So, my computer deleted a bunch of files again and I know what you're thinking... 'Why is this bitch so stupid that she doesn't save them to Onedrive or something?' Well, LOL, the simple answer is I tried to, but whatever is causing this glitch causes Onedrive to stop working on my computer and shit just doesn't save I guess...
However, I have been writing in a frenzy to make up for it now that I've FINALLY gotten my computer back from GeekSquad again (they promised to replace it if it happens again...).
Thank you for your patience and support. I've read the comments everyone has left and honestly, they make me feel so much better about literally everything that's going wrong in my train wreck of a life.
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What I've Done
Chapter 14
Even after I stopped being disobedient, I was only allowed outside a handful of times. In fact, during the nine years that I lived with Tomura, the majority of my time was spent underground. I'd grown used to the darkness of the rock-lined, windowless walls and was content with the meager, shadowy yellow light that dimly illuminated my otherwise pitch-black room. It was constant... it was comforting.
Sunlight though... it's different from the artificial glow of a flickering lightbulb, even if it's being mostly blocked by stormy grey clouds. The sky comes in so many different hues and each one sets my teeth on edge; it's as though each shade of light has a different feel to it.
As I quietly slip from Inko's grip and begin my trek to school, I take note of the stormy, overcast sky. It's almost like the air is pale and cold, its melancholy aura only amplifying the tired anxiety I'm consumed with. I can hear the light splatter of rain beginning on the sidewalk, each droplet dripping down my cheeks reminding me of the many tears I've spilled over the years… of the stinging desire to let them fall now.
My pitiful emotions are a weakness that Tomura has forbidden me from giving in to but knowing that only seems to make me more helpless against them. I fight and fight with myself, replaying every lesson I've ever learned in my mind to quell this disgraceful impulse. My body resists my desperate internal plea though, sending waves of nauseating tension into the ever-growing pit in my belly.
I have done many things to displease Tomura, but I'm certain I've never shown him such disrespect as I did yesterday. I hold one of my hands out in front of me and stare, tracing my eyes over every scar with pained remembrance. In truth, it doesn't take much to incur his or Master All For One's wrath so I already know that my actions will result in punishment that I can't even begin to fathom.
I deserve it though, don't I?
Part of me doesn't think so, intensifying the aching dread in my chest until it becomes difficult to breathe. It doesn't matter what I believe… Tomura decides if my actions justify a reprimand and it's doubtful that my insinuations will be overlooked.
All at once though, my path is blocked and the subdued light above me darkens further. I flutter the residual water from my eyelashes now that the rain isn't pouring into my flattened hair, recognizing the shoes. Of course, it's him...
"What the hell, Deku…" Bakugo mumbles softly, his eyes full of concern as I peer up at him. "You've got a damn umbrella in your hand so why aren't you using it?"
Why does he always seem to show up when I'm at my weakest? My bottom lip wobbles before I can stop it, red-rimmed eyes squinting as they swell with tears. I quickly tuck my chin down as far as it will go; the last thing I need right now is for Bakugo to prey on my instability and be cruel because I'm still the crybaby he used to say I was.
"We can share mine," he states, shifting to my side so that he can keep the umbrella above us both while we walk.
My throat spasms; he isn't saying a word about my distress even though I'm certain he saw my whimpering expression... But why not? The question tumbles around in my thought-heavy head as I follow his lead and keep pace.
I can't find an answer even as I flicker my eyes over to him every so often, searching. Just like when I approached him months ago, his face is soft; I don't understand but he does…
"What is he thinking!" Tomura seethed as he paced back and forth in the bar of his hideout, every stomp of his foot making the warp gate behind the counter flinch slightly. "He's letting All Might train him? He's going to be the next One for All wielder? I'll kill him myself!"
"Tomura Shigaraki…" All For One called calmly, his soothing voice doing little to stifle the younger villains tantrum. "I'm sure Deku is doing as he thinks he must to please you."
"That bastard almost killed you, Master!" Shigaraki barked in return. "His stupid power is what crippled your body and forced us back into hiding! It should be destroyed along with everyone connected to it!"
"Is Deku not still your pet, Tomura?" The Master hummed, knowing that despite Shigaraki's posturing and his admittedly murderous impulses, Midoriya held a soft spot of sorts.
"He won't be for long if he keeps acting like a little pest."
Kurogiri moved to pour a drink as silence overtook the bar, waiting for the inevitable moment where Tomura backtracked and admitted his warped affection for Midoriya. He slid the glass down the slick surface towards his boss and waited for him to sit, relaxing some when Shigaraki dropped onto the stool closest to it.
