Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He's quirkless. He's weak. He has shaky hands from the head injury that still plagued him with tremors. Hearing aids tucked behind his ears that buzzed faintly in the silence. And now...a face bandaged around his right eye, hiding the raw scar Bakugo had left him as a parting gift before he left Japan.

Izuku Midoriya hated mirrors.

At 13, most kids hated them for pimples or crooked teeth. For him, it was the bandages covering half his face. Beneath the bandages, his skin throbbed in an angry patchwork of scars, a reminder of Bakugo’s explosion and a reminder that he'd never truly be safe, even in his own classroom.

Izuku couldn't understand why his mom had chosen to return now. Why she wanted him and Izumi to meet relatives she had abandoned before they were even born.

Inko had told them this trip was about family. Family that neither twin had met. Family who lived in mansions instead of cramped, falling apart apartments. Family who never bothered to get to know Hisashi. Family who doesn't know how he died. Family who still doesn't know why Inko ran away from her past.

By the time they arrive in London, night had swallowed the place. Inko got into a cab along with Izuku and Izumi.

Izuku pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the cab as the lights of London blurred past. His sister Izumi sat beside him, asleep, her head tilted towards their mom. The smell of rain clung to their clothes, and the steady hum of the engine made his eyelids heavy, but his nerves kept him awake. Their are tremors in his hands.

His hearing aids picked up every distant honk, every muffled shout from the streets. Noise piled on noise until it turned into static, and Izuku found himself adjusting the small dials on his ears just to dull the chaos.

Inko held her children closer, lightly bouncing her leg.

They arrived at a run down hotel near midnight. It smelled of stale beer, cigarettes, and mold. But it was a roof. The air was damp, heavy with rain and gasoline smells. It was all Inko could afford before meeting her family.

Izuku didn't complain. He never did. Not about the scar, still covered in thick bandages. Not about the constant tremors in his hands. Not about the fact that he had no quirk in a world where everyone else did.

Inko led them inside. The lights were flickering on and off, the carpets had mysterious stains that look suspiciously like blood. Izuku trailed behind, one of his notebooks clutched to his chest like armour.

Izuku was the only one who noticed something immediately, in the far corner of the lobby, 5 men lounged in a sitting area in the far corner.

They were looking at them. No, they might be looking at his fiery twin, Izumi, who's that pretty that men on the plane were talking about it.

Or they might be looking at his mom, but no men really paid attention to her.

One of their gazes lingered on him and Izuku didn't realise until the man smirked that they were looking at him.

He tugged his hood lower and said nothing, he didn't want to worry his mom and sister.

The room they checked into smelled of drugs and cigarette smoke. Izumi fell onto one of the beds, muttering about how tired she was. Inko busied herself unpacking. Izuku felt the walls closing in on him. He needed air. But he doesn't want to worry them.

Inko looks at Izuku and tried to smile, but Izuku could see the shadows in her eyes.

For years, she had hidden away in Japan, far from the people she called family. But Hisashi's death had broken something in her, and now she was flying back to the UK. To her family. To the empire she had abandoned.

It was late. Rain smeared the windows, and the hum of the city outside carried both life and danger. Izuku couldn't sleep. The walls of the run down hotel felt too thin, the shadows too loud. But he didn't say anything.

Later, when his mom and sister were asleep, Izuku slipped outside. The streets were quiet, lamps glowing gold in puddles, and his bandaged right eye itched under the gauze. Sometimes Izuku felt like he was suffocating under Izumi's warmth and his mom's quiet sadness.

He doesn't belong anywhere. Not Japan, not here.

He only made it a block before shadows detached from an alleyway. The same 5 men from the lobby.

After all, the streets of London aren't kind to vulnerable teenagers.

Hands grabbed him which were hard and rough. A calloused palm clamped over his mouth and an arm wrapped around his waist, pinning his arms to his body.

"Got you, pretty thing." -Person 1.

"Thought you could run, doll?" -Person 2.

"You're prettier up close." -Person 3.

"Delecate. Almost doll-like." -Person 4.

"Doesn't even look like a boy, more like a broken toy. Doesn't he look more like a girl than his slut of a sister?" -Person 5.

"Well look at this pretty thing, shaking and trembling. Practically begging for something to happen. Probably wants to be fucked and ravaged." -Person 1.

"Thought you were pretty back there, like a doll." -Person 2.

"Too soft for the streets, little beauty." -Person 3.

"Look at those eyes. Almost wasted on a boy. Luckily he's on the feminine side." -Person 4.

"Pretty little thing." -Person 5.

"His eyes are like a dolls." -Person 1.

"Lady-like." -Person 2.

"Yeah, I mean, look at those green eyes. Lady-like, yeah? Bet people mistake you for a girl all the time. I can just imagine you with big tits that'll bounce every time you ride my cock. You want that doll? Want to ride my cock while you have big bouncy tits?" -Person 3.

