apologies for not a lot of dialogue


The man jerked at the name, his body tensing violently, and a low growl escaped his throat, his lips curling in what seemed like both fear and fury. He scrambled backwards, pressing harder against the wall.

Izuku's blood ran cold. "Bakugo, it's me, Midoriya… Deku? Do you remember me?"

The moment he said Bakugo, the man recoiled, his breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps. His hands trembled, and a soft, broken whimper slipped from his lips, barely audible but filled with a fear that cut through Izuku's heart.

Bakugo wasn't responding to his name… not only that, he seemed to be outright terrified of it.

Izuku clenched his fists, panic rising in his chest. What had they done to him? He had imagined this moment a thousand times over the years. He had always thought it would be different. That Bakugo would be angry, furious, ready to choke him out for 'taking so damned long' but at least he would be there. There would be fire in his eyes, defiance, something; but this… this was something else. Something darker and more sinister. Bakugo was known for his ironclad resolve and resilience, so to get him down to this state…

Izuku took a breath, steadying himself, pushing down the panic as he tried again to talk to his friend.

"I'm going to get you out of here. You're going to be okay, Bakugo."

But Bakugo's body jerked again, his eyes wild, darting between Izuku and the door. He didn't understand. He didn't even recognize him. Izuku's chest tightened painfully, and a wave of guilt crashed over him.

He had been too late.

"What's the hold up, Deku?" Izuku heard Hawks say through the comm piece in his ear. "Red Riot said you were going to be heading topside soon. You stop to take a piss?"

"No, there's a serious situation down here." He hissed, trying to stay calm and not rattle Bakugo even more by yelling.

"You know well enough not to fight an enemy by yourself."

"It's not a fight. Believe me, I wish it was. I will need some backup, though. Uravity or Red Riot will do."

"It better be a doozy." Hawks said.

Oh, I think it's a doozy all right… Izuku thought, looking back at Bakugo.

"Ba-," Izuku started again, but then stopped himself. Bakugo was reacting to his name like it was a trigger, like it was something painful or was associated with pain. Izuku swallowed hard, forcing himself to think. There was really only one other name to call him… "Kacchan?" he tested.

Bakugo didn't react like he did with his formal name and Izuku sighed, feeling like he was getting somewhere.

"Do you remember me, Kacchan?" He asked softly, trying not to rattle him too much. "It's me, Deku."

Bakugo's eyes flickered for a brief moment, as if he recognized the nickname, but then his gaze hardened, and his body jerked again, his legs pulling in tighter. He didn't speak—didn't even seem capable of it. His lips were cracked and bleeding, his throat making soft, rasping sounds as he struggled to breathe. Slowly, carefully, Izuku reached out, his hand hovering just inches from Bakugo's arm.

"I won't hurt you," he whispered.

Bakugo's breath hitched, his body stiffening even more, but he didn't move. He didn't pull away this time, but he didn't lean into the touch either. He just sat there, trembling, his eyes wide and unblinking.

Izuku's heart ached as he watched him, the weight of everything that had happened crashing down on him. Bakugo was still alive but he wasn't the same. The man sitting in front of him was barely recognizable, not just physically, but mentally, and Izuku didn't know how to fix it.

"I'm going to take you home," Izuku whispered, his voice trembling with pent up emotion. "I promise. I'm going to get you home."

Bakugo still didn't move as he watched Izuku from his corner, still scrunched up, but his trembling had lessened and he seemed to be tolerating Izuku's presence. He would sit there for centuries if he had to to make sure Bakugo was comfortable with him.


It felt like decades in silence (just him and Bakugo) when Izuku heard the comm crackle in his ear.

"Deku, turn your location on." Uravity said.

Izuku turned to his wrist and pulled off his glove to press the button that pinged his location. He hadn't moved from that spot since he got there, the distance seeming comfortable enough for Bakugo. His breathing had calmed and he was mostly staring at Izuku, although there was no thought behind his red eyes. It seemed more like he was looking in his direction and Izuku was in the way. A few moments later, the cell door squeaked and Izuku turned. Uravity walked in and noticed Izuku crouched on the floor.

"What's going on?" She asked.