"Maybe I'll just drag him back here and keep him locked up for another year or two. That'll teach him not to do stupid stuff like this again…" Tomura mumbled angrily, thumbing the beverage as he sulked.
"Deku has not yet broken any rules that he hasn't had to though, has he?" Kurogiri questioned, aiding All For One in swaying Shigaraki's rage towards more controllable levels. "He's allowed people other than you to touch him, but that was to be expected given his need to keep up appearances."
"You heard what he said to those pesky parents of his. You saw how he acted." Shigaraki snapped in response, the glass he'd been holding disintegrating under his palm until its contents had spilled over the counter. "When I get my hands on him—"
"Tomura, calm yourself," All For One interrupted, chuckling when his protégé grumbled and gestured for another glass to be given to him. "Punish Deku if you feel you must and make sure he remembers what happens to those that displease you… but praise him afterward. He's done well despite his unusual outburst... Inko is no longer preventing him from going to UA."
"But Master!" Shigaraki yelped in frustration, doing his best to verbalize how upset he was that his Deku wasn't behaving like the good pet he'd been taught to be. "He… he made it seem like I'm the bad guy… Like he didn't deserve all those punishments he got for saying and doing stupid things when he knew what would happen."
The elder villain hummed in continued amusement. Tomura had always been so dedicated to pleasing him and intent on destroying the world just as he'd planned to do… but that drive amplified after he brought Izuku Midoriya to their hideout.
~Flashback~
All For One watched Midoriya squeal his small lungs out, body thrashing against the desk he was pinned to as Tomura used an exposed cigar lighter to burn the child's back repeatedly. They'd been in the middle of a very enthralling discussion, in his opinion, about how heroes were now more concerned with popularity and influence than actual heroism when Midoriya had interrupted to disagree.
His example had been All Might, of course, as it usually was. He'd declared without any hesitation or doubt that All For One's rival was nothing short of a true hero who saved people with a smile on his face because that's what heroes did—he swore that someone as virtuous as that couldn't possibly be putting on a show to gain fame.
Tomura, in turn, had listened to Midoriya's speech with an eerie calmness, though the psychosis in his bloodshot eyes gave away the unrestrained anger festering within him. The moment their prisoner finished, however, the damn broke and Tomura had latched himself onto the boy's arm, dragging him to All For One's desk and slamming him face-first onto it.
"PLEASE, STOP!" Midoriya begged, clawing uselessly at the polished wood. "IT HURTS, TOMURA! PLEASE, I'M SORRY! I'LL BE GOOD, I SWEAR!"
All For One sniggered at the child's desperate pleas when Tomura merely growled and pressed his tool down again, Midoriya's young and sensitive skin sizzling as another guttural scream flew from his raw throat.
"Such a shame…" He hummed when Midoriya finally succumbed to the pain he was in and passed out. "He had been doing so much better recently."
Tomura didn't answer at first, too busy with readjusting his grip on Midoriya so that he could go back to his chair and cuddle him close. He carefully ran his fingers over the boy's blotchy face, mesmerized. "He'll learn; I'll make sure of it."
"I doubt you could have found a more defiant pupil, Tomura. He's been here three years and though he has begun to bend to our will, he's not yet been broken."
"That's what makes him so special, Master!" Tomura explained while he cleaned some of the snot and tears from his pets' cheeks. "Once he sees the truth, he'll be devoted to our cause… to me."
All For One stood and walked over to his protégé, kneeling to look the child over. In the three years they'd kept him, he'd sustained serious injuries for a variety of misbehaviors, but Tomura had yet to use his quirk on him—a rare show of restraint. "You care for Deku a great deal, don't you Tomura?"
"Of course I do," Shigaraki answered hotly. "He's mine and one day he and I are going to rule the world together with you. He won't have to suffer the injustices of heroes like you and I did."
The Master villain hummed again and returned to his desk, considering. It was true that Deku would be a great asset to their organization if he could be fully turned to villainy. He was intelligent, driven, and once his mind was made up, it was almost impossible to change it.
"Take him back to his room, Tomura; we'll continue our discussion with him tomorrow."
~0.0~
I wake up face down on my bed and immediately begin to cry again; my back itches and burns so badly that I almost can't stand it. There's shifting beside me though and I immediately stop moving, holding my breath as paralyzing fear consumes me.
"What you said was stupid, Deku. Haven't we given you enough proof about heroes for you to understand that they're what's wrong with society?"
I don't answer at first. Maybe there are a lot of heroes that are bad—like Endeavor—but All Might isn't one of them; he's a true hero. I feel the hand in my hair begin twitching though and know I'm about to be punished, panic rising within me.