Person 3 removed his hand from Izuku’s mouth and gripped his chin to tilt his head up. Person 3 kisses him and starts grinding himself against Izuku and groans into the kiss.

Tears well up in Izukus eyes and they threaten to spill when the kiss deepens. Person 3 separates from him and pushes him to someone else.

Person 4 grabs him by the elbows with a strong grip.

"Pretty little thing, wandering all alone." -Person 4.

Person 4 kisses him roughly, his grip on Izuku's elbows tightened in a silent warning.

Tears fall down Izuku’s cheeks, now a rosy red from the coldness that comes with the rain. When did it start raining again?

Person 4 pushes Izuku to another person.

"Fuck baby doll, you looked so pretty getting kissed. And now you look beautiful with those tears sliding down your chubby cheeks." -Person 5.

Person 5 grabs his wrists in 1 hand and his chin in the other. He smirks and kisses him like he'll die any second, he's practically ravaging him.

Izuku can feel the persons cock rock hard against his leg. He doesn't want this. He wants to go home. But he has no official home. He doesn't belong anywhere. So he has no home anywhere.

Izuku gets pushed to another person but he trips and falls infront of them. He's now on his knees and facing the man's crotch.

"Wow, I didn’t know you're this desperate to get some cock. Walking around in those clothes, we just knew you were looking for some." -Person 1.

Person 1 grabbed Izukus hair to keep him in place and with the other hand he undone his belt, button, and zipper. He took out his cock and presented it to Izuku.

"P-please...d-DON'T PL-HMM!" -Izuku.

Person 1 thrusted his cock into his mouth, moaning at the heat surrounding it.

He then screams and shout.

Izuku just bit his cock. Hard.

He yanks Izuku off and slaps him hard.

The people start circling Izuku like predatory sharks waiting for the right moment to attack.

"Pretty little doll. Didn't think you'd fight back." -Person 2.

Their laughter cut deeper than any fist he's felt against his body. Words like beautiful, feminine, lady-like, doll face dripped with lust and mockery.

Then the beating happened.

The blows came fast and hard. Boots crashed against his face, ribs, stomach. His hearing aids cracked against the pavement, his vision flashing white. His bandaged eye throbbed as a new line of fire split across it. The taste of blood filled his mouth, metallic and warm.

He only feels the pain, every breath sharp, his wrist bending wrong, something in his ankle snapping when a boot connected. They laughed as he coughed and struggled, calling him delicate, fragile, pretty, feminine, a doll. He wanted to scream, but no sound came.

Then came a stillness that wasn’t safety. The thing worse than the beating, the humiliation. Hands tugging and tearing at his clothes. Darkness pressing closer. Shame and terror wound together like barbed wire, until he wanted nothing more than to disappear. His thoughts blurred, shame and terror burning hotter than pain. He understood what was about to happen, even if he desperately wished he didn't.

Izuku couldn't move, it hurt too much. One of the people lined up against his hole.

"Fuck. I wish you were a girl so I could impregnate you. Our child would look so handsome. I'd make sure our child would be a boy so I can get him so strong that he'll over power you and when he gets older both of us could enjoy your body. Would you like that? Bearing children only so they can use you?" -Person 2.

Person 2 slammed his cock all the way inside.

Izuku goes unconscious.

And then.......gunfire.

Izuku slowly starts to regain consciousness.

The cracks tore through the night, deafening even through the ringing in his ears. 2 of the people got shot, shouting in pain. They all scattered like startled animals, leaving Izuku broken, half-exposed, bleeding into the pavement.

"Bloody hell–" -??

"He's just a kid–" -????

He drifted in and out. Cold hands touched him, not cruel this time, but urgent, trying to pull his tatered clothes back on him but when that's not working, a jacket is thrown on him, covering him. They try to clean him with whatever they had with trembling urgency.

"Stay with us." -??

"You’re gonna be alright, kid. Just keep your eyes open for us." -????

Every breath was agony. His ribs felt like shattered glass grinding together. His wrist hung useless at his side, and the tremors in his hands had become violent shakes. His ankle burned with every twitch. His nose bled freely, was swelling, and crooked, and his bandages over his right eye were wet and heavy with new blood.

It hurt to breathe. It hurt to exist.

An ambulance was called, he heard it distantly, like through a fog.

He felt himself fading, eyelids sinking no matter how hard he fought.

"Don’t close your eyes! Stay with us." -??

"I’m Gareth Carson." -Gareth. (??)

"And I'm Kayden Lockwood. We’ve got you. You’re safe now." -Kayden. (????)

But safe was a word Izuku had never believed in. Not in Japan. Not here. Not anywhere.

"It....hurts." -Izuku.

Izuku whimpered, his voice cracked, barely audible through the throb of agony in his chest and skull.

