Chapter Text
Izuko watched with pride and despair swelling in her chest, her eyes watering beyond her control. She held in one deep breath as All Might appeared on the jumbo screen in downtown Kamino in his true form, the emaciated form only his closest friends knew about. The tatters of his uniform hung on his thin body like sheets on a laundry wire. Without looking at the camera, he pointed right at the center and said clearly,
“Next...it’s your turn.”
The crowds around her cheered in exhilaration, thinking All Might meant it as a warning to criminals who tried to challenge him. It warmed her heart that the people still had faith in All Might even when he wasn’t big and muscular, but it also scared her, because they still didn’t know what she did.
Izuko pulled down the studded mouth mask off of her face. It was a part of her disguise as a sukeban for when she and her friends snuck out here to Kamino to rescue Bakugo. It was a miracle they were successful, but his kidnapping was what led All Might to discover All-For-One’s secret hiding place and face him for the last time. It was a close fight, but All Might won all the same, but this time at a greater cost. He used up the last of his One For All. So when he pointed to the camera and said those words, she knew he was talking to her, his successor. Now it was up to her to continue the legacy of One For All.
And that realization made it hard to breathe. She wiped away at her face as she bawled and sniffled heavily while everyone cheered.
As soon as they got back to their hometown, they took Bakugo to the police so he could tell them what he knew and what he saw, especially since all of them except for All-For-One got away. Izuko tried to ask him herself on the train ride back, but he just tsked at her.. He went in quietly when they dropped him off at the police station. Hopefully, he would talk to them, but she could never be sure with him. She knew things would be complicated between them after their big break up at finals, but she thought he realized how important this was
The League of Villains knew where they were spending the summer even though UA took every measure to keep it a secret. They made these Nomus out of criminals who were supposed to be in the protective custody of the law. That meant that although they looked like a ragtag bunch of vandals, they had resources and possibly people on the inside. There could even be an inside man at U.A, for all they knew! And it was only going to get worse the longer they remained hidden.
After dropping Bakugo off, everyone went home. Izuko took the railway back to her apartment. As she held onto the supports, she looked at her phone to see the news sites with All Might’s true form taking the front page. He looked so worn and bloody in the picture, she figured he must still be at the hospital covering. She would call him, but she didn’t want to risk waking him up from some well-needed rest. Her eyes were drooping as well. As soon as she got home, her plan was to hit that All Might bedset and sleep for days.
She grabbed her key out of her purse and unlocked the front door to her family’s apartment.
“Mom? I’m home.” She said loudly, expecting her warm and soft mother, Inko, to come running up to her and hug her tightly, but no one responded.
“Mom?” She called out again, checking the hallway bathroom and finding it empty. She checked her room and didn’t see her. Did she go grocery shopping? She normally didn’t leave this early. Finally, Izuko checked her own room. When she turned on the light, she saw a small dirty envelope sitting on her All Might pillow.
Her heart pounded in her ears as the fear took over. She pulled it off of her bed and ripped the side off to pull out the letter inside. Her eyes flipped back and forth as she read row by row quickly, going over words repeatedly as she heaved in disbelief.
Dear Izuko Midoriya,
If you are reading this letter, it means that you’ve just realized that your mother is gone and that you’re Player 1 in my new game. She is still very much alive and will only continue to be as long as you comply with the rules of my game.
Rule 1: Do not contact the police.
Rule 2: Do not contact any hero or hero agency.
Rule 3: Do not contact ANYONE at U.A, whether they be a teacher, staff member, or a student.
Rule 4: Do not speak to anyone at all, except for the NPCs who will take you to the game.
Rule 5: Do not copy or take a photo of this letter to share with anyone. Take this letter with you when you leave.
Rule 6: There is a limo waiting two blocks to the right, next to the pawn shop that you pass by on your way home. As soon as you walked past it, a timer began. You have approximately 20 minutes to return to it before it leaves. If you’re not in it when the NPCs drives away, the game will be over.
Rule 7: To make sure that you go this letter, a camera was planted on one of the journals on your shelf. Find it and bring it with you, keeping your face in view of the camera at all times.
Rule 8: Take nothing with you and say no words and shed no tears on your way to the limo.
Rule 9: Don’t try to be clever and find a loophole in the rules.
Rule 10: Go.
Follow these rules and your mother will continue to live.
With love and regards,
Tomura Shigaraki
Izuko’s breath shook as she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping this was just a nightmare. She considered that maybe she had already come home and fallen asleep, and this was an anxiety dream pulling from the memories of her encounter with Shigaraki at the mall, when she was frozen in fear as he stroked her neck with his pale dry fingers. If all five of them had touched her, her throat would decay and she’d die. Her body tensed with anger as she remember the sick satisfied look on his face.
Izuko slowly turned her head to see an odd shine coming from her bookshelf. When she got closer, she saw the little camera he was referring to, tacked onto her burnt hero data collection journal, and her stomach plummeted as she accepted this was real. She also accepted that this wasn’t the time to think her way out of it. Right now, because her mother’s life was on the line, she just has to comply. She hadn’t kept track of how much time had passed since she walked by that pawn shop, and she didn’t have time to estimate. She grabbed the journal and held it close to her, making sure he could see that she wasn’t going to play tricks. She ran out of the apartment and down the two blocks, not making eye contact with anyone she passed by.
She saw the limo right as the lights turned on and the engine revved to drive off. It made a few meters before she ran in front of it.
“Wait!” She screamed, “I’m here! Don’t leave!”
The limo came to a halt, and the driver came out of his side and opened the door to the back, motioning with his hand for her to enter. She gulped and nodded to him, trembling with every step. She slowly stepped inside and sat on the slippery leather seats lined next to the minibar. When she looked up, she saw an older man, with grey hair and round glasses who had a gap-toothed smile.
“Welcome, Miss Midoriya. I’m glad you could join me.” The old man greeted her as if she was here by choice.
She glared at him as her resolve overtook her fear.