Digital Dreamworld

Chapter 8 - Soul Searching

"This last world will be different from the others you've entered thus far," Dr. Mills explained. "You will each enter a tiny world, to call it that. Alone."

An isolation cell. Izuku knew they would never call it that, but you can't forget this was a program that was supposed to be used on villains. This next world, this sole journey they were forced to make, was basically a mental isolation cell. Sure, they wouldn't have their memories while they wandered the empty landscape, but Izuku was sure that they'd be making a few tweaks before using it on real criminals. It was inhumane, but then again, when had the commission ever been fair? Even after the reforms, some evil remained within its ranks...

"Your subconscious will give form to your world, so we have limited control over it. I like to call it a soul searching experience!" Mills ended with a smile. "Good luck, everyone!"

With that the by now familiar whirring started. No matter how many times he'd heard it while lying in this bed, it never failed to make Izuku nervous. The fact that Kacchan was lying in the bed next to his used to be a little comforting, but now it only added to his anxiety. Luckily those emotions faded quickly as his memories were deleted and Izuku entered the last world in this crazy experiment. There was white fog for a moment, Izuku didn't know why it felt so familiar to him, why he expected someone to come and talk to him. Before he could question the feeling, his surroundings changed and he was standing in a hospital.

Izuku recognized the white halls, the smell of disinfectant, the beeping of heart monitors. Except there were no people. No doctors, no nurses, no patients... It was odd. Eerie. Izuku didn't like it. A door opened with a loud creaking sound, sending a shiver down his spine. It was one of those projection rooms where the pictures of scans were hung to the wall against bright lights to make fractures and disfigurements visible. Yet the pictures that hung here were all the same. A whole room filled with scans of a left foot. It made him uncomfortable and for some unknown reason, he could feel tears welling up in his eyes.

Meanwhile Katsuki was standing in a creak in the middle of a forest. The water rushed against his feet, rushing up to his ankles, yet it didn't feel wet. Birds chirped in the background, making the scene seem all the more peaceful. It was peaceful, wasn't it? Serene. With the sun filtering in through the clouds, casting the shadow of an overhanging log onto the little river as it ran along the shiny stones and tiny plants. So why did Katsuki feel so angry? Angry and frustrated and... And sad. Katsuki felt so sad. He clenched his fists, glaring down at the water before looking up at the log. That damn log... He took a shaky breath, closing his eyes.

He didn't want to be here, never wanted to return to this moment, never wanted it to be repeated- He blinked. Katsuki didn't remember being here before, didn't know why he was feeling this way, why he felt so tied to this place. As if something significant had happened here, a long time ago. Something painful, something he would never forget. Yet here he was, standing in the stream, not knowing where he was or where to go from here.

Izuku was also standing in a forest. A park, really. His scenery had changed and now he was here, sitting on a swing in an empty playground. His eyes were trained on a sole red flower that bloomed at the edge of the playground, standing out against the dulled out colors of the background. It was beautiful, but at the same time, it made Izuku feel sad. Alone. Abandoned. The flower swayed in the wind with nothing to protect it. The flower was strong, though. Standing tall with its roots tangled deep into the ground. It was comforting, in a weird way. To know the weather wouldn't be able to damage it.

Katsuki was standing in a kitchen, his hands moving before his mind had time to follow. He felt at home here, mindlessly following the steps to a recipe he didn't know. It was calming. He liked it. When he tested the taste, a smile rose to his face. Whatever he was making, it tasted delicious. It wasn't until he plated it all that he realized what he made. Katsudon. That was... It was significant, somehow, but he couldn't remember why. It was important, though, he knew that much. Important to him, or to someone else. Someone he cared about. Someone he missed. Katsuki took a shaky breath as he felt a stray tear roll down his cheek. He missed them. He missed someone he couldn't remember and it hurt.