"I know. But you're not dying here. Do you hear me?" -Gareth.

The sirens drew closer.

The darkness was warm. So very warm.

And it was pulling him under.

The world dimmed again.

The last thing Izuku heard was Kayden’s voice, sharp with panic, trying to keep him awake.

The pain swallowed him whole as his vision collapsed to black.

Chapter Text

Izuku floated in a haze of antiseptic and dim hospital lights. The machines by his bedside hummed steadily, their beeping rhythm a fragile tether to consciousness. His body ached everywhere, sharp pains in his ribs, the dull throb of his broken arm, the ache in his fractured wrist, the itch in his fractured ankle, and the fiery sting around his right eye.

He tried to shift, but every movement sent pain shooting through him. Tremors shook his hands even when he lay still, an echo of both injury and fear.

The door creaked open. Gareth and Kayden stepped in, quieter than usual. Behind them came Inko, eyes swollen from crying, and Izumi, who he had heard yelling at someone through the thin walls and door.

Inko and Izumi were immediately at his side, Inko was repeating apologies and Izuku wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault, but his throat tightened and he couldn't.

That night, sleep claimed him, dragging him into a shadowed alleyway.

Rough hands pulled at him. Voices whispered cruel names: doll, pretty, fragile, feminine, lady-like, and unworthy of being a boy.

Izuku's breath quickened, his body wouldn’t respond. His legs wouldn’t move. His mouth wouldn’t form words. He was trapped again, reliving everything in distorted fragments. Pain coiled like smoke through his ribs.

Cruel laughter echoed in his ears and mind, mockery followed in the distorted voices of the men. His voice tried to claw its way out of his throat but was unsuccessful.

He tried harder.

He woke up screaming and gasping, tears running down his cheeks. Sweat soaking through his bandages and hospital gown. His chest heaved, and he clawed at the sheets with shaking fingers.

"Zee! It’s okay, it’s just a nightmare." -Izumi.

Izuku sobbed into his hands.

"I-I can't.....get it out of my head!" -Izuku.

Inko climbed onto the hospital bed and cradled him against her, whispering soft comforts in Japanese and English. Izumi climbed onto the bed aswell despite the wires and IVs, hugging him from the other side.

Gareth and Kayden burst in, hearing the scream. They calm down when they see the family on the bed together.

Gareth and Kayden left the room for a few moments and returned with a small stuffed teddy bear and a plushie of a wolf from the hospital gift shop. The teddy bear's fur was patchy, one ear flopped sideways. And the wolf plushie was oddly shaped with oversized ears. Kayden pressed both into Izuku’s hands.

"Figured you might need backup. They'll stand guard for the night." -Kayden.

Izuku managed to hug the bear and wolf despite the cast and splint.

".....Thank you." -Izuku.

Days passed in a slow blur. Word spread through the family that one on Inko's children got hurt bad and had a nightmare.

A few family members and their friends began to visit per day. Faces Izuku didn’t know but who all carried the same thread of bloodline and closeness in their eyes.

Some cried at the sight of him. Others fumed quietly, muttering about finding who did this. He didn’t have the strength to speak much, only to listen.

Day 1 after the nightmare, a few family members came to visit him. Reina gave him an emerald green plush dragon with tiny wings and a small white bunny. Killian chucked a white wolf teddy and a stuffed raven plushie at his lap. Izumi presented him a red coloured flamed fox teddy and a red coloured flamed phoenix plushie.

"For when I can't be here. They're strong, like you." -Izumi.

Izuku smiled. He tried to smile for them, but it hurt too much. His face hurts.

"Don’t force it. You don't have to perform for us, sweetheart." -Reina.

Izuku started to tear up a little.

Day 2 after the nightmare, a few more people came to visit him. Cecily gave him a white fox teddy and a hand sewn pink bear plushie. Ava brought him a lion teddy and a purple fox plushie that's eating an apple. Glyndon placed a white rabbit teddy and a spider plushie on his lap.

"I made the bear a few years ago, I was waiting for the perfect time to give it to someone. That someone is you." -Cecily.

"The fox is soft. And it doesn't judge. As long as it has it's apple everything will be fine." -Ava.

"I thought that maybe these would help. For the nightmares." -Glyndon.

Day 3 after the nightmare the Volkov's arrived. Adrian quietly handed over a yellow wolf teddy and a cloud with legs plushie. Lia gave him a red dragon teddy and a rainbow with legs plushie. Annika handed him a penguin teddy and a strawberry with hands and legs plushie. Jeremy chucked a brocoli teddy and a tomato soup can plushie on his lap.

Lia smacked him behind his head and gave him the look.

Jeremy muttered an apology.

But later on that night, when the hospital halls were quiet, danger slipped in again.

The door opened with the faintest click. Izuku, half-asleep, thought it was a nurse. But a shadow moved closer, tall and deliberate. A prick in his arm startled him—sharp, cold. His limbs began to go heavy, his body refusing to respond.

