A/N: Hehehe... I'm almost sorry for leaving you with this chapter as I head off to work... Almost. Important note!! For those of you who do not know, Hizashi (with a Z) is Present Mic. Hisashi (with an S) is Midoriya Hisashi—Izuku's biological father. There's a difference between the two, and it's incredibly important you know this, or you'll be very confused.
Please enjoy the chapter~! And rest assured, I'll update again on Friday. :)
Chapter 8: Gone
Izuku leaned against Shouta as they headed inside. They shook off the remaining slush from their boots as they curled up on the couch together near the heater, Yuki making himself comfortable on their laps. They'd just finished what Izuku called a 'lone patrol'.
The two pros were confident enough, now, that occasionally they'd let him go out with Shouta without Hizashi tagging along (though Izuku had no idea that the main reason for this was because Hizashi was working with Tsukauchi to find the man who seemed to be obsessed with Izuku and this mysterious villain he was trying to track down). Izuku smiled as his mom handed them each a cup of hot cocoa. The older man was sending Hizashi a text, letting his husband know that he was at the Midoriya household and would probably crash there for a few hours.
U.A. was on break for a couple of weeks, and Izuku was glad to be able to spend more time with his three favorite heroes. Auntie would pop by randomly 'just because', and Izuku himself was glad for the distraction at times. She'd often just take him shopping or have a movie night (which she'd drag Shouta and Hizashi into more often than not).
Auntie Nem and his mother were also very close, now, and Izuku was thrilled. He couldn't remember the last time his mother had actually gone out and done things with a friend, and he found that her anxiety and stress was melting away. She was also thinning out nicely (not that he'd ever seen her as overweight before, but the stress of raising a Quirkless child alone had been hard on her body).
Apparently, his mom had run into Auntie Mitsuki a few weeks ago, and the two had caught up on a bunch of things. His mother had later lamented to Nemuri that, while she still valued Mitsuki's friendship, it wasn't nearly as comfortable or open as her own friendship with the hero. Izuku thought it sounded a lot like his old friendship with Kaachan, before Quirks.
Not necessarily an unhealthy friendship, but not quite a fair one, either. Izuku was just glad that his mother's social circle was expanding. Izuku idly wondered if he should attempt to expand (read, create) his own, too.
"What're you thinking about, Problem Child?" Shouta asked, holding open an arm as Izuku gratefully snuggled into his protective warmth.
"Just how much happier mom is, now that Auntie Nem's in the picture." Izuku smiled as Shouta hummed in agreement, the deep sound reverberating around him as Yuki purred on his chest. "How many of your coworkers would have a heart attack if they saw us right now?" Izuku wondered aloud.
Shouta's laugh was unguarded and free, and Izuku loved that he never saw the need to hide these laughs from them anymore. "I think most of them would probably accuse me of being a fake. Maybe check me for a fever. Vlad might believe me." He mused.
"Do you think Nezu would let me be in your class if I manage to get into the Hero Course?"
"If? Kid, you'll probably breeze through U.A.'s illogical exams at this point." Shouta chuckled. "Nezu, though... I'm not sure about that. He might. I'm not known to be biased, and if you do manage to make it into my class, I will not go easy on you."
"I'd be offended if you did." Izuku huffed.
"Good." He ruffled Izuku's hair before stretching. "I'm going to take a shower before I collapse for the night. I'd recommend you do the same."
"Hai, hai. We both stink." Izuku grinned, ducking under a playful swat that he knew would only pull out a couple strands of hair. "Love you, Dad."
"Love you too, son."
"Night mom! Love you!" Izuku called out, as he headed into his room after his shower.
"Love you too, Izuku. Night boys! Sleep well." She called out, receiving a similar call from Shouta.
Izuku smiled softly as he curled up in his bed. Everything was... good. Life was fantastic, and he couldn't remember ever being happier.
He should've known it wouldn't last.
Oooh~Shitisgonnahitthefanandifyouwantmorehappytimesthengobackachapter
Shouta woke with a start from a very thick deep sleep. Something was wrong. He carefully climbed to his feet, listening intently for something, still trying to blink the weariness from his eyes. He faintly heard Inko's soft voice rising in distress.
CRASH!
