The first thing Izuku decided to do after declaring war on this man, this system that was wronging him at every turn, was to keep everything close, and able to be moved at a moment's notice. His two drawers, which he could not even fill with everything he owned, got condensed to one, staying in the black plastic bag. The only travel gear he ever owned.
The second was to start checking books out of the library at school. Mr. Hama had indeed begun picking him up from school, and Izuku had learned quickly how to wrap the library books so they looked like all the other textbooks he brought home with him with construction paper, as paper bags were not something he had access to.
Then he learned how to become more thrifty at school. If Mr. Hama was going to be so obsessive about his time at the house and how he gets to and from school, Izuku was going to make the most of the time he had away from the man. It got easier to find things he could use, but with so little storage space, and with Mr. Hama going through his backpack every day before driving away from school, he only got ideas for most things he saw in the trash or left lying around. He did take a package of thrown away hair pins, which became his absolute favorite personal belonging. They were great makeshift lock picks he could use on his cuffs at home, and easy to hide in his own hair. Mr. Hama did not ask questions the day he came home with his hair pinned back, claiming classmates had decided to play with his hair. He seemed even less suspicious when Izuku continued to wear them to avoid suspicion, now claiming he just liked having his unruly hair pinned back.
Hyper vigilance became second nature to Izuku in school, and at Mr. Hama's as well. If he was going to enact his war and claim his freedom, he needed to know the man's patterns. Late into the night Izuku would read, listening to the house around him. It was hard to hear things downstairs when his door was always shut, but the man never came upstairs after 9pm, and Izuku knew better than to not make a mental note. That was when he could really start doing things.
It took nearly two weeks for Izuku to figure out how to actually pick the lock on his cuffs, trail and error teaching him many different ways it did not work before he finally accomplished it. In the meantime, he made sure to learn as much as he could from the books he got from the school library. There were no real books on how to survive being homeless, but there were more traditional survival books that the school thought teenagers might be interested in. What plants were edible if you were stranded in the forest, or on the mountains, or on a deserted island. What plants to steer away from. Izuku doubted he needed to know how to deal with a wild bear, but the books did not tell you what to do about the creatures that roamed city streets, and play dead was better advice than nothing he figured. He also started to learn to meditate, to calm himself down by calming down his mind, and one particularly interesting book about learning to read people better and body language cues. He spent more time learning his chosen subjects than he did doing any actual school work that whole time.
The night he got the lock to release Izuku celebrated with a little punch in the air with his newly freed arm, and a grin. It was hard not to actually cheer at his success, but Izuku had learned quickly that it was in his best interest to be quiet. He cut his own celebration short as he lowered his arm and grabbed his full garbage bag. He was off the bed as quickly as he could be, the furniture itself representing nothing but a prison to him now and moved to the window. Taking a moment to listen to his surroundings, making sure Mr. Hama was not nearby as much as he could from the second floor, Izuku started opening it slowly, as quietly as he could. Once it was opened enough that he could slip out the boy squeezed himself through to stand on the roof.
The green haired child, his dark hair blending in with the night, looked down over the edge of the roof. He had already planned the best way to do this, but the height still gave him pause. In no way was he eager to make a mistake and end up with a broken bone.
Taking a calming breath, Izuku watched as his bag dropped to the ground below, the soft clothing landing below him silently and then he was moving towards the front of the house.
The bag of clothing fell first as he released it over the side of the roof. Nothing within it was breakable, and it was not as if he could climb down from this height while holding it. Once it landed on the grass below, Izuku crouched on the roof to listen and ensure Mr. Hama was not coming to check on him. He deemed the coast to be clear after a few minutes of hearing nothing, and decided the easiest way to the ground was to move to the front door way where pillars framed the porch. Those would be easy enough to climb down.
Freedom accomplished, his feet firmly planted on the ground, Izuku ran. He grabbed his bag as he passed by it and was gone. His own common sense told him he could not sleep between the dumpsters again, not now that he had been found there by the police. It took time, a lot of searching through alleys, behind restaurants, anywhere he could think of, before eventually Izuku found a little alcove cut out of a fence in a small back alley. There was some tubing sticking out of the ground, some type of… something, it did not even matter what it was to him. It was big and bulky, and it made a perfect place to hide and sleep.