Izuku just pointed and Ochako looked over. She gasped, putting her hand over her mouth as Bakugo curled in more on himself, his fear returning.

Izuku smiled sadly. "It's Kacchan… at least… at least what's left of him."

Ochako immediately called Hawks and informed him of what was going on. Kirishima started screaming in her ear, begging to go down there too but Izuku told him to stay put. Ochako knelt beside Izuku.

"Why are you way over here?"

"He's a bit… feral. I wanted him to get comfortable with me before I made any sudden moves."

She looked at Bakugo as he watched them. "Hey, Bakugo. Remember me?" she said sweetly. He didn't respond, just stared at her. "It's Ochaco… Uraraka… Pink Cheeks?"

Izuku looked at her as she sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest as she sat beside him. "I guess he doesn't remember anyone."

He shook his head. "I don't think so either."

They sat there for a moment. "He's still chained up."

Izuku looked at Bakugo and realized she was right.

"I don't know how to get them off of him. Calling his name seems to trigger him and getting close to him also seems to trigger him. He already looks like he went to hell in a handbasket and got left at the door and then returned."

"Maybe if you show him that you're freeing him, it will help? I mean, we're going to have to try and get him out somehow."

The thought of touching him again sent a knot of fear into Izuku's chest. What if Bakugo reacted worse? But he had to get out of those chains…

Moving slowly, Izuku walked over to his friend, careful of his speed so not to spook him.


As he got closer, he could see there was a thick collar around Bakugo's neck, attached to another chain looped through a bolt on the wall. It looked old, rusted, but secure enough to hold Bakugo in place. His hands and feet were bound in similar chains, each link heavy and worn from years of use. He glanced at the cuffs, noting the thick locks. He could probably break them—if he could get Bakugo to stay still. But even now, Bakugo's body was trembling uncontrollably, every shift in the room making him jerk in panic.

Izuku shook his head. He had to try. It was obvious that Bakugo couldn't get out of this himself, so who else was going to set him free?

He reached for the first cuff, careful not to move too quickly. His fingers barely brushed the cold metal when Bakugo's entire body stiffened, his breath catching sharply. He didn't lash out this time, but the terror in his eyes deepened, his gaze flicking rapidly between the door and Izuku's hands, as if waiting for something—someone—else to burst in and continue the torment.

Izuku's heart clenched painfully. They must have come for him like this, over and over again. Every day, every night…

Bakugo was shivering in utter fear and Izuku was sure the man was going to cause his demise just from the constant heart wrenching pain that he experienced as he watched his friend be so vulnerable and unlike himself… this shell of Katsuki Bakugo…

"It's okay, Kacchan, I'm just taking these off, okay?" Izuku bent down. "I'm not going to hurt you; I just want to help."

It was like talking to a wild animal caught in a trap. There was only so much gentle talking that could be done before action needed to be taken. Izuku reached for the cuffs and Bakugo wrenched away from him, another snarl coming from his throat.

"I need to touch the chains. I won't hurt you, I promise."

Bakugo's chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow bursts, but he didn't move, his muscles rigid, his eyes still unfocused. He was barely breathing.

"I'm going to break them, okay?" Izuku's voice cracked slightly, a tear slipping down his cheek.

It was the first time in a while that he had let his emotions get the best of him. Ever since Bakugo went missing, Izuku swore to keep his emotions in check and try to be stronger, but the condition of his friend seemed to shatter all that practice. Izuku's empathy was hard to tame…

He carefully gripped the metal, clenching his fist around the links and his muscles strained. With a burst of power, the chain snapped, the links clattering to the ground with a dull clang. Bakugo flinched violently at the sound, curling in on himself, hands flying up to cover his ears. His breath came in gasps now, the chains rattling as his body trembled against the wall.

Izuku looked at the broken cuff and found a shocking sight: the underside was rusted. Izuku looked at the angry, festering rash on the wrist he removed the cuff from. It was already smelly, a sign of infection and deterioration. Anger welled up in Izuku and he furrowed his eyebrows.

"They're going to pay for what they've done to you." He growled, removing the other cuffs.