Shouta felt his stomach twist in knots of worry as he slid out his bedroom door and rounded the corner, wide-awake. He saw Inko backed up against the counter, face full of fear as a man he'd never seen before stalked towards her.
The man glanced up at Shouta's approach. "Oh, so that's how it is. You divorce me, and hook up with the next homeless bum you find?" The man snarled.
Shouta abruptly realized that this man must be Hisashi, Inko's ex husband, and Izuku's biological father. He didn't like that look in his eye—it was something he'd seen in many villains. Shouta easily fell into a fighting stance, hand coming up to grip his Capture Weapon—which was not there.
Icy fingers gripped his chest. How could he make such a rookie mistake?! Never enter a situation unaware or unprepared. Always bring your weapons with you. He could fight rather well without it, but he was much better with it. He felt distinctly naked without the familiar weight of his Capture Weapon around his shoulders.
"Shouta, grab Izuku and go!" Inko begged, and for a moment, Shouta froze, indecisive. It was something so unlike him. But he couldn't just leave her. He typically shied away from making emotional attachments to people—they just made his job harder. But the Midoriya's had a way of forcing their way into others' hearts without the other person even realizing it.
Now, Shouta hesitated. And hesitation was not a good thing in his profession.
"No, I'm afraid that I can't let any witnesses escape." The man grinned.
Following his instinct, Shouta dodged to the side, barely avoiding something that whizzed by his head. The man twirled the crowbar in his hand with a twisted grin.
"M-Mom?" Izuku's quiet voice, still half-asleep, made Shouta's blood turn to ice. Without a second thought, Shouta went to grab Izuku, maybe escape out his bedroom window or call for backup, because something in Shouta's gut was saying that this man was dangerous. How had he only noticed that screaming wrongness in his gut now?!
The man threw down what Shouta hoped was just a smokescreen. He held his breath, just in case, but the man was fast. Faster than Shouta anticipated, and he hit Shouta hard in the side with the crowbar.
Not one to waste any advantage, Shouta gripped the weapon tightly, activating his Quirk as he glared at the man. He heard, once, that Hisashi—Inko's ex husband—had a Quirk that allowed him to breathe fire. Shouta couldn't take the chance that this gas was combustible.
He signed to Izuku behind his back. 'Hide. Contact Hizashi. Run.' He knew the kid would protest, but he couldn't risk turning away from Hisashi for even a moment. He wouldn't risk Inko or Izuku.
"You can't hold your breath forever." Hisashi taunted as he and Shouta traded blows. He got in a lucky shot at Shouta's diaphragm, knocking the precious air from him.
He spun as he received a punch to the jaw. He saw Izuku out of the corner of his eye, collapsed on the ground. The gas must've been some kind of sleeping agent. Hisashi wore a mask over his mouth, filtering out the chemical.
Shouta struggled to stay standing, keeping himself between Izuku and the villain before him.
"Izuku." Hisashi's sweet smile sent chills down his spine, even if it was distorted with the gas mask. "Why, last time I saw you, you were no taller than my knee!"
"W-who are you?" Izuku's voice trembled. Whether that was from fear or the gas was anyone's guess. Shouta cursed himself. No Capture Weapon, no phone! What the hell was I thinking?! His vision started blurring, and it took more effort than he'd like to admit to keep focusing it on the figure before him.
"You don't mean to tell me you don't recognize your dear old dad?"
"You aren't my father!" Izuku snarled, but his eyes were drooping.
Shouta staggered, barely standing. He raised his fists as he fell into a defensive stance—though it was sloppy at best, given his current state. It wasn't much, but he was going to do whatever he could to protect Izuku from this man.
Hisashi paused, looking between Shouta and Izuku. "Ah. I see how it is. You prefer your step father over your real father." He grinned as he seemed to vanish from Shouta's impaired view. A moment later, he felt something hard hit the back of his head and stars flew across his vision.
The last thing Shouta remembered was seeing Izuku's terrified face as Hisashi closed in on him.
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Something was wrong, Hizashi decided. Normally, Inko would send a good morning text, or Izuku would send him some cute little picture of Shouta half-asleep over his cat mug full of coffee.