Panic flared. He couldn’t sit up, couldn’t call out. His breaths came quick and shallow. The man’s voice was low, almost gleeful.

“Couldn’t stay away from you.” -Person 2.

Horror consumed him as realization struck. His body wouldn’t move. He couldn’t fight back. The fear was suffocating, worse than the pain of his broken bones.

It was 1 of the men from the alleyway. He climbed onto the bed and whispered poison, too close, words Izuku couldn't process but understood all the same. The fear was unbearable—paralysis holding him still, the memories of the alleyway were clawing back with cruel familiarity.

The man continued to whisper in the same mocking tone from the alleyway. Izuku’s eyes filled with tears as terror flooded his body. He tried to push the man away, but his body wouldn’t obey. The thing that was injected into him, a paralysis drug of some sort, has claimed his body. The teddy bear and wolf plushie Kayden gave him slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor.

The man removed the blanket and tore off Izuku’s hospital gown. He licked his lips and attacked Izuku's neck in bites and hickeys. He runs his hands all over Izuku's body, feeling every inch of skin, pinching his nipples, stroking his cock, and gripping his thighs and spreading them apart.

The man unbuckled his belt and ties it around Izuku's neck like a collar and leash. He takes his cock out and presses it against Izuku's hole. The man wraps his hand around the leash part of the belt 2 times and tugs on it so Izuku is now closer to the man's face.

He kisses Izuku and thrusts inside him at the exact same time. The man moans into Izuku's mouth and tugs him closer. He pushes Izuku back onto the bed and goes down with him, his thrusts start to speed up.

"Fuck, doll, are you sure your not trans or anything? You look so breedable. I can imagine it now, you with a big pregnant belly doing anything I say. I'll breed and breed you until you can't get pregnant anymore. You'll just be a fucktoy for the rest of your pathetic life. And then I'll move on to your sister, she's a female and their job is to breed, isn't it? Or I could just get her pregnant and raise the children as our own, because finding quirks to allow people to get pregnant are way to hard to find." -Person 2.

Tears slip down Izuku's face. The man licks them up.

"You know, I just realised something, one of my buddy's from the alleyway has a quirk that allows him to add and take away body parts. Maybe he could add a womb and a pussy to you, and those big tits he was talking about you having. I'll talk to him about it, if he says he can do it then I'll track you down, and if he can't do it then I'll track your sister down." -Person 2.

The man moans and thrusts faster, not realising that he's tightening the belt around Izuku’s neck. His lips start to go blue and he's starting to lose consciousness.

The man cums in him. He then pulls out, watching the cum fall out. He climbs off of the bed, not bothering to cover Izuku up.

Izuku tries to move his fingers. They twitch. With all his strength he takes the little clip thing off his finger.

An alarm blares to life, loud enough for people to hear.

The man hits him and tightens the belt around his neck. Izuku starts coughing, his lips have gone completely blue now, and his eyes are going unfocused.

The door bursts open.

Voices shouted. Footsteps thundered. Lights snapped on.

It was Izumi, Gareth, and Killian. They froze, fury igniting as they took in the scene. The man staggered back, caught while adjusting his clothes, ready to jump out the window.

Killian’s voice was venom.

“You’re not leaving.” -Killian.

Izumi ran to Izuku’s side immediately, covering him with the hospital blanket, shielding him from view. Gareth lunged, slamming the man against the wall with such force the monitors shook.

Izuku’s vision swam, tears burning his bandaged eye. He still couldn’t move that much, couldn’t speak, but the weight of despair lifted just a fraction when he realized—this time—he wasn’t alone.

The man shoved Gareth into Killian, sending them both tumbling to the floor. The quickly escapes through the window and runs off.

Gareth and Killian stand up, Killian walks out of the room to go speak to the nurse's and doctor's.

“You’re safe now, Zee. We’ve got you.” -Izumi.

Gareth lifted the teddy bear and wolf plushie gently, laying them down beside Izuku's head.

"Hold on to these. We're not letting anyone hurt you again. Ever." -Gareth.

Izuku’s heartbeat slowed, but the fear stayed, burrowed deep. He clung to that small reminder that he wasn’t fighting in the dark by himself anymore. His chest ached, but for the first time since the alleyway, he almost believed them.

Chapter Text

Izuku's hands trembled when he adjusted the bandages around his right eye. It wasn't fear, not really. His hands had never been steady since the accident, but now, days after Kacchan's explosion had carved half his face into a burn—it became worse.

He hated mirrors, hated seeing the ruined skin beneath the wrappings of the bandages. He was 13. 13 and quirkless. Twin brother to Izumi, who already shone like fire itself—literally. Her quirk, Phoenix Crown, let her bend fire like it was silk, weaving heat and flame into shapes that danced like living creatures. Where Izuku felt broken, Izumi blazed. She was dazzling, powerful, everything that he wasn’t.

