A Pillar of Lies

Chapter 7: A Friendly Visit

'Watch where you're going, girl.' a reptilian figure hissed as Inko bumped into his scaly hide, dropping her bag of groceries.

'I'm sorry about that!' She quickly bowed before going back to pick up her shopping.

The reptile flicked his forked tongue in annoyance before he continued on his way, disappearing into the crowd.

Inko gathered her groceries, her cheeks flushed with mild embarrassment. A couple of apples had rolled away, and she chased after them, maneuvering through the busy sidewalk with a slight grace that betrayed her occasional clumsiness, bending down to retrieve the runaway fruit.

It had been a couple of months since the move to Shizuoka city. Whilst her husband had insisted that moving closer to the doctor's laboratory during Izuku's treatment would be for the best, Inko knew him well enough to realise that it was all just an excuse to maintain a lower profile. Relocating from city to city had been a familiar rhythm for them before Izuku was born, and although she had remained ignorant for a wealth of her time with him, she wasn't totally oblivious. Still, a slight smile crept onto her face as she reminisced; each new city they visited had brought a sense of adventure and unbridled passion. Though those feelings felt somewhat alien today, and although she wouldn't trade her baby for the world, those memories were still a source of happiness she held close.

'Inko?'

Inko turned around tucking the last of the fruit back into her shopping bag, a warm smile cast on her face. 'Mika! It's so good to see you. How've you been?'

She extended a hand out for Inko, pulling her up into a friendly hug.

'Ah you know,' she teased, chuckling to herself. 'My darling Kyouka has been keeping me busy with all her mischief. I'd be damned if I let her get away with anything more, but how could I tell her off? She's just too adorable.'

Inko gave a warm smile; her nose burned. 'My Izuku is just like that too, but he's got a big heart, and…' a tear slipped down the side of her face, stopping herself mid sentence to wipe it. 'Oh dear, my bad. I really shouldn't mull on these things… You were saying?'

Mika's gaze was hidden well behind her glasses, but her voice was soft and heartfelt. 'No, don't apologise, Inko. In fact-' an idea came to her mind, a smile forming on her face. 'I was going to get my darling a present for her birthday, how about you tag along? We can get Izuku something too, for when he's out of the hospital.'

Inko couldn't help the tears flowing down her face, disregarding the stares of strangers along the street.

'Inko!' Mika yelped, taking no time to unclip the latch on her purse, rummaging through it before handing her a packet of tissues. 'Here, are you sure you're okay?'

Inko gave a cheery nod as she wiped the tears from her eyes. 'Really, I am. And I'd love to accompany you, Mika.'

'Let's go then, shall we?'

The two meandered through the bustling city streets, drifting from one store to another. Their chatter was peppered with laughter, and for a moment, Inko could forget her troubles and immerse herself in the present—something she hadn't done in a long time, not since her last outing with Mitsuki, not since…

Inko shook her head, not letting the thought spoil her evening. Instead she sought a quick distraction. It didn't take her long to find one as she turned her head over, smelling freshly brewed coffee, letting her thoughts evaporate as she tugged Mika along. The two had succumbed to the allure of a quaint café tucked away in a cosy corner, settling themselves into a pair of comfortable chairs on the terrace.

Inko ordered a matcha-latte whilst Mika had a double espresso. As they sipped on their drinks, Inko glanced across the table. She was really glad that Mika was in her life. They had met only a month ago, when she happened to come across a small record shop. Music had been a hobby of hers that she had long forgotten after Izuku was born, but with his presence missing from her life, she needed a distraction. The shop wasn't anything special, but she was pleased to find a single copy of an old and rather niche rock band that she used to listen to. Except Mika had her eyes on that piece too and they ended up grabbing for it at the same time. They had become quick friends, sharing stories of their little demons and bonding over their love for music over a cup of coffee.

Mika's cheeks flushed red in delight, 'How come I've never heard of this place before? Their espressos are the best!' She let out a satisfied sigh, 'How's your latte?'

'It's amazing,' Inko smiled. 'Better than anything back in Musutafu. We should come here more often'

'Let's make this our new meeting spot,' she countered.

'I like that plan.'

The sun made dazzling streaks of orange and red in the sky as it hovered over the horizon, Inko and Mika still lingering over the last of their drinks. Yet, despite the warmth of the moment, something felt missing, like she had forgotten something. Judging by the pensive look on Mika's face, it seemed she felt it too.

'The presents!' Mika gasped. 'How could I forget?'

'It's okay, Mika,' Inko comforted. 'It was a great day out today, and I'm sure we can find something next time.'

That didn't seem to calm her down at all.

'No, we have to go now!' She insisted, tipping down the last of her espresso. 'The Yahama Music store is having their ten year anniversary sale today! If I miss it now, who knows when the next sale will be!'

She grabbed Inko's arm, hauling her up on her feet. Inko was taken aback for a moment, but she soon followed suit as they dashed through the city streets. It wasn't her usual choice of gift, but maybe she could find something special for Izuku too?

