Swan Dive

Chapter 11: Rescue

Izuku looked up into his eyes, startled at the question. "Every day. I'm grateful for you saving my life. Because it brought you into my life. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, dad... I don't need a Quirk. I just need you."

"Zuzu, you're going to make me cry, damnit. I'm dehydrated enough." Shouta gave a small smile.

"And maybe that's my evil plan? Cry you to death." Izuku shot back.

Yeah, maybe the trauma was still affecting them, but Shouta thought they were holding up rather well, all things considered.

They'd gotten used to a sort-of schedule, now. In the mornings (at least Shouta assumed it was morning), Hisashi would leave two cups of water and then leave the house—for that's where they were, a house—for an indeterminable amount of time.

During their morning, Shouta and Izuku would banter and talk until they fell into a comfortable silence. On occasion, Hisashi would throw a half a loaf of bread down the stairs around what Shouta assumed would've been a late lunchtime. Shouta always insisted Izuku get most of it (he wouldn't eat all of it, so Shouta forced the dry tasteless substance down his already parched throat).

Then, around what felt like late afternoon, Hisashi would come in and gather them for their daily torture (Shouta emotionally and Izuku physically) and interrogation. This would go on for what Shouta assumed was about three hours or so, with the man questioning Shouta about this mysterious 'All For One', before the two were chained back up in the basement for the night. There, they'd sign or cry or simply take comfort in one another's presence. The fact that they were alive.

And if there's one thing they've learned, it's that the two had a very unhealthy attachment to one another. Just being in a different room could send them both into blinding panic attacks until they found one another again.

They both knew that was something that they'd need to work on if—when—they escaped.

His rough calculations landed them at around five to seven days since being kidnapped. It didn't seem long, when put into perspective, but it felt like months.

Once, three days ago (or, at least, three sessions ago), Hisashi had dragged Izuku out of the room without Shouta. It'd been in the morning, and threw off their schedule so badly that the two were jumpy and on-edge even now.

That was the first time they realized how badly attached to one another they were. Shouta still had open wounds on his wrists from how hard he pulled at his chains. And those damn Quirk Suppressant Cuffs constantly made both their wrists bleed. They'd likely scar. Lovely.

That was also the only time that Hisashi had used something other than the serum. He'd apparently tortured Izuku with knives, and that information made Shouta nearly blind with protective rage. Even still, his little hero didn't scream once. He was simultaneously proud—even most pros couldn't handle torture like this without screaming—and rightly horrified—he's not even in high school!

When Hisashi had brought Izuku back down those stairs, kid weakly struggling against the firm scorching hand in his hair, Shouta knew something was wrong. And when he'd chained him back up—out of Shouta's reach, of course, Izuku would have to crawl back over to him—he'd caught sight of the blood on his son, and Shouta saw red. He'd lashed out at the man, intent on causing some kind of damage, but the man had been carefully beyond the reach of Shouta's chains.

"Maybe I'd lighten up on him if you'd just tell me about All For One." The man had taunted, smirking at Shouta.

"All For One is a myth."