Izuku did not go to school the rest of that week, knowing the police were looking for him. If they found him he would be returned to Mr. Hama, and that was not an option Izuku would either entertain or allow.
Instead, Izuku got himself more accustomed with living in the little alcove he made into some semblance of a home. Or at least a place to live. His clothing, the few articles he owned, he wore in layers. The nights were getting colder as October began so the extra warmth was appreciated. Besides, Izuku figured it was impossible to steal what he was currently wearing.
The first time Izuku stole something it was a blanket from a large convenience store to keep himself warm at night. He hated doing it, it felt wrong and he knew it was not something a hero would do, but the weather was only going to get colder and self preservation told him he needed to survive this path he had chosen.
Trash bins and dumpsters behind restaurants proved to be a convenient way to get food. He did not see how this type of theft could hurt anyone, so Izuku felt less bad about finding food this way than he did about stealing from the stores. Half eaten food was good enough for him if it kept him alive.
The alcove he found was far enough away from his own school, but a different elementary school was still nearby, which made it easier to stay clean and take care of himself as much as he could. No one really questioned another child wandering through the school that looked the same age as all the other students there, making showering and cleaning his clothes easy enough during the day. He could use the bathroom there too when he needed, and he found a small restaurant that let him to use theirs once school was out for the day.
By the end of the week things seemed to be coming together for Izuku. He had found a rhythm that worked and his little alcove home was safer to him than any roof he'd had over his head recently. So, naturally, that was when things fell apart.
Izuku was walking back to his little makeshift home from the restaurant when a hero spotted a child that was supposed to be in school while doing his rounds. As he was about to turn down the alley leading to his little home a large, colorful man stepped in his way, preventing him from going further. Looking up, Izuku recognized the Colorful Hero: Spectrum. His quirk was flashy and colorful, and Izuku liked that he was able to use the blinding colors his hands radiated to subdue people instead of fighting when he was able to. He especially liked the green that helped people move faster for a short period of time, it reminded the child of his hair and his eyes. So, Izuku smiled at the man in front of him, trusting him in a way he trusted no one else. Spectrum was a hero, and he could trust a hero not to hurt him.
Or so he thought.
In many ways, Spectrum did the right thing in what he did next. It was what the system called for when it came to children on the streets, what heroes were meant to do when they were concerned but no villains were around to hurt them. He did not do anything to intentionally be hurtful to Izuku, but to the small, green-haired child being brought to the police station was the ultimate betrayal. Especially when the one leading him there was a hero, someone that was meant to protect the hurt and abused, someone that should have been able to stop and listen to him instead of just turning him in like a common criminal.
As soon as he saw the station come into view Izuku knew where they were going, and he was not having it. Pulling his hand away from the hero's, Izuku moved away from him quickly. "No."
"No?" the colorfully costumed man repeated, confused.
"I'm not going there!" Izuku shook his head, determinedly as he stepped back, away from the offending building.
"To the police station?" The hero stared at him in shock, not understanding.
"Exactly, yes! There. I am not going there!"
Spectrum stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the police station at a loss. It was not normal to have this kind of aversion to the police, it was less normal for children especially. A range of thoughts ran through the hero's mind, but they all mostly boiled down to whether or not this kid could be a villain of some sort. So many thoughts, none of them good, all of them leading him to the realization that he had to follow through now. In no way could this literal child continue to live on the streets in squalor, and even though he had entertained the thought that maybe this was just a small adult or something equally as silly, the wide eyed wonder and innocence that had not been jaded form the kid's face told him otherwise. He was a hero, he had to do something for this kid, and it broke his heart to think that somewhere someone was concerned about him. His mind made up, Spectrum turned to the kid again, because if anyone could help him find this child's guardian it would be the police.
Spectrum noticed the child retreating from the steps, so he did the first thing he could think of and threw his quirk out at the child, a searing red light radiating from his palm to encase him. Spectrum appreciated how mellow his quirk could be at times like this, the red light immobilizing the green haired child without causing any physical har, preventing him from moving any further away than he already had.