And he was tired of pretending the burn didn’t hurt. Izuku had no quirk. No fire. No strength. Just scars. The bandages around his right eye itched and stung.

At 13, he already knew what it was like to be small in a world that worshipped strength. Quirkless, scarred, ears humming faintly from the whine of his hearing aids, the hands trembling from the head injury that never let him forget how fragile he was.

Izumi shone like the sun while he, broken and abnormal, lived in her shadow. Fire came easily to her, like breathing. Izuku had nothing. Except scars.

Izumi slammed her hands on the counter as a nurse adjusted Izuku’s IV.

“Do you even know what you’re doing? He’s not a quirkless lab rat! He’s been attacked, beaten, and raped! Treat him like a human being!” -Izumi.

The nurse flinched.

“We’re… just following protocol.” -Nurse.

Izumi’s eyes blazed.

“Protocol? Ignoring him? Letting him tremble and suffer? He’s my brother! Open your eyes!” -Izumi.

Inko stepped between them, placing a hand on Izumi’s shoulder.

“Izumi… breathe. He needs us calm right now. He's watching you, he's right next to you, but panic won’t help.” -Inko.

She reached for Izuku’s trembling hand.

“I’m right here, Izuku. Always.” -Inko.

Gareth, standing nearby, crossed his arms.

“We’re not leaving, kid. Nobody touches you without us knowing.” -Gareth.

Kayden rested a hand on Izuku’s arm.

“You’re safe. Just focus on breathing.” -Kayden.

Izuku’s lips trembled.

“I-I know. Th-thank you…” -Izuku.

Izuku covers his mouth and coughs violently, a few specks of blood ends up on his hand.

Later, the family gathered in a quiet room down the hall. The atmosphere was tense, filled with whispered voices.

Gareth slammed his fist on the table.

“Those men thought they could get away with attacking him. Not a chance. They need to be found. Every detail, every connection.” -Gareth.

Killian leaned back, arms crossed, his expression cold.

“We need a plan. Smart, precise. No mistakes.” -Killian.

“We’ll coordinate. Keep the police informed, but we can’t just wait around.” -Kayden.

Jeremy rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“We know their type. They have connections, influence. We need to cover all angles—surveillance, information, network contacts, anything and everything you can think of." -Jeremy.

Annika, eyes sharp, nodded.

“We’ll need to identify anyone who might have known about Izuku in advance. We can’t underestimate them.” -Annika.

“We’re not doing anything illegal now, right? We stick to information gathering. Protection. If the legal stuff doesn't work then we go down the illegal route.” -Lia.

Adrian's jaw tightened.

“Of course. But we protect him by any means necessary. Keep him safe at all costs.” -Adrian.

Asher leaned forward.

“He’s just a kid. We can’t let them come near him again. He was almost choked to death last night, and by the shade of blue on his lips, he would've died if their wasn't any intervention then and their.” -Asher.

Reina, her hands on the back of a chair, spoke quietly but firmly.

“We’ve underestimated the danger. Whoever did this knows more than we thought. We can’t risk him alone for a second.” -Reina.

Rai glanced at Kyle.

“We need eyes on the hotel, the streets. Whoever these men are, they’ve been following him from the start.” -Rai.

Kyle nodded.

“Agreed. We’ll set up shifts. No one’s leaving him unattended.” -Kyle.

Gareth’s gaze softened slightly.

“He’s fragile right now, but he’s not alone. We’re all here.” -Gareth.

Meanwhile, Izuku clutched the lopsided plush cat and teddy bear Leigh had given him, the bear was half of Leigh's size. Eli knelt down next to him.

“Want to draw something?”  -Eli.

Izuku nodded, gripping the pencil tightly despite his tremors and splint.

“O-okay…” -Izuku.

He started coughing violently again, he covered his mouth. Specks of blood come out of his mouth. When he stopped coughing Eli handed him a glass of water. Izuku smiled at him and drank it.

Ava leaned over, showing him how to draw a fox.

“It’s okay if it’s messy. We’ll make it look amazing together.” -Ava.

Even in the hospital, the little moments brought warmth. Izuku laughed quietly when Leigh tried to scribble on the notebook with her tiny hands.

An hour later Leigh went to the bathroom. It was quiet in the hospital room for a few minutes until someone spoke.

"We're here if you want to talk about what happened. We'll listen and we won't judge. We're here if you just want a hug or someone to cry on. We'll be here no matter what, promise." -Ava.

"Yeah, if you have any concerns or wanna tell us something, then tell us. We're here for you and your family." -Eli.

Izuku immediately thought of something to say, if the man from last night was speaking the truth......

"Protect my sister. We stick together." -Izuku.

He starts coughing again.