The neon lights of the city began to illuminate the dusk on their way, and the city seemed to buzz as people got off work and others emerged for the nightlife. She knew most shops would be closing around this time. If they made it, it would be quite close.

'Wait!' Mika gasped, as they closed in on the music store, the store clerk was ready with his keys to lock the store shut. 'I'm here to buy!'

He seemed to give a shrug before opening the door for them, as the two ushered inside.

'You have ten minutes before we close,' the store clerk grumbled. 'Make it quick.'

Instruments of all kinds surrounded them. Guitars hung on the walls like artwork, keyboards beckoned from display stands, and drums sat proudly on platforms. Mika's eyes sparkled as she viewed the array of instruments.

'Split up and meet back in five?' she suggested, but her eyes darted over to the wall of guitars and flitted over before waiting for confirmation.

'Wait!' Inko called out, but her friend was too far gone to notice. 'I don't know what to look for…'

Inko looked around, nervous and unsure where to start.

'Aren't you here to buy?' the store clerk grumbled behind her, startling Inko.

'Uhh—do you have anything that might be good for a six year old?' she asked skittishly.

He just sighed as he rolled his eyes. 'By the back over there,' he pointed in the general direction.

She gave a quick nod before making her way there. She would have asked him for more help, but he looked exhausted as is, and she really didn't want to cause any more trouble for the man.

She took a look at the children's sections, unsure on what Izuku would even like. Or maybe he wouldn't be interested in music at all! Still, she hadn't gotten him anything, even after they went through all this trouble…

She noticed the clock and immediately felt panic, taking something random off the shelf and rushing back over to Mika. She held a beautiful acoustic guitar in hand, her chest puff in pride. 'My little Kyouka is going to love this!'

Inko stared in awe, 'it's beautiful, Mika.'

She looked over at Inko with a smile, 'A Ukulele huh? I bought my daughter one just like that when she was three. I'm sure Izuku will love it.'

'I-I hope so,' she stumbled.

It wasn't something she thought she would ever have been buying for Izuku, but her friend's confirmation of her gift made her more comfortable with the idea. And in the worst case, she could always return it if it was something he didn't like in the end.

It was only for a short moment but Inko couldn't help but imagine Izuku smiling in her arms as they left the doctors laboratory together. It was something she could only pray would come soon.

She hoped her son was okay.

-tdr-

'Hello?' Izuku shouted as loud as he could, waiting for someone to answer. But there was only silence. He couldn't see anything either. It was really dark, like when he closed his eyes for a really long time, but he wasn't in bed.

Maybe the doctor had turned off the lights? Or maybe he was dreaming? He shook his head. No, that couldn't have been it… He could see himself, and that didn't happen when it was normally dark, or when he was asleep.

Had he accidentally walked into Kurogiri's warp? Izuku shook his head again. It didn't feel like that either. Kurogiri's warp always felt warm and funny, like he was floating. This place had a different feeling all together. And he could stand, though he wasn't sure what he was standing on. It was dark like everything else, but wet too.

Izuku couldn't help but place his hands on the ground, when black ripples spread out around him as he heard a splashing sound.

Oh! Izuku's face lit up. He was in the water! That had to be it! But why was he in water?

Izuku felt around, it was shallow and the ground below it was smooth and hard. It sort of reminded him of when it was bath time, but the water was chillier than he'd of liked. That was what he thought until his feet began to sink into the ground below.

Huh?

He tried to yank his feet out but he felt something pulling them down.

'No!' he screamed, his heart racing and panic overcoming him.

'Help!' he tried again but whatever was grabbing hold of him was too strong. His whole body was sinking. He frantically clawed at the ground, but it felt like grabbing air. His little fingers couldn't find anything to hold on to. Kicking his legs didn't help either; the glob of floor his legs were stuck in seemed to disappear, and he was being pulled into vast, cold waters.

'Daddy!'

It was too late. Izuku was pulled down into the dark sea, failing to catch his breath as water filled his lungs. He was scared.

He flailed his arms and legs, desperately trying to escape but they fell uselessly limp, his chest burned as he was dragged deeper and deeper. Would someone save him?

Izuku couldn't feel anything but the burning. He—he had to—do something… but specks of static blotched in his eyes consuming his sight. His ears ringing, deafening.

Someone. Anyone…

Please…

The rhythmic beating in his chest was replaced by a cold numbing. His thoughts drifting, fading into the darkness…

Sinking…

…

Something yanked hard on his body, pulling him out the other side, flinging Izuku through the empty nothingness as he gasped for his breath before smacking into the ground with a loud thud. He wretched out the water that burned his whole body; coughing, weezing, and sobbing all at the same time. Why was this happening to him? He just wanted to go home.

Izuku sat there, bawling his eyes out—alone and afraid—hoping his mommy, daddy or even a hero would save him—but no one came.

He cried and cried. Everything hurt—but no one came.

Even when the pain dulled, his wails were all he could hear, alone in the dark—and no one came.

He didn't know how long he had sat there, but eventually the wailing turned into a quiet sniffling and the burning sensation faded. It was only once he had calmed down had he realised he heard someone else's sniffles.

