Deku takes in a shaky breath, his voice wavering as he calls to his mother for the first time in too long. "Hey. . . mom."
Inko Midoriya looks up, eyes wide in disbelief. "I-Izuku?" She says hesitantly, unsure if this is real or if her mind is playing tricks on her. But as she stares into his eyes, his big green eyes, all doubt fades. "Izuku it's you!" She gets of the bed she had been sitting on for days and stumbles into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably as she holds to him tight. As if he would once again disappear if she let go. "It really is you. I-I can't believe it. You-you're here. You ca-ame back," she cries out between sobs.
For a second, Deku just stands there, in shock himself. It's been so long since he's felt this embrace. Not to mention he had been waiting for no less then a slap from an angered and hurt mother.
She feels so delicate in his arms. If he moves, she might break.
Then he remembers the day he found he had been born with no quirk. That crushing day his life crumbled before his eyes and ears. Even if she never said what it was he wanted to hear—what he needed to hear—he could still remember the soft and gentle way she held on to him while at the same time being his armor his needed to keep himself up.
It was nothing like the way she's holding on to him now. She refuses to let go, refuses to be ripped away and lose her son again.
Deku smiles softly and embraces his mother the same way she had embraced him all those years ago. "I'm here," he whispers.
Deku doesn't know what else to say, what else he could say. Your sons not the same as the last time you saw him? There is red staining the hands holding you all of his own accord? None of it sounds right. None of it he could admit now that he's here.
When he glances down at the hand that holds his mom, all he can see is red. Bright, flaming red blood coating his hand. Dripping down his palms and staining everything it touches.
Deku squeezes his eyes shut. But when he does that, a vision of his mother, dead on the floor floods his mind. Her blood a pool around her. Clothing and skin charred black from red and green flames. His flames. Bruises and cuts covering her body, eyes lifeless, skin cold and white as a ghost.
"I've got to go," Deku says abruptly and pushes his mom away from him.
"I-Izuku?" Deku's mother asks as he turns away. "What's wrong."
Deku takes a deep gulp, refusing to look back as he makes for the door and turns its knob. "Sorry," he says and closes the door behind him.
Back pressed against the door, Deku glances over at the door to his left. Weak thuds sound from the other side and the wood shudders. But it does nothing. The reinforced door bears no scratch and bears no indication of giving.
He takes in a breath and heads for the commotion. He's left the other guest alone for long enough.
Uraraka from class 1-A. The girl Toga had impersonated. She holds no specific interest for him nor is she anyone special. She was just a means to an end to get Toga into the center of the hero program. Now that that part of the plan is complete, she's just leverage to keep everyone in line.
He should leave her alone, best not to show her the face of the person who kidnapped her. However, something about being left alone with all the negative emotions possible was something he could relate to. Maybe he could ease her mind like Toga once had for him.
There was no sense in putting innocents in the line of fire. He'd never do that. He'd risk his life to keep that from happening. And if he had to pull an innocent in to get the means to the end, he wants to make sure they know they are safe in his care and he'd never hurt them—that is if they don't give him a reason to.
But before he has a chance to open the door, a portal opens up. Deku sighs, "Sorry, guess you'll have to wait a little bit longer. Don't worry, no one will be finding you for a while so get some sleep," Deku says to the door, unsure if he could actually be heard, then steps through Kurogiri's portal.
On the other side, Bakugou was barking around in his chair, thrashing about in his restraints. Shigaraki and Dabi are standing around him, Toga sits on the bar counter swinging her legs and spinning her knife by the blade into the wood, and Kurogiri is in his spot, manning the bar of a near empty business.
"Shut up noisy brat!" Shigaraki rasps at Bakugou. "We just want to talk."
"That's not going to work," Deky says with a smirk. "He doesn't know how. Even if he did, it's not like anything good would come out of his mouth anyways. Look at me, what was his version of talking sent me over the deep end—according to him and every other hero that is."
Bakugou shuts up and stills, sending a piercing gaze at Deku.
"What? Cat got your tongue?"
"Why am I here?"
"That's for Shigaraki to tell you. Don't get me wrong, I didn't bring you here because I wanted to, I'm not that sentimental. If I had my way, I would have already killed you. But hey, orders are orders."
"I'm not going to listen to anything any of you have to say, so let me the hell out of here."
"Aww!" Toga pouts. "But we're having so much fun. But if you don't want to talk. . ." Toga raises her knife and presses her finger down on it's tip, drawing blood that drips down on the counter. "I don't mind having a little extra fun."
"Knock it off Toga, you're getting blood all over my bar. Rule one, keep my place clean or you're out," Kurogiri threatens.
Kurogiri doesn't show much personality except when it comes to his bar. Deku remembers when he first came here. He was so messed up, his quirk going haywire after practically every move he made. He nearly burned to place down one day. The only reason he was still here was because All For One ordered it.
Toga slumps and sticks her knife in her belt. "Fine," she grumbles.
"You're all crazy," Bakugou breaths.
Deku narrows his eyes. "Crazy? Is that so?" Then he widens his eyes, showing Bakugou a truly crazed look with flaring red eyes. "You haven't seen crazy yet Kachann. But do you want me to show you?"
Bakugou swallows hard. "Why am I here?"
"We want you to join us." Shigaraki finally says. "Help us take down the hero society forced upon this world like a metal cage. Help us liberate this world."
"I'd never help you. Not even if you threatened to kill me."
Deku sighs, slumping against a wall. "Told you. Might as well let him go right now."
