried to kill him. Did you ever think it was a defense mechanism?"

"You are judging him due to his lineage. Would you do the same to a child of a villain that wanted to do good?" Nezu added. "If he is a monster as you claim, then he will show his true nature, and we will have no choice but to find a solution, but if he is what All-Might and I believe, then he deserves this chance."

"And when I am proven right?" Aizawa said.

"Then we will need to find a permanent solution, wouldn't we?" Nezu said as the room fell silent.

-Therapy-

"Mr. Midoriya, you need serious therapy; there is so much to unpack. For your sake, we will start with three sessions a week, and I want you also to journal your thoughts. For us to discuss. The fact that you even have a remote desire to enter the world of heroics for any reason is astonishing."

"Yeah, I am pretty fucked up."

"Self-awareness of your mental situation is a positive step; most are unaware of or have willful blind ignorance to their need for help. I am concerned about this desire you have to be reunited with Himiko Toga. From what I have been informed, your time together seems like the beginning of an unhealthy codependency."

"Everyone else I know fears me, has tried to kill me, used me as a sex toy, or is dead."

"Yet Ms. Toga betrayed you."

"Yes, she did for survival, that I understand."

"Your acceptance of betrayal is concerning."

"I had accepted my fate at that point, and if the only person who showed the most remote bit of kindness could survive by my surrender, I was willing to allow to have my existence mean something."

"Your existence does mean something."

"At the time, there were no other options for me; we judge our existence and its worth by what we can accomplish with it; all I had waiting for me was death. This way, Himiko would at least be able to walk away."

-Lunch-

He entered the room, and she sat nervously at a metal table and chairs bolted to the floor. A yearning sprang forth as soon as their eyes locked upon each other. She sat as she was escorted in and secured to the chair. Once his mask was removed, the guards left the room.

"I want you," she whispered.

"As I do you, it's an ache." He replied.

"I am not allowed to touch you; if I do, they will end this."

"They are afraid we may be too dependent on each other."

"I don't get it myself."

"Are they treating you well?" he asked.

"Yes, I have a safe place to stay; they give me more than enough blood. The lack of it was a trigger to some of my episodes. Schoolwork is tedious, but it beats the streets. A second chance is not so bad, a little restrictive for my tastes, but I am not the one walking around in chains." She stopped as she shuddered; she felt a gentle touch against her thighs. "Please tell me that is you?"

"It is," he replied. "It's all a game, illusions of freedom. Essentially, you choose your cage."

Stifling a moan as the caressing continued. "I want to be locked in your cage."

"I wouldn't mind sharing one with you, but I have to prove to them I am not a monster."

"People throw that word around too loosely; they don't understand the weight it carries and the pain it causes. We are monsters because we need blood or because of what we have had to do to survive. It is too easy for those that have never been in our predicaments to judge."

"Those that live in glass houses?" he moved the touch to her back, tracing small circles.

"Do you hate me?" she asked with a hint of fear.

"No," he replied quickly. "If I hated you, I could kill you right here, and they couldn't stop me. Maybe they are afraid because we are willing to take steps they are not."

"No one wants to get their hand dirty."

"This world may never appreciate what we will do for it, but I don't care. I will know if you are willing, and so will you."

"Let's be heroes then, or at least we can monsters pretending to be heroes if we pretend hard enough."

"Maybe we will believe it."

-The cage-

All he could think about was lunch; at some point, they stopped talking and stared at each other; their longing for each other was unnatural. It was strange and, in some ways, disturbing, but he wouldn't change it, not right now. Maybe not ever.

He had to play the game to see, touch, and taste her again. They could play the game. After all, they could pretend that he was pretending already that he could control the beast, that he wasn't the monster.

"I'll pull out my heart, and I'll feed it to anyone.
Crying for comfort, crocodiles cry."

The Cure – Disintegration