"I'm going to go find a nurse or a doctor, your lips are still blue and blood is coming out when you cough." -Ava.

"No! D-don't!." -Izuku.

Izukus coughing gets worse, his lips are starting to turn a deeper blue. His hands fly to his throat, and he starts gasping and wheezing.

He can't breathe.

He starts panicking.

Ava sprints out the room to find someone, bumping into Izumi on the way.

"You're brother can't breathe! I'm getting help!" -Ava.

Ava continues running, then Izumi runs to where her brother is.

She enters the room and sees a slight bulge in his throat. Izumi walks over and shoos Eli away from the bed.

She taps his throat 1.

She taps his throat again.

She punches his throat.

Izuku starts coughing. And out comes a medium sized ball of solidified blood. Colour starts making it's way back to Izuku's lips.

He can breathe.

Ava runs back in with a doctor, who seems pissed that his time was now wasted.

Izuku and Izumi was alone in the hospital room. The others were having a small meeting and waiting for people.

Then came a knock. A small delivery box had been left at the nurse’s station, addressed to Izuku. He hesitated, hands shaking as he slowly lifted the lid.

His scream tore through the quiet room.

Izumi rushed forward, peering inside—and her scream followed. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed, passing out onto the floor.

Izuku’s vision blurred. The box slipped from his hands. Heart pounding, terror surging, he felt the world tilt…and then darkness took him.

Chapter Text

The conference room felt too small, too bright, too quiet.

The cardboard box sat in the center of the long table like a living thing—radiating dread, radiating wrongness. No one spoke at first. No one breathed normally. Even the air conditioner’s hum felt muted, swallowed by the tension pressing in from all sides.

Reina finally broke the silence, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“We all saw what was inside. I don’t need to describe it.” -Reina.

Kyle rubbed his palms slowly together, trying to keep them from shaking.

“No child should ever…..receive something like that.” -Asher.

Kayden stared at the floor, jaw tight.

“What kind of monster addresses something like that to a 13 year old?” -Kayden.

At the end of the table, Inko had been gripping the chair so tightly her knuckles had gone white. She stood abruptly.

“No…I need to check again—I must’ve misunderstood—” -Inko.

Her eyes flickered toward the slightly open box.

She didn’t even finish her sentence.

Her face drained of all colour. Her knees buckled. Gareth lunged forward and caught her before she hit the ground.

“Easy—easy, I’ve got you." -Gareth.

Gareth lowered her gently back into her chair. Reina reached over immediately, brushing shaky fingers across her sister’s cheek.

Inko fainted.

Rai’s voice was raw.

“Whoever did this wanted to break them. To terrify them.” -Rai.

Kyle rested a hand on Reina’s shoulder, grounding her.

“They wanted to terrify Izuku most of all.” -Kyle.

Killian swallowed hard.

"It wasn’t addressed to the family. It wasn’t addressed to Inko. It was addressed explicitly to Izuku.” -Killian.

Adrian leaned forward, elbows on the table. His face was unreadable, but his eyes were glacial with focus.

“They wanted him to know. They wanted him to feel targeted.” -Adrian.

Jeremy exhaled sharply.

“It’s psychological warfare. Whoever they are, they wanted to inflict fear even while he’s still recovering.” -Jeremy.

Kyle nodded.

“It’s calculated.” -Kyle.

Kayden tapped the table rhythmically, trying to keep his temper steady.

“So what now? What’s our next step? We can’t ignore something like this.” -Kayden.

Jeremy stepped out of the conference room and dialed someone.

Ring!

Ring!

Ring!

"What do you want Jeremy?" -??

"Niko, are you and Brandon on your way back to London?" -Jeremy.

"Why? Did someone get hurt?" -Nikolai.

Muffled noise can be heard on Nikolai’s end of the phone.

Probably Brandon.

"Listen, when you land, come to the hospital straight away. Send Brandon to room 1830, Leigh is their with Ava, Annika, Maya, Mia, and 3 other people. You come to conference room 3. It's urgent Niko, something bad happened." -Jeremy.

Muffled sounds make an appearance, both sounding aggressive.

"Is Leigh ok? Is our daughter injured? What happened?" -??

"Brandon, she's fine. She's safe. She's not the hurt person here. In her own words and I quote I'm keeping them safe along with the teddies and plushies. She's a caring girl Brandon." -Jeremy.

Brandon sighs out in relief.

"Thank you Jeremy." -Brandon.

"Is there anything more me and Brandon need to know?" -Nikolai.

"A bunch of morons decided to mess with our family. So we make them pay." -Jeremy.

"Who got hurt? Was it Killian? Gareth? Ava? Annika?" -Nikolai.

"I'm not sure if you'll remember but do you remember when you was really young and their was a woman with green hair, and a man with black hair?" -Jeremy.

"Kinda? She was my other Auntie, correct? They ran away." -Nikolai.

