Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Mrs. Shigaraki, please, all will be explained once our Lord gets here, please have patience." A random underling was standing in a doorway, hands up in trying to fend off Inko's wrath.

"You abduct me from my own home and expect me to have patience?! Where is my son?!"

"Mrs. Shigaraki—"

"Enough with the 'Shigaraki' bull! My name is Midoriya and so is your so called 'Lord's'. My husband took my name in the marriage and I will be addressed by it."

"She's right you know," All For One interjected, drawing the attention of both to him. But he only had eyes for one of them. "Inko, love." The underling quickly bowed and scurried away at the sight of All For One.

"Izuku!" His mom exclaimed, completely ignoring All For One and moving swiftly down the hall towards them, arms stretched out for Izuku. He began wriggling in All For One's hold, trying to get free.

"Mom!" Izuku was gently set down by his father so that he could run to greet his mom, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her tightly.

"Oh Izuku, baby, are you ok?" Inko leaned back to cup her son's face in her hands, examining him closely.

Izuku burst into tears at her question, hands clenched in her shirt. "Am I ok? You were gone! It's been weeks, I thought you were dead!"

Inko looked aghast. "What? What are you talking about Izu? They only just took me yesterday! I woke up here this morning!"

"No, no, it's been weeks since you were captured! I—" Izuku broke off as All For One finally reached them, towering over the both of them.

Inko's face hardened. "Hisashi," she said curtly, "you had better explain to me what the hell is going on within the next five seconds or I will ensure you can never have kids again."

Izuku blinked in shock when All For One actually cringed. "Of course, honey. But perhaps in a nicer location...?"

"No." Inko pulled Izuku back into her arms, glaring at her husband. "You tell me right now what's going on. Where are we? Why are you here? And why does my son think that I should be dead?"

"Mom," Izuku whispered into her ear, "that's All For One, the king of villains."

"WHAT?" His mother blanked. "What's—what happened?"

"The war is over dear. I admit I was worried, our son was already in the thick of it, and I didn't want you to get caught up in something like this as well. I figured it would be safer for you to keep you here in a...stasis, if you will. Only until I had set everything back to rights of course, and now I have." All For One smiled down at them as if he didn't see anything wrong with all he had just said.

He probably didn't.

But Inko definitely did.

She gaped at him openly before turning to her son for clarification. "Izuku?"

Izuku's face fell and he sniffed, he had been so relieved to see his mother he had almost forgotten everything that had happened. "We...we lost, Mom. I-I think I'm the only one left really."

Inko's eyes went wide, sorrow filling them. "It's been weeks, you said?" She asked breathlessly.

Izuku nodded. "The whole country has fallen, the war is over. All For One..." He glanced up at the man venomously.

All For One frowned at him, looking offended. "I don't want to hear that name from you, Izuku. Call me Dad."

"You don't deserve it," Izuku hissed. "You walked out on us. Abandon us. Lied to us. You're nothing but a damn, dirty villain."

All For One balked at his words, multiple emotions flashing across his face before settling on disapproval, massive arms crossed over his broad chest. "I don't appreciate your tone, nor your accusations, son. I left temporarily to build you a better life, a better world. You and your mother deserve the best, and now it's at your fingertips. I've done all of this for you, don't be so ungrateful."

"No, you did all this for YOU! You're arrogant and selfish, no matter how many honeyed words you try to hide behind!" Izuku shouted, stepping in front of his mother to shove a finger in All For One's chest. Unfortunately, it wasn't very intimidating when he was practically only half his father's size, and irritation boiled under his skin at the glint of amusement in All For One's eyes.

The villain king sighed and ruffled Izuku's hair. "It's alright, Izuku, I can't expect a child like yourself to understand. When you're older you'll realize just how much I've done for you."

"Hisashi, can we talk?" Inko interrupted with a snap. "Alone."

All For One smiled down at her. "Of course, love."