"Not yet," Shigaraki orders. "Look, if you help us, we'll help you. Make sure you have a nice comfy seat next to Deku, princes of the new age. You'll have all the power, you'll be number one, a hero amongst the people. Just like you always wanted."
"One, you have nothing I want. Two, I'll become the number one hero on my own, I don't need anyone's help. Three, like hell I'd want to sit next to that dumb nerd. You may look different and act like some tough rogue hero vigilante, but your still that stupid little nerd I kept trying to skate since kindergarten. New friends and some crap shot power doesn't change that."
"Anything else? No? Okay then are we done here, I'm bored."
"Last chance," Shigaraki says to Bakugou. "Think hard."
"No," Bakugou says forcefully without hesitation.
"This was a wase of time. If you would have just listened to me we could have tried some other hero wannabe."
Shigaraki sighs and begins scratching his neck. Deku winces at the sound that is like nails on a chalkboard. Every damn time. . . was he ever going to break that nervous habit.
"Fine," Shigaraki says. "What should we do?"
The only time the boss ever comes to Deku for advise was when it was killing advice. The when, where, how, even the if. What he didn't know was now there was someone even better then Deku in this room now. The person whom Deku learned everything from. But then again, this was Deku's catch, his baggage from his past.
"Do you want to kill him?"
Deku waits a few moments before answering, soaking in the sights of Bakugou helplessly listening as they decide his fate. He could kill him if he wanted to. In seconds or over the course of days. The torture he could put Bakugou through would be nothing like what Bakugou had put him through. And he would deserve all of it.
Maybe the first thing he would do was burn an imprint of his hand onto Bakugou's shoulder just like Bakugou had that day in middle school when he threw Deku's notebook out the window. Or maybe he would start with dragging every kid from that class who only fueled the fire at Bakugou's feet then make him watch the light leave their eyes. All the while the hero's would be well, not hero's.
Maybe that was what he needed to see the corruption in the hero society. There to interfere but never there to save. They can't control the city they are supposed to protect and watch as people slip into the shadows of those who can actually save and protect them. The league.
Or he could get it over with. Exact all the pain Bakugou caused him and kill him right here and now.
Deku weighs his options, all eyes on him waiting for an answer. "No," he answers. "Not yet. But I don't want to release him to the heroes just yet either."
"Class 1-A is supposed to go on a field trip to the forest soon according to the UA faculty. Stick him in a cell until then. Then we'll let him listen in on all the screams of his class as we burn the place down. I'll figure out what to do with him after that."
"Okay. Hand me the keys Kurogiri."
"Hold up. Make sure he's in there before you free him. He's a slick one with a lot of kick. I'll take care of him. We don't want you disintegrating the boy by accident, do we? Mind giving us a hand down there Kurogiri?"
"Sure thing," Kurogiri tosses Deku the keys and opens a shortcut to the cells underground.
Deku grabs a pillow off the nearby couch by the fireplace, tosses through the haze, and shoves Bakugou back. His chair tilts and he falls to the cold damp concrete floor with a hard thud, head hitting the soft cushion.
The light from the bar area shuts off abruptly and they are alone. An overhead light turns on and reveals a near empty cell.
"Welcome home," Deku says as he leans down and unlocks the restraints. "Get used to it."
Bakugou stands up, rubbing his wrists as he looks around. Concrete walls and metal bar door. A bed is tucked in the corner with a pillow and blankets. "Do you really think this will hold me? You better not think I'm weak!"
"On the contrary actually. That's why we have these." Deku waives a metal bracelet Kurogiri had tossed him with the keys. "Give me your hand."
"Like hell."
Deku raised a brow then punched Bakugou in the face. Unable to block it, he stumbles back. When Deku grabs his wrist Bakugou instinctively throws an explosion at him. One too close and fast for Deku to be able to react. The explosion hits him in the face. The heat stings his skin but doesn't do lasting damage.
With Deku's vision blocked Bakugou makes another explosion between the two of them, this time one large enough to engulf Deku. He charges forward, a right hook heading straight for Deku's jaw.
That time Bakugou took to set off another explosion gives Deku time to activate his quirk. He senses the shift in Bakugou's explosion. Instead of directing it back toward him, Deku waits. When Bakugou is close enough, Deku grabs the hand trying to hit him and yanks Bakugou forward. Face to face Deku elbows him in the stomach.
Bakugou keels over, coughing and griping his stomach.
"Better get used to a stupid little nerd hitting you. Have you forgotten, I'm a lot stronger then I used to be," Deku says as he locks the cuff on.
Bakugou growls and tries to set of small explosions meant to threaten him. Nothing came from his hand. The nitroglycerin sweat on his palms did not ignite in sparks. "What the hell is this?"
"A suppressor." Deku nods to the cuff, "curtesy of the doctor."
Bakugou tsks, wipes his face, and spits on the floor. "So what? Am I just supposed to sit here?"
Deku shrugs, "Sit, lay down, I don't care. Just don't give me a reason to kill you."
"Then don't give me a reason to finish what I started in middle school. Touch anyone, and you're dead."
"Fair enough. You have a deal."
Deku turns away and unlocks the cell door.
"Deku," Bakugou says, his harsh and threatening demeanor gone. "is it going to be like this from now on?"
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you missed the sweet nerd you thought you were better then ever since you got your power."
"Is it?"
Deku slams the cell door shut, "For now."
THANK YOU FOR THE 1K READS!! I KNOW I HAVEN'T BEEN ON AND POSTED IN A WHILE BUT IT MEANS SO MUCH YOU ALL. ITS NOT MUCH BUT I GET SO HAPPY WHEN EVEN ONE PERSON READS THIS. THANK YOU!!