"Yes! Well, you're Auntie came back to London to visit along with her twin teenagers 3 days ago. Something happened to the male twin and he's in hospital. Just get here as fast as you can." -Jeremy.

Jeremy hangs up and walks back into the conference room.

“I called Nikolai. Told him it was urgent. He’s coming as soon as he lands along with Brandon." -Jeremy.

Jeremy notices that Inko wasn't here.

"She was moved to the hospital room where her children are." -Reina.

An hour later, the door burst open so hard it hit the wall.

“What happened?” -Nikolai.

He scanned the room, saw the grim faces and saw the cardboard box.

His voice dropped, instantly cold and controlled.

“How bad is it?” -Nikolai.

Killian sighed.

“Bad enough that 3 people fainted.” -Killian.

Nikolai stiffened.

“Tell me.” -Nikolai.

Rai took a shaky breath and explained everything—Izuku’s injuries, the attack, the night in the hospital, the delivery of the box. Nikolai listened silently, pacing slowly like a caged animal gathering information.

When she finished, Nikolai whispered.

“…They sent that to a child.” -Nikolai.

Reina nodded weakly. Rai looked close to tears.

“They sent it to my nephew.” -Rai.

Nikolai closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, they were sharp and steady.

“This wasn’t random. They were sending a message—connecting the attack to something deeper.” -Nikolai.

Kyle’s voice softened.

“It has to tie back to Hisashi. Something from his life before Japan or while he was in Japan. Something nobody didn’t know.” -Kyle.

Reina squeezed her eyes shut then opened them.

“Or maybe someone knew, someone who needs to be silenced. Or pay the price. Maybe Izuku knew.” -Reina.

The room was silent once more.

"When he wakes up we'll talk to him." -Jeremy.

"In the meanwhile, we need that hotel footage from 3 nights ago." -Nikolai.

That night, Gareth, Killian, Kayden, Jeremy, and Nikolai drove to the hotel. The manager was terrified the moment he saw their expressions.

Jeremy kept his tone formal

“We need the security footage from 3 nights ago. Now." -Jeremy.

The manager hesitated.

“Our camera's aren't outside.” -Manager.

“We don't care. You will hand over the inside footage. Now." -Gareth.

5 minutes later, in a cramped back office, they watched the grainy black and white footage.

Inko, Izumi, and Izuku entering the hotel.

Izuku noticing a group of men looking at them.

Him subconsciously blocking the men's view from his mom and sister.

Izuku realising that the men were looking at him instead.

And then they move out of view, going to where their room was.

Killian copied the footage onto a USB drive.

As the group make their way out the manager called out.

"If you're looking for outside footage then maybe try the shops on the opposite side of the road?" -Manager.

And they do that. They go to a shop that has a camera with a perfect view of the alleyway.

And they see the footage, and it comes with enhanced hearing.

Izuku leaving the building alone.

The five men appearing moments later.

The men following him.

Izuku and the men are out of frame.

"For fucks sake!" -Nikolai.

"Calm down, we can go somewhere else. He was attacked somewhere else." -Jeremy.

So, the group went a block and saw another shop that had cameras pointing to the exact alleyway of the attack, and it also had enhanced sound.

They're in a room watching the footage from 3 nights ago.

Izuku entered the frame, looking deep in thought.

The 5 men appear.

Their hands grabbed him, 1 hand was clamped over his mouth and an arm wrapped around his waist, pinning his arms to his body.

And what the men said made the group feel disgusted.

"Got you, pretty thing." -Person 1.

"Thought you could run, doll?" -Person 2.

"You're prettier up close." -Person 3.

"Delecate. Almost doll-like." -Person 4.

"Doesn't even look like a boy, more like a broken toy. Doesn't he look more like a girl than his slut of a sister?" -Person 5.

Jeremy clenched his hands into fists, if anyone said that about his sister......they would be dead.

"Well look at this pretty thing, shaking and trembling. Practically begging for something to happen. Probably wants to be fucked and ravaged." -Person 1.

"Thought you were pretty back there, like a doll." -Person 2.

"Too soft for the streets, little beauty." -Person 3.

"Look at those eyes. Almost wasted on a boy. Luckily he's on the feminine side." -Person 4.

"Pretty little thing." -Person 5.

Gareth covers his mouth and walks out the room. Kayden follows him.

"His eyes are like a dolls." -Person 1.

"Lady-like." -Person 2.

"Yeah, I mean, look at those green eyes. Lady-like, yeah? Bet people mistake you for a girl all the time. I can just imagine you with big tits that'll bounce every time you ride my cock. You want that doll? Want to ride my cock while you have big bouncy tits?" -Person 3.

Killian gags and runs out the room, throwing up as soon as he makes eye contact with Gareth.

Jeremy and Nikolai continue watching.