Piece by piece, he removed the rest of the chains and found that all of them were in the same state on their undersides. Once all the extremity cuffs were removed, there was only the collar around Bakugo's neck. The metal was thick and heavy, like something designed for an animal, a constant reminder of how the villains had treated him. Izuku's fingers brushed the collar gently, and for a moment, Bakugo's breath hitched, his eyes squeezing shut, but he didn't pull away.

Izuku hesitated, then tightened his grip on the metal. He gritted his teeth, summoning his strength, and with a sharp crack, the collar broke apart in his hands, clattering to the ground with the rest of the chains. The angry welts and dark bruises that littered Bakugo's neck made Izuku's blood boil.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Kacchan…" he whispered, reaching out slowly.

After getting the neck collar off of him, Bakugo had slumped forward a little, seeming unsure what he was supposed to do now that his body was free. Feeling Izuku's hand on him made him flinch and he sat up quickly, cracking his head on the stone wall behind him. Izuku saw his eyes roll and he knew he had hit his head hard. He reached out just as Bakugo passed out, slumping forward into Izuku's arms.

As upset as he was about Bakugo basically knocking himself out (although not on purpose), Midoriya was actually happy he was out cold. It made things easier for him…

"You got him?" Ochako asked.

"We need a medic on standby. The cuffs were rusted on the underside and he just smacked his head against the wall and gave himself a concussion."

Ochako nodded, passing the information on to Hawks and Kirishima.


There was no way Bakugo could walk—not like this. His legs were too thin, too weak from whatever hell they'd put him through. He hadn't moved on his own in years, plus he was passed out. Izuku wondered how he could have hurt himself so badly but then he realized that the neck collar probably stifled his range of motion and so when he reared back, he was used to being limited but suddenly wasn't. It only added more heartbreak to the situation.

Gently, as carefully as he could, Izuku slipped his arms underneath Bakugo's frail form, lifting him slowly off the cold ground. His body trembled, his breathing growing erratic, but he remained limp. He pulled Bakugo into his chest, his heart aching at how light he was. There was almost nothing left of him—just skin, bones, and scars.

Bakugo's head lolled against his shoulder, his long, tangled hair brushing against Izuku's cheek, the stench of old blood and sweat overwhelming. He held him tighter, careful not to squeeze too hard, and started moving toward the door, every step deliberate, controlled. His mind was racing, the world around him a blur of sounds and sensations, but his focus remained on the fragile weight in his arms.

Ochako watched with a sad expression as he made his way through the door of the prison. Seeing the usual spitfire so dormant and lifeless was surreal. She informed everyone that they were coming out and to prepare for the worst.


Bakugo—or what was left of him—was quiet, unresponsive, his body slumped against Izuku as he carried him out. The journey out of the factory felt like an eternity, the weight of Bakugo's limp body a constant reminder of how much had been lost. Every step echoed in the empty halls, the sound bouncing back as if mocking Izuku's desperation. He tried to stay focused, to block out the overwhelming wave of emotions threatening to drown him, but with every breath and every step towards freedom, it was increasingly clear just how messed up Bakugo was.

At some point, Bakugo came to from knocking himself out, his body jerking in surprise to find himself moving. Izuku looked down at him.

"You alright?" he asked softly. "Do you want me to put you down?"

Bakugo stared at him for a moment and then closed his eyes, leaning more into Izuku's chest. There was no fire, no struggle, no sign of the unyielding spirit Izuku had always known. The Bakugo he remembered would have fought tooth and nail, cursed his way out of anything, kicked and screamed even at the slightest suggestion that he needed help. But now—now—this person was unrecognizable.


When they reached the surface, thunder rumbled in the distance, indicating a storm forming. Ochako put her hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"I'll go and get the medic. Wait here."

He nodded, adjusting Bakugo in his arms as Kirishima walked up, his red eyes full of pity as he took in the emaciated form of his friend.

"Dear god… what the hell did they do to him?"

"…Everything…" Izuku whispered, the rain suddenly coming down.


here is a vote for those who are sick beautiful individuals such as i: going forward should bakugo be more feral or comatose?

and yeah he basically slammed the back of his head into the wall with like whiplash speed and due to him not having food, beaten, and whatnot, it's kinda like immediate lights out