"Mom, no!" Izuku hissed, tugging on her sleeve. "I won't leave you alone with him! You can't trust him."

"That's far from what I'm doing, sweetie, but trust me, ok?" Inko caressed his cheek, and Izuku leaned into her touch, eyeing her worriedly. "Your father and I are overdue for a long talk."

All For One nodded. "Let's move to your new wing shall we? You'll love it, I had it tailored just to your tastes." Without warning he leaned down and plucked Izuku off his feet, settling him back onto his hip and holding him securely with one arm, offering his free hand to his wife.

Izuku yelped, his face flushing at the idea of being carried by his father again. "Hisashi!" Inko reprimanded sternly, "Put him down!"

All For One tilted his head in confusion. "But honey, he's tired, he fell asleep on the way here. I'll put him down for a nap and then we can talk."

"I'm sure he would prefer to walk on his own, he's not a child, Hisashi." His mother was clearly forcing herself to remain levelheaded, and Izuku admired that.

All For One chuckled. "He's certainly not an adult, dear Inko. I'm sure you can forgive me for wanting to indulge in pampering our son a bit after all the time I was forced to be away from you. And look how little he still is, the day he grows too big to be carried is the day he's too old for it."

Considering Izuku was currently taller than his mother (though granted not by a whole lot) there was something to be said about that. And Inko clearly wanted to say it. Izuku caught her eye and shook his head slightly, not wanting her to test All For One's current good mood. Who knew how the villain would react if they kept pushing him.

In fact how did they even know for certain All For One was Hisashi Midoriya? He could very well be lying about the whole thing.

Inko pursed her lips but acquiesced to the pleading looking her son gave her. She reluctantly accepted the hand All For One was still holding out to her, allowing the man to lead them through a maze of halls. Now that Izuku was awake, he could appreciate the architecture. Wherever they were was beautiful, and so well kept and clean it looked brand new. The halls and the rooms they passed by were overly opulent, looking fit for a king.

"Where exactly have you brought us?" Inko asked what Izuku was thinking as she took everything in.

All For One laced his fingers with hers. "Our new home of course. Now that the war has ended and I have established myself over the country, it's only fitting we live somewhere worthy of our new status."

"This place is...certainly large," Inko chose her words carefully. They had been walking for at least fifteen minutes by now, and up ahead was a set of large double doors. They appeared to be made from rich, dark wood and hand carved with beautiful motifs, gilded with gold.

"I suppose you could call it a palace," All For One answered nonchalantly, the doors swinging open on their own at his approach.

"A palace," Inko echoed faintly, glancing up to share a bewildered look with Izuku.

"Yes, you two deserve the very best after all. What safer place for you than the centre of my new empire?"

"EMPIRE?" Izuku and his mother squawked in unison, taken aback by such a revelation.

The room they entered was a grand office-like area. A huge, polished desk took up the middle of the room. To the left was a fireplace and a lounge area, and to the right a spiral staircase leading to a walkway that circled above the room; the walls high above not being walls at all, but shelves and shelves of numerous books. The two of them had only seconds to take everything in before they were being led around the large desk. Directly behind the desk a section of the wall gave way to a beautiful golden gate that covered an elevator. All For One stepped forward, letting go of Inko's hand and holding it up to the locking mechanism in the middle of the gate.

Izuku watched closely, but nothing visibly happened. Still, only a few seconds after All For One's palm was held in front of the lock, a soft click echoed and the gate slid away from the elevator doors with barely a sound. The elevator opened and All For One gestured Inko in first.

Izuku...had a very bad feeling about this. And a shared look with his mother showed that she did too.

As if once they stepped into the elevator, they would never be coming back down.

Izuku squirmed restlessly, his mind racing. What could he do? Escaping would be almost impossible at this point, lost as they were in All For One's palace. And even if Izuku did manage to get free, he couldn't leave his mother behind. Inko had none of the training Izuku did, she would never be able to keep up with him to escape, and Izuku was still too exhausted from the battle earlier to help her much.