But instead, he woke up to a grand total of 0 notifications. At seven in the morning. This, normally, wouldn't be anything to really concern himself over. There were plenty of times that the two were too tuckered out to message him in the morning, so Hizashi would just head over to Inko's (usually with Nemuri in tow) and wake the two insomniacs up.
Inko was also such a scatterbrain that she'd usually forget something or other and in her rush to remedy the issue, forget to text him.
But the feeling in his gut had him grabbing his jacket as he dashed out the door, barely taking the time to lock up. He sent Nemuri a text to meet him at the Midoriya household whenever she could. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe he was just being paranoid. But he'd called Shouta six times, and sent twelve texts. He'd also called and messaged Izuku. No answer from either of them, and that wasn't right. Shouta always answered his phone, unless he was on patrol or something similar. Even then, he'd always answer or text back within an hour.
Izuku would pick up most of the time, and usually text back within ten minutes to a half hour depending on what he was doing. He hoped he was overreacting. He hoped he was just being paranoid.
Part of him knew he wasn't, though, and that this feeling was one that he usually only got when he was doing hero work. That scared him.
When he finally reached the apartment, twenty minutes later, the door was already slightly ajar. Inko may have been a scatterbrain, but she never left the door open, even when just taking out the trash. It was something that bothered her, it made her feel vulnerable.
The obvious signs of forced entry made his heart leap into his throat. No... Please be okay.
Images flashed through his mind. Shouta, laying in a pool of his own blood, draped protectively over a far too-still Izuku... Inko laying off in the side of the room somewhere... a robbery gone wrong...
He shook his head and cautiously pushed the door open, being careful not to touch the doorknob. If it was as bad as he feared, he couldn't risk tampering with evidence. (And that thought, thinking of his home away from home as a fucking crime scene made him feel sick to his stomach.)
The first thing that hit him was the stillness. The silence and cold aura of the normally warm and cheerful household. Shouta's boots sat next to Inko's new shoes and Izuku's own boots. Nobody had left.
He carefully made his way inside. The sharp smell of iron made his stomach churn, and he flicked on the lights, fearing the worst.
"Mrow!" He startled at the sound as Yuki bolted towards him, leaping into his arms. His fur was standing on end, and his paws were wet. Hizashi cradled the frightened kitten, glad to find someone home. It didn't help much, though. He looked around.
There were obvious signs of a struggle. A broken vase on the floor, droplets of blood nearby, papers scattered everywhere... A small coffee table was overturned, and there was a lingering smell of... something in the air. Shouta's coat hung up on the coat rack, and a couple of abandoned hot chocolate mugs from the night before sat innocently on the table in the living room, contrasting with the violence that hung in the air like a blanket.
No sign of breakfast, so whatever happened was likely in the middle of the night.
He was making his way towards Izuku's bedroom when he saw the puddle of blood on the floor. Yuki's paws are wet. He looked down to see blood on his hand, where the little paws had touched. It was cold, and wet, and it made Hizashi feel sick because this belongs to someone he cares about.
There were drag marks leading from the puddle towards the front door. He searched, eyes meticulously combing the area for any clue of the owner. He swallowed back his bile when he saw black hair—the familiar strands he always found himself picking out of his laundry with a fond smile—mixed in with the red liquid. This was Shouta's blood.
He ran for Izuku's room, finding it untouched. Izuku's Capture Weapon was laying undisturbed at the foot of his bed, his phone sat innocently on his bedside table, and Hizashi fought to control his breathing as he went to check the 'guest bedroom' (really, Inko had all but made it theirs) across the hall.
Shouta's Capture Weapon was carefully folded up next to the bed, in that same specific manner that Shouta always insisted made it easier to put on without it getting tangled. He never grabbed it. Hizashi realized, dread filling him.
It hit him hard. Three missing people—one his husband, one his best friend, and the third was practically his son. He felt like being sick. His head was pounding and he couldn't get enough air in his lungs, and when had he fallen on his knees?
"Zashi? Oh, God, Hizashi!" Nemuri's hand on his shoulder made him jump. He looked up to find her pale and shaking just like him. Yuki mewed pitifully, pawing at Hizashi's face, leaving a streak of red down his cheek.