"You have!" I squeak loudly, forcing my body to move despite how much it hurts. "I'm sorry, Tomura… please forgive me."
I end up laying on his lap, my face pressed into his belly as I hug his legs. His hand returns to my head once I'm settled and I flinch, whimpering with fearful anticipation. It's all I can do to not give in to the urge to start wailing again, but I know how much Tomura hates when I cry.
"Alright Deku, this time…" he grumbles, shifting some to rummage around in his pocket with his free hand.
His grip lessens and he starts petting me, cooing that he's going to make the pain stop. There's a squishing noise and then something cold dripping onto my back, whatever it is immediately giving me relief from the incessant burning.
"There, that's better, isn't it?"
I nod and rub my face into his stomach with gratitude. "Yes, thank you Tomura… I'm sorry I'm such a bad pet…"
"I've been considering that a lot recently… Master says that I'm still too soft on you; If you're going to learn I'm going to have to be more severe with my punishments. Don't worry though, even if I have to use my quirk on you every day, I'll make you strong and obedient. You're going to be perfect.
My heart leaps into my throat and I can't get in any air. I don't know how much longer I can take this.
~End Flashback~
"Do not despair, Tomura…" All For One ordered gently. "Despite what Deku said, he is still devoted to you. You put so much effort into perfecting him and I don't believe he would truly fail you for anything in this world…"
Words can't describe how unnerved I am as Naomasa drops me off at Takoba Municipal Beach Park to meet All Might. Inko thankfully didn't come; after giving me a kiss she ran off to her room to sulk I'd assume.
"Alright, Deku," Naomasa hums, using my preferred name since Inko isn't around to hear him. "Just text me when you're ready to come home and I'll head back over."
I nod that I understand and slowly exit the car, my eyes wandering around warily for the man that savagely crushed Master All For One's skull. Tomura hasn't come to see me but I'm certain he knows about how I broke down during my attempt to persuade Inko… He's going to punish me regardless of the action's success.
Simply put, I said awful things and made it seem like I couldn't stand the thought of being with the one person who cares for me above all others; if our positions were reversed, I'd certainly punish my pet for saying what I did.
Then, of course, there's the matter of whether Tomura even approves of my plan or not. He said I was a good pet for trying to manipulate Inko by using Bakugo, but I could tell it irritated him anyway… Accepting All Might's quirk as well as agreeing to be 'trained' by him? I can already feel his decay power causing my skin to decompose.
"Young Midoriya!"
The sound of All Might's boisterous voice makes my gut shift downward with anxious anticipation, but I turn to look up at his monstrous form—only to find a skeleton in its place. My mouth drops open as I take in the hunched, prematurely frail man in front of me. This… This is All Might?
"Ha!" he laughs, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Not what you were expecting?"
I can't even bring myself to nod. My eyes wander over him endlessly, trying to come to terms with the difference in stature. He pulls up his shirt and exposes a devastating wound to his side, scars etched deep in a spidery pattern across his sunken torso.
"Pretty gross right? I got this in a fight about five years back… though I kept it as under-wraps as possible. Among other things, I lost my whole stomach and now I can only keep my hero form going for about fifteen minutes before shifting back to this."
Images flash in my head of the moment I saw Master All For One's mangled body lying on the hospital table. It's not as if I'm truly surprised to find that All Might was gravely injured as well during their fight… but it's entirely different to see the damage in person.
"O-oh…" I fumble, unable to get my brain to form any significant thought. He smiles at me—not the 'I am here!' grin that he so annoyingly wears when he's on duty though; this one is equal parts sad and full of hope.
"That's why I sought you out, Midoriya." He continues, patting the wounded area once he's let his shirt fall back down. "My time as the Symbol of Peace is coming to an end and I need a worthy successor to take this torch and keep it burning brightly for the next generation."
My mouth becomes sticky-dry, gluing itself shut with confused dread. I'm not a hero and I never will be… I gave up that foolish dream a long time ago. But I have to play the part if I'm going to see Tomura's dream succeed.
"What do I do first?" I ask, straightening myself up.
He looks pleased with my determination, gesturing to the mess that surrounds us. "We've got to make sure your body is ready to handle the physical backlash of my quirk! This park used to be..."
I somewhat drown out his explanation of why it is I'm going to be moving garbage around for the next several months. I've been trained in every sense of the word since I was four years old—I'm literally as fit as I can possibly be. But as far as exercise goes I guess it won't be too bad though; it will be nice to do something other than push-ups for a while… and I suppose seeing the beach in its former glory would be cool too.
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Thank you again for reading! Please leave me your thoughts! I truly love them so, so, so freaking much.