Izuku froze where he had begun to step back again, just as he was about to turn and run. Spectrum's red light forced everything in its rays to stop completely, and with everything in his vision being turned a shade of red Izuku had to admit he was stuck. As the light around him faded to blue, slowing him down, and Spectrum grabbed his wrist, pulling him n the direction he wanted him to walk, Izuku realized that he had been wrong. Spectrum's blue light stripped his autonomy from him, and forced him to follow the direction he was led in in a cold sluggish way, and Izuku had to admit that being brought to the police station was not the ultimate betrayal he had thought. No, it was the utter willful ignorance of the hero Izuku had looked up to mere moments before, the disinterest and unwillingness to listen to his point of view, or his thoughts or problems or wishes that was the complete destruction of Izuku's faith in heroes as he was forced into the police station. If this was what heroes do, send children back to hell without any chance to defend themselves, or to explain themselves in any way, he was done with all of this society. He felt the eyes on him as Spectrum kept his seated in the lobby while they made a few calls. Fresh tears fell as he awaited his fate.
Mr. Hama showed up almost immediately after he was called, shaking Spectrum's hand and thanking him for finding his 'ward'. Izuku's stomach dropped at the cruel smile the man assigned as his guardian gave him when the hero's back was turned. There was no one he could trust.
"I have to commend you," Mr. Hama told him as he drove them back to his house, "you're the first kid in a while that has managed to escape from me. Therefore, I have introduced a few changes to your living siltuation to prevent a third escape."
Those words sent a chill down Izuku's spine as he slunk down in his seat. He worried his lip as his thoughts swirled in his mind, but he forced himself to focus as Mr. Hama continued. He needed to know how much worse things would be before he could assess his own next steps. Apparently, his room now had bars on the window, and Mr. Hama made a point of mentioning that he had not had to have those installed in a few years, seeming to think Izuku should be proud of himself for accomplishing that. All Izuku felt was nauseous knowing his hell was becoming even more prison-like than it had been before, denying him even a proper view from the bed he was going to be chained to again.
The next thing he learned was that Mr. Hama had taken it upon himself to enroll Izuku into homeschooling courses, so now there was no need for him to leave the house, meaning no more chance to just not make it home again. This news did disturb the child for a moment, but if there was one thing the man in the driver's seat did not understand, either willfully or not, was that Izuku was no longer that scared, broken child he had taken into his home nearly two months prior. He nodded, keeping his face and body language cowed, refusing to be conquered. Izuku understood enough about how homeschool worked to know Mr. Hama would have to provide him with a laptop and internet access to attend, which he could work with. Though Izuku did not know anything about how the internet worked, he was willing to learn anything he needed to, including how to hide his tracks.
This new life was hell, it took no time for him to realize this. The first night he was back Mr. Hama brought him food the first night with a glass of water, and sat at the desk Izuku could not reach with his chain to watch him eat. He said nothing the entire time he sat and stared, not moving, and Izuki chalked it up to him being anxious and ensuring nothing would happen. He was still high strung from Izuku's second escape, the boy reasoned.
With a sigh Izuku dutifully ate the food before him, at least it was not straight out of a trash can, he could appreciate that. As soon as the plate was empty it was removed, and he was left alone to the silence and his half filled glass of water a moment later. Getting situated, Izuku did not realize how tired he had been from his time on the streets, and he drifted to sleep quickly once Mr. Hama had vacated his room.
Homeschooling started with a whisper for Izuku the next day. He listened to his teachers with the laptop that had been left on his nightstand before he woke up, dutifully introducing himself when instructed to do so. Mr. Hama had also left him headphones with a microphone so he could communicate in class, which made it easier to focus on both class and whatever else he wanted to do. It also made it harder to hear if the man helped himself to his room. The first time he noticed Mr. Hama in his room Izuku jumped at seeing him in the laptops reflection. He had brought lunch, but it taught Izuku quickly that he was never safe without the fear of someone looking over his shoulder. His hyper vigilance from before his second time running started to serve him well as he paid attention to everything around him. Mr. Hama also started timing his bathroom releases for his brakes between class. Izuku learned how to learn what he really wanted to know whenever the opportunity presented itself, always with a glance over his shoulder.