"Nem... Please... Please tell me this is some kind of twisted nightmare?" Hizashi begged. This couldn't be real. This could not be happening to his family.
"I..." She let a few frustrated tears fall from her eyes, and Hizashi felt his heart clench as he let out a strangled sob. "We'll find them, Zashi." She tried to reassure him, but her voice was shaky and hollow. She was in just as bad a state as he was.
No. NO, Damnit!! That was not what he wanted to hear!! He wanted her to tell him that this was a sick joke, or a horrific nightmare, and that none of this was real, and his family was fucking fine. His fingers were tangled in his hair as he pulled angrily at his scalp as he tried to wake himself up.
It didn't work.
They'd been called in for kidnapping cases before—most heroes had. It was a mission—however unfortunate—that nearly every hero had faced at least once in their careers, if not multiple times. Hizashi had seen the parents many times. The loved ones of the missing person.
Pale. Shaking. Terrified.
He'd never fully understood the emotions until it happened to him. Until it was his family in danger. And suddenly, he knew why they always said that the hardest part was the not knowing.
Because he had no idea if Izuku, Inko, and Shouta were even alive right now. Or if they were being tortured or maimed or God, their kidnapper could be murdering them right now, and I'd never know.
He forced himself to take a deep breath, though it did nothing to help.
For the first time in his life, Hizashi was at a loss for words. What could he say to help make Nemuri feel better, when Hizashi himself felt like the world was imploding?
He carefully reached out towards her, and she clung to him, sobbing. Hizashi felt like he should cry, too, but everything felt so unreal. It had to be a dream, then, right?
But Nemuri was so warm and solid and she was sobbing in despair. Every terrible, heart wrenching sob wracked her body, shaking her. In that moment, Hizashi didn't see the Pro-Hero Midnight. He just saw a terrified aunt who didn't know if her best friends and nephew were even alive.
Hizashi didn't feel like a pro hero, either. He felt like a shell. He felt so helpless. Shouta had been here. Inko had been here. Izuku had been here. Last night. Probably not even twelve hours ago. And where was he while they were fighting for their lives? Fucking asleep halfway across town, like a goddamned idiot.
His fist clenched as the guilt welled up, filling some of the hollowness. Then came the anger. What the hell kind of hero was he?! He couldn't even protect his own family. His nails dug deeply into the palms of his hands, and the dull pain hardly registered as he bit his cheek hard enough to draw blood. What good was he for when he couldn't even protect his own family?!
"Mrow." Yuki pawed at Hizashi again, making the man blink. He'd forgotten about Izuku's kitten.
Izuku's Christmas gift. Everything had been so perfect back then, and it was only a few months ago, and— He cut off his train of thought violently, as Yuki looked between the two heroes and the doorway.
"I... I think he wants us to f-follow him." Nemuri hiccupped. She was still dangerously pale, and Hizashi knew he didn't look any better.
"R-right." He winced as his voice cracked, something that had rarely happened to the Voice Hero due to his Quirk. The two got up, following the little black kitten past the puddle of Shouta's blood and into the kitchen. The kitten jumped up onto a chair and then onto the counter, sitting beside a little slip of paper that neither of them had noticed before.
The kidnapper left a note.
'Contact any police or heroes, and all three of them die. I will know.'
Hizashi shared a despairing look with Nemuri. In their Hero training, they were taught that, upon discovering such notes in a kidnapping situation, they were to proceed with the utmost caution. But they were always to find another hero to work with. Never work alone. Always involve as many heroes as you safely can without drawing unneeded attention. Always involve the police, even against a note's warning.
He knew this. It'd been drilled into his head for years. He'd even implemented it several times when he was involved in kidnapping cases. But this was different. When it was someone else... It was easier to cull their fears with kind words of positive results borne of experience.
But this was Hizashi's family. This was Shouta and Izuku and Inko. Hizashi didn't think he could find the will to live if—by some horrific chance—this kidnapper decided to stand by his word. He couldn't live without them. He took one look at Nemuri and knew she felt the same.
They couldn't risk it. These people were far too precious to them.
"We have to find them." She whispered. "We can't involve anyone else."
"We will find them." Hizashi promised, his voice sounding much more steady and determined than he felt. "We have to."