The hand that was around Izuku's mouth moved to his chin that was now forced up. The person kisses him and starts grinding against Izuku and the man groans.

Jeremy and Nikolai can see that tears are starting to form from Izuku’s eyes when the kiss deepens. The man then pushes Izuku to someone else.

Another man grabs Izuku by the elbows.

"Pretty little thing, wandering all alone." -Person 4.

The man kissed him roughly, his grip tightening on Izuku's elbows.

Nikolai can see that Izuku is now crying.

The man pushes Izuku to another person.

"Fuck baby doll, you looked so pretty getting kissed. And now you look beautiful with those tears sliding down your chubby cheeks." -Person 5.

The person grabbed Izuku's wrist with 1 hand and his chin in the other. The man starts kissing him like he'll die any second, practically ravaging him.

Jeremy noticed that the man was hard, he covers his mouth and let's out a shuddering breath.

Izuku gets pushed to another person but he trips and falls infront of them. He's now on his knees and facing the man's crotch.

"SHIT!" -Nikolai.

Nikolai was now pacing back and forth, keeping his eyes on the screen.

"Wow, I didn’t know you're this desperate to get some cock. Walking around in those clothes, we just knew you were looking for some." -Person 1.

"He's—he's wearing a hoodie and sweatpants. HOW IS HE ASKING FOR IT!" -Jeremy.

Nikolai shook his head.

"I don't know, Jer, I don't know." -Nikolai.

The man grabbed Izukus hair with 1 hand and undone his belt, button, and zipper with the other. He took out his cock and presented it to Izuku.

"I don't think I can watch it any longer." -Jeremy.

"P-please...d-DON'T PL-HMM!" -Izuku.

A single tear rolls down Jeremy's cheek.

The man thrusted his cock into Izukus mouth, moaning at the heat surrounding it.

He then screamed and shouted.

Nikolai smiled a sinister smile.

Izuku just bit his cock. Hard.

The man yanked Izuku off his cock and slapped him.

Nikolai instantly stopped smiling.

The men start circling Izuku like predatory sharks waiting for the right moment to attack.

"Pretty little doll. Didn't think you'd fight back." -Person 2.

The men start laughing. They called him beautiful, feminine, lady-like, doll face, all those words dripped with lust and mockery.

Then they started beating him up.

Jeremy looked away.

Boots crashed against Izuku's face, ribs, and stomach. Blood entered his mouth. Izuku’s wrist was bent wrong. His ankle snapped when a boot connected with it.

Nikolai flinched.

Then men continued laughing when Izuku was coughing and struggling. They called him delicate, fragile, pretty, feminine, a doll.

They started tearing off his clothes.

Jeremy ran out the room, gasping and crying.

1 of the men lined up against his hole.

Nikolai tensed.

Gareth and Kayden came back in.

"Fuck. I wish you were a girl so I could impregnate you. Our child would look so handsome. I'd make sure our child would be a boy so I can get him so strong that he'll over power you and when he gets older both of us could enjoy your body. Would you like that? Bearing children only so they can use you?" -Person 2.

He slammed his cock all the way inside.

Nikolai throws up.

Gareth faints.

Kayden catches him.

And Izuku goes unconscious.

Gareth is awake.

Nikolai and Killian is cleaned up of any puke.

Jeremy stopped crying.

Kayden covered his face with his hands.

“He was alone. He thought he was safe.” -Kayden.

"And they were watching from the moment he stepped into the lobby.” -Killian.

Nikolai’s voice was low.

“The hotel they're staying at isn’t secure. They’re not staying there." -Nikolai.

Gareth nodded.

“We move them to a safe residence first thing in the morning. Somewhere monitored." -Gareth.

When the group returned to the hospital, the entire family gathered again. Jeremy connected the laptop to the conference room screen and replayed the both footages.

Lia clutched the table so hard her arms shook.

“He…he looked so small.” -Lia.

Rai wrapped an arm around her.

“This wasn’t his fault.” -Rai.

Reina’s voice was a whisper.

“Someone followed my nephew across an ocean.” -Reina.

Adrian leaned forward.

“We focus on safety. On law enforcement. On finding these people through official channels.” -Adrian.

“And we keep the children together. All of them. They’ll feel safer if they know they’re surrounded.” -Kyle.

“They need family right now.” -Asher.

Just as the room settled into another tense silence, a nurse rushed in.

“Excuse me—Izuku and Izumi have regained consciousness. And Mrs. Midoriya as well.” -Nurse.

Reina stood instantly.

“They’re awake?” -Reina.

The nurse nodded, smiling gently.

“All 3 are alert, just groggy.” -Nurse.

A wave of relief washed through the room.

Gareth exhaled.

“Good. They’ll need us.” -Gareth.

As everyone rose to follow the nurse, the cardboard box remained behind on the table, silent and heavy.

Its message had already been delivered.

Or so they thought.