"Let's make a deal." Izuku's voice shook miserably.
Overhaul paused. "And what's that?"
Izuku took a deep breath of air and forced himself to look away from Eri who was still sobbing, curled into a ball on the floor. "Me for Eri."
"What?" Izuku wasn't sure who said it, Overhaul or Mirio. Maybe both.
"You get me. I come willingly without anymore fighting. My frien- associates leave. With Eri," Izuku clarified. His voice cracked at Eri's name, tears threatening to take over as he waited to see what Overhaul would say as he thought it over.
"Deal."
"What?" This time it was Izuku to say it. He couldn't believe his luck, if this even counted as that.
"I said deal. Go say your goodbyes and then return. Eri and Mirio stays with me until your done, then you can give Eri to Mirio and Chrono will help them out. Understood?"
Izuku numbly nodded.
"Then get going."
Stopping the fighting had been the easiest part of it all. His eyes had dulled over as he said his goodbyes to his friends, Ryukyu, Fatgum and Nighteye having to hold them back as they begged to go save him and fought against his words. He had gotten looks of approval and pity from the adults as they made their escape.
Of course, a few tried to convince him to retreat with them, but Izuku refused, holding a gun to his own head as they threatened to drag him with them. Eventually they all relented and left, leaving Mirio and Eri.
Izuku crouched next to the girl as she looked up with big teary eyes. "Please don't go," she begged. "Izu, I'm scared!"
Izuku wrapped his arms around her as tightly and for as long as he dared. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear, before gently passing her over to Mirio.
Mirio wasn't doing so well, but somehow in his delirious state he managed to gently cradle her. Chrono helped the two limp out while Overhaul kept a careful hand on Izuku's shoulder to keep him from running after them. The urge to do so was overwhelming, it made Izuku's head spin. Or maybe that's just from the injuries.
Izuku felt a tight pressure around his neck and his hands flew up to them in a panic, only to find a cool metal surface squeezing against him tightly. His collar. Izuku's legs collapsed beneath him and his knees hit the ground pathetically as he let out a long wail, followed by uncontrollable sobs.
He wasn't quite back where it had all started, but he had a feeling it would be worse.
***
Aizawa had gotten the call and immediately dropped everything to go pick up his kids. When he arrived they were all wrapped in blankets, sipping at drinks of either coffee or hot chocolate. Aizawa went straight to Nighteye.
"Where. Is. He."
Nighteye had the respect to look down in shame. "You already know-,"
Before anyone could blink, Nighteye was holding his cheek in pain with Aizawa's fist still outstretched from the punch. Wordlessly, he turned, waving at his kids to follow him. They did so while staring in shock.
No one spoke as they arrived at UA. Eri had cried herself to sleep and was curled up with red stained eyes in Aizawa's arms. Todoroki and Katsuki were waiting with Shinso by the doorway, Kaminari curled up asleep on Shinso's lap.
They looked in confusion when Izuku never entered. Todoroki ended up being the one to break the silence. "Where is he?" His voice came out tight and heavy, the answer clear by the atmosphere. "No-,"
"I'm sorry." It was all Aizawa could say, and that was pathetic. Be inwardly cursed himself for not fighting against the school harder. For not locking Izuku in his room or trying him to his bed. It had been a mistake to let him go.
Todoroki couldn't stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks as he stared at nothing in horror with wide eyes.
***
It'd been a few days since Eri's rescue, and after a horrid beating, Izuku had been isolated in his cell, tied to the bed and unable to see anything with a blindfold itchy on his eyes. He could periodically hear people coming in and out, switching out the IV tube in his arms that kept him alive and temporarily paralyzed. Izuku couldn't even scream as who he assumed was Toga stuck and twisted a knife in his leg. Everything was too fuzzy for him to focus, mind constantly spinning, constant headache pounding.
Izuku felt so tired. All he wanted to do was sleep. But the headphones tight around his ears would blast a loud horn sound or gunshot whenever his eyes started to close, jolting him awake. Izuku had no clue how they knew when he was falling asleep with his blindfold on. Sometimes a loud noise would happen when Izuku would start to zone off. He was going insane.
***
It'd been two weeks, going on three. Eri wasn't doing so well, spending all her free time in the front yard by the gate, just staring. Staring into the street, waiting for her brother to pop up though she knew it wouldn't happen. No- it would. And she'd be waiting for when he appeared.
Mirio stayed outside with her, carefully bringing her inside whenever she'd fall asleep, or bringing her food. Sometimes even just being there as she'd wail and cry, heart aching.
Inside, the kids weren't doing well either. Todoroki felt restless and barely acknowledged anyone. Katsuki got ticked off by the slightest slip, getting into a record amount of fights and spending every other moment in the gym. Todoroki could often be found sparring with him to the point Aizawa would be forced to separate them and send the exhausted boys to an early bed.
Shinso hadn't gotten a minute of sleep since the day, and it was starting to take its toll, shadows following him around. No matter how much pleasing Kaminari tried, Shinso refused to go to sleep without Izuku.
Aizawa got to the point where the worry was overwhelming. He had to do something.
"Tomorrow night," he announced at the next meeting, "We're having a gathering in the living room. We're upping precautions so we can keep an eye on you all, just for tomorrow night. Understand?"
"A sleepover," Momo murmured to Jiro, who nodded in agreement.
Aizawa pretended not to hear them.
Everyone pulled their small cots into the living room that evening, the couch's and table being pushed off to the side to make room for them all. Everyone had gathered and Kaminari took the chance to snuggle into Shinso, who gratefully accepted the contact.
It stayed quiet for only a moment as Aizawa drifted off into a deep sleep. He had purposely taken several sleeping pills thirty minutes prior. Give them some time to talk, maybe, hopefully, they'd be better in the morning. Too much time had passed.
The kids noticed the second he went unconscious. They were also aware that Aizawa had been the only staff on night shift that evening.
"So, now what?" Kirishima broke the silence.
No one spoke up instead letting the question hand in the air.
"I miss him." This time it was Uraraka, regret dripping in her voice. "I should've tried harder to get to him. Should've been stronge-,"
Katsuki cut her off with a whack to the back of her head. "Don't you dare!" He snarled. "What happened was not your fault! It's all that stupid fucking bird faces!"
The room fell back into silence until Uraraka cleared her throat with a gurgled sound. Everyone was horrified to see tears dripping down her face. "No. I've never been strong enough," Uraraka hissed. "If I was strong then why did my parents push me around? Why didn't I fight back when they hit me? Why didn't I do shit when they tossed me off the fucking roof? Because I'm weak and nothing can change that!"
"Your wrong." Katsuki's voice was quieter now. No one daring to interrupt the two. "If you're weak, what does that make me?" A sob escaped his mouth before he clamped it shut tightly. "My parents burned to death in front of me and I was helpless to stop it. My memories are gone and I couldn't even remember the damn nerd when he was right in front of me! You're not the only one who had doubts, round face. But you shut the fuck up and accept the fact that you are not weak. You are a survivor." He turned to glare at everyone in the room, forcing them to meet his gaze before turning away. "Every single one of you are!"
Tsuyu croaked up next after more moments of silence. "I'd almost been forcibly drowned. Wasn't allowed to say my opinion or a word about anything in life until here. Does that make me a survivor too? I haven't gone through as much as everything else, so I understand if it doesn't."