Despite all of the extra work it took, Izuku finally started to feel like he was learning something when he had the free time and Mr. Hama was not hovering. It took longer than he wanted, but that was also partially because he had begun falling asleep earlier than ever within the last week. It was strange for him, he did not normally get tired that early, and he was not used to falling asleep almost immediately after dinner. After about a week he realized it did not make sense, and decided to experiment.
The first night he just did not drink the water his warden brought, but nothing changed. He still fell asleep not long after eating, and he was thirsty to make matters worse. The next night he only drank the water, and though he got tired he was able to avoid falling asleep. When Mr. Hama came to gather the food Izuku was laying peacefully in bed, his eyes shut as he feigned sleep, but he was able to fight it off until the man left his room, seemingly satisfied even though the food was still on the plate.
The next night staying awake was easier, until Mr. Hama checked on him again. "Boy?" he asked. Izuku feigned stirring, but stayed relaxed, wanting the man to believe that he was, indeed, asleep. It seemed to work, the man left with the plate of food. Only a moment later he was back, and Izuku was caught. He had sat up once the man left, not thinking he would be back again immediately. Mr. Hama nodded, realizing his suspicion had been correct. "You're not getting out of here, open your mouth."
The words caught Izuku by surprise, open his mouth? He had just been sitting up, not wanting to actually slip into unconsciousness while pretending, and could really only stare. Naturally, he did not want to open his mouth, having no idea what would happen if he did.
Mr. Hama reached one hand out, tightly gripping his jaw. It hurt to keep his teeth clenched, but Izuku was not willing to find out what could happen if he let a gap appear. Unfortunately for him, Mr. Hama got his fingers into the space between his teeth, prying his jaw open as Izuku winced from the feeling of his inner cheek scraping. Then something was on his tongue, and his mouth was suddenly forced closed. The surprise gave him no time to move his tongue and the hands forcing his teeth to close against each other again also caused them to bite his tongue. Instinctively he tried to spit, the coppery taste filling his mouth slowly, but the hands did not move. "Swallow," came the command.
It went against everything Izuku could imagine to be normal to swallow whatever was in his mouth, the blood included, but he had no idea what Mr. Hama had decided to give him. The taste of the pills in his mouth beginning to dissolve, mixing with the copper, made him gag, but Mr. Hama was not letting go. Not until he swallowed. Izuku was unable to stop the whine that escaped his throat, but there was no escape, so he did as he was told. He felt the pills slide down his throat. Tears pricked at his eyes from the situation as the man backed off, demanding he open his mouth. Despite the blood coating his mouth Mr. Hama still told him to lift his tongue and made sure the pills were gone before nodding. "Drink your water. Next time maybe you won't try to be sly and actually eat your food."
"It's drugged," Izuku argued, grabbing his water. He was pretty sure the blood had already stopped, but his tongue throbbed and stung as we swallowed the water.
"Of course it is, I'm not taking any chances with you again. I won't lose my perfect record to a brat like you. Now, did you learn your lesson?"
With no real other choice, Izuku nodded slowly, looking down at the bed. Seemingly satisfied, Mr. Hama left the room, but not without a parting shot. "Don't let it happen again, next time will be worse."
That was how it started, but not how it ended. Izuku was never one to give, or be broken easily. The next day, while listening to his teachers drone on, he started his research. When he knew for a fact that Mr. Hama was not nearby, not hovering, he read. What he learned gave him hope, but it scared him as well. If he could counteract the neural suppressants the sleeping pills enacted on him he could fight back against them, and stay up longer. That would allow him to learn more, and plan. On the other hand, Mr. Hama forcing sleeping pills on him would eventually have negative side effects and he had to admit he was concerned about that. The man clearly did not care if it had lasting effects on him, but Izuku cared about his own well being even if no one else did. He had to stay up to plan and prepare, it was the only way to save himself, and by now Izuku had learned that he was the only one that would.