All For One readjusted his grip on Izuku, bouncing him in his arms as he squirmed. "What's wrong, love?" He asked Inko after she hesitated too long.

"I—nothing. Can't we sit in the lounge over there and talk?" Inko tried.

"Of course we could, but we do need to put Izuku to bed first. He's had a long morning and I believe he's getting cranky."

Izuku watched his mother's eye twitch as she listened to her husband. "...Where exactly are you taking us?"

"I've already told you, our quarters. I've dedicated a whole wing just for our family, it's where the two of you will be staying most of the time. This"—he gestured around the room—"is my personal office. The only access to our quarters is through here, making it one of the safest places in the palace. It's very well guarded, no one enters this room without my knowledge of course."

And no one leaves without it either, was the part that remained unspoken. Inko looked at Izuku in despair, and he mirrored her expression, shaking his head minutely to discourage her from arguing. There was nothing they could do at the moment, their best option was to go along with All For One and scope out the situation later when they were in better shape to do so.

Inko bit her lip and flashed an unconvincing smile at All For One, stepping into the elevator and closing her eyes as he followed, the doors swishing shut behind him. Izuku stretched a hand down to her, and she reached up to clasp it tight, rubbing the back of his hand reassuringly despite her own fear.

For how easily she cried, his mother had always been tough, and Izuku knew they could get through this together.

The elevator went up for some time before the doors reopened, and the room they walked into was clearly just as expensive as everything else they'd seen, but less ostentatiously lavish. Instead of an overly opulent display of wealth, the room looked homey, cozy compared to the cold flashiness of everything below.

"Oh. It's. It's nice." Inko blinked.

"You sound so surprised, dear," All For One laughed. "I told you earlier I tailored it to your tastes. It wouldn't do for you not to like the place you live in, and I know how much you enjoy the comforts of home." With a gentle hand on her back he guided Inko to one of the cushy chairs in the living room. "Of course, our quarters are quite large, but I'll give you both a grand tour later. Izuku is too tired for that at the moment. I'm going to bring him to his room, wait here for me, love, and we can have our talk."

His mother jumped out of her seat as All For One began to turn away. "I'll come with you!" She said quickly. "To put Izuku to bed."

"Sit down, Inko, I'm perfectly capable of tucking our son in myself." All For One leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Wait here, I'll be back soon."

Izuku looked over his father's shoulder at his mother as he was carried away, seeing the hesitation and worry clear on her features. "Mom!" He called, her anxiety feeding his own fear. He didn't want to be away from her, didn't like that All For One was separating them. "Mom!" Izuku reached his hand out towards her as he was carried away. Inko slumping back down into the chair and burying her face in her hands was the last thing he saw before they rounded the corner.

Izuku was tugged further down into All For One's arms where he was held more securely. "Shh," his father soothed. A large, warm hand rubbed the back of Izuku's neck, a kiss being pressed to his temple. "I know you must be frightened, having thought your mother was gone, but I promise it will be ok. Your mother is here with you now, and she will still be here when you wake up. I know it might be scary to be away from her right now, but nothing will ever take our dear Inko from us ever again, and you can sleep well knowing that."

Izuku's eyes stung with tears, and he bit the inside of his cheek until it bled to hold them back. After everything that had happened, being carried away from his mother was what was going to make him cry? He refused to, he wouldn't give All For One the pleasure of seeing him cry.

His next breath was wet and shaky however, and All For One was nothing if not observant. "Aww, baby, it's ok," he cooed, hugging Izuku tighter to his chest. "Shh, calm down." They entered a giant master bedroom, and Izuku's brow furrowed in confusion as his father approached another door on the other side of the room, opening it to reveal a second bedroom. Still large, but less so, and clearly tailored with a teenager in mind.

"Mommy and Daddy will be close by, ok? No need for tears."