'Hello?' he asked again, looking around for that mysterious person. Was he not alone?

'Hello?' it said back, Izuku turned his head as he saw a soft white glow in the distance. There was someone else here with him. Were they hurt too?

He sprang up, making his way towards the light. Even though he was scared, even though he wanted his mommy and daddy more than ever, he had to be brave; just like a hero.

'Are you okay?'

'Are you okay?' it asked back; this time the voice was more clear, it sounded like a young boy—just like him!

'I'm… okay,' he lied as he walked closer to the light. It looked more person-shaped than he thought, and the closer he got the more it looked like himself, but more still like a burning white flame; his eyes were a deep red, just like his dads.

'I'm… okay,' it responded. Izuku felt something was wrong with how he talked. It was like he was copying everything Izuku said, but he wasn't quick to judge. Maybe that was just how he talked.

'What's your name?' Izuku asked sheepishly, rubbing his arm in comfort. He didn't understand what was happening, but he was glad he wasn't alone anymore.

The figure stared at Izuku with its crimson eyes, rubbing its arm just like Izuku. It was like he was looking back at a funny mirror.

'What's your name?' it said sheepishly. He should have seen that one coming.

'I-I'm Izuku,' he said, feeling more uncomfortable the longer he stayed, 'who are you?'

'I-I'm…' it stopped, like it was unsure what to say, darting its head around before opening its mouth again.

'Who am I?'

-tdr-

Kyudai Garaki wiped the sweat from his forehead, scrutinising the just-completed program with a careful gaze, followed by a satisfied sigh. The second stage of Izuku's treatment was coming along nicely, with Izuku's body degradation now prevented—albeit temporarily—he could delve into the more fascinating aspect of his project: cell modification.

Garaki hummed to the whir of machinery in the background as he skimmed through the latest cell simulation data. The results seemed promising, generating a spark of interest. However, a momentary pause filled with a sigh followed as he acknowledged the outcome–another failure. Nonetheless, he quickly brushed off any lingering disappointment, returning to his usual cheery demeanour. No matter. Having only recently pioneered the bomber cell, he knew attempting to engineer a new prototype cell from it would be no easy feat. Yet, if his calculations were right, the stabilised cells could—

A red light periodically flashed in the corner of his eyes and was followed by a distressing beeping noise. Garaki jumped up from his chair, rushing over to the main control board where the alert signal had come from. He then quickly flicked his screen to the boy's vital signs, hoping this was just some hardware malfunction but—his eyes darted over to the main tank in panic, where Izuku had been suspended in amniotic fluid, violently shaking.

Dammit! He already ensured that Izuku's body was responding to phase one of the treatment positively. He had been monitoring everything so carefully, and he hadn't even done anything to the boy in days. So why was he in cardiac arrest?

With no time to spare Garaki jumped to the keyboard, executing several emergency medical programs. Several robotic arms jutted down from the top of the tank, manoeuvring themselves between Izuku's front and back before compressing his chest in a rhythmic motion.

His teeth clattered nervously, as he focussed on preparing his contingency. If the CPR or defibrillation didn't stabilise the boy soon, he'd be in some serious trouble. His fingers tapped sharply across the keyboard, taking every other moment to glance back at the boy's vitals. At the very least he had to save the boy's brain. He could—with enough time—resuscitate his body, but if his brain died… that was game over.

Beep

He jolted at the sound, skittishly glancing back at Izuku's vitals, breathing a heavy sigh as he watched the heart monitor jump up and down into a normal rhythm. He took to his feet, slowly pacing the perimeter of the tank making a visual inspection of the child himself: the seizures had stopped, his breathing normal—the air feed tube connected to his respiratory system would maintain that, A few broken ribs—nothing he couldn't repair in due time. Garaki eased slightly as he finished his assessment, relieved the boy made it through with only minor injuries.

Garaki returned to his seat, relaxing only for a moment as he sank into his chair, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. He focussed his eyes on the ceiling above, an array of mechanical tubes and wires filling the space, followed by the quiet whistling of gas from one of many pipes that ran across and above, hidden behind the steel walls. Just listening and breathing helped calm his nerves somewhat. And at the very least, he was sure that the worst of it was over, now that he was sure Izuku was stable, but the unexpected incident had put him on edge. What was he not taking into account? Were his initial investigations flawed? Regardless, he'd need to do some additional testing before continuing.

Garaki got back to his laptop, feeling somewhat defeated. He could really use a companion in times like these to cheer him up. Perhaps he'd make one for himself if he got the chance.

(*)

A/N: Felt the last chapter was a tad short for another two weeks' wait, so, I decided to add this one to the fray. Anyways… whilst AFO is busy elsewhere, Inko, Izuku, and the Doctor all have their own challenges to face. And where was Izuku? And even more importantly, who or what was he talking to? Tell me your theories in the comment, would love to hear them.

Whether you loved it or hate it, make sure to leave a comment, as any feedback is welcomed. Also don't forget to follow for more updates in the future.

With that said, till next time.