Izuku cringed at how All For One addressed himself and his mother. Considering the way his father had been treating him, Izuku was honestly surprised that his new bedroom was actually designed appropriately for his age.

Though he didn't like the fact that the only way in and out of his room seemed to be through his parent's.

All For One set him down on a cushioned bench at the end of the bed, looking him over with a critical eye. "You," he stated, tapping Izuku on the tip of his nose. "Are filthy." All For One gestured to the right. "You have an en-suite bathroom over there, if you'd like to bathe before your nap. Of course,"—he pinched Izuku's cheeks—"If you're too tired that's alright, darling. I'll simply have your sheets changed before your bedtime."

"I don't have a bedtime," Izuku objected. As he grew older his mom had trusted him to be responsible with his own sleep schedule.

"Well, you do starting today." All For One clapped his hands together. "Now, dear Inko is waiting for me, but before I go, I have a gift for you."

Izuku tensed, eyeing his father warily as the man lifted a velvet box off the dresser in the room. Whatever he had for Izuku, Izuku didn't want it simply on principle. He found himself leaning away as All For One presented the box to him, lifting the lid to reveal the contents.

A beautiful golden band encrusted with diamonds sat on a bed of velvet. It looked...kind of like a necklace, a choker perhaps. Except Izuku couldn't see any sort of clasp on it. "Uhh..." he trailed off.

"I had it made just for you," his father boasted. "The edges are rounded and the inner part of it is lined for your comfort of course. I was careful to make sure nothing will dig into your skin, and I dare say it feels practically weightless—you'll barely even know it's there." He lifted the band out of the box as he spoke, pressing his thumb to a thin seam on the back of it, and it clicked open with a small mechanical hiss.

A collar.

All For One was going to collar him.

Izuku stared at the device in horror, eyes fixed on it as he scooted away, his back bumping into the bed. His father wanted to collar him, like Izuku was some sort of pet. "Get away from me!" He screeched as All For One reached forward to secure the collar around his neck. One for all surged within him, and Izuku aimed a powered kick at the hands approaching him.

His father caught his leg like it was nothing, which it probably was to him. Izuku had seen him do the same with All Might's punches and that was with one for all at full power. Izuku still hadn't mastered his quirk and it showed as All For One simply yanked him back down onto the bench by his leg, looming over him. "Don't be like that, little one," his father chided. "You're too much of a danger to yourself and others with that stubborn quirk. I'm afraid I won't be able to let you see your mother unless you have this on to keep you and her safe."

A...quirk suppressant? Izuku froze at his words, staring up at his father with pleading eyes. But the thought of being banned from ever seeing his mother again had him remaining still as the collar came down around his throat, his body trembling and his breathing growing laboured as it clicked into place, sealing shut with another soft hiss. All For One then wrapped both of his hands around Izuku's neck, and Izuku let out a reflexive cry, his own hands scrambling against his father's to try and release his hold. All For One wasn't choking him, or hurting him at all, but his neck tingled under his touch, the collar around him growing warm.

"Shh, shhh," his father hushed him, "it's alright, little Izuku, just relax." He continued to murmur soothing nonsense until he removed his hands with a self-satisfied smile. "There. It suits you, my little prince." He lifted Izuku back up into a sitting position, squeezing his shoulders comfortingly and placing a tender kiss on his forehead. "Take your nap now, I'll come and wake you later. Sleep well, baby."

Izuku watched numbly as his father left the room, locking the door behind him. Izuku's hands flew to his throat to feel the collar. He stumbled up on shaky legs, lurching to the closest mirror.

The collar had been melded and reformed perfectly to the contours of Izuku's throat, leaving no room to fit anything between the band and his skin. Izuku stared at himself in the mirror and tired, almost unrecognizable eyes stared back from a haunted face. His quirk had been his last hope in the face of All For One's victory.

He and his mother were trapped, All For One had truly won.