Work Text:
All of them shared a cell with another person. It was either two people or three. Each of them were sure the cells were cramped but, nobody complained. They knew it would only bring more harm to them.
There was a point where they could tell if it was day or night.
Now, that seemed almost near impossible. Half of the class had slept at odd times and the rest could barely get a wink of sleep.
The nightmares.
It was all due to the nightmares. The nightmares that nobody wanted to confront behind their closed eyelids. Images of everything flashing in the forefront of their minds.
None of them wanted it. However, some of them bared it.
Shōto could hear them all — the ones who forced themselves to go to sleep. He heard how they tossed and turned throughout the night. The gravel shuffling and rustling quickly was the telltale sign of waking up from a nightmare; accompanied with heavy breathing.
Yet, he could do nothing. He wasn't a comforting sort of person. That wasn't instilled into him by his father. He could barely even smile properly at people.
And at that instant he wished he were taught more about compassion.
Shōto quietly glanced into the darkness of his cell. He sighed and shifted around in his corner of the cell. A small part of him wanted to go to sleep but, he knew that wasn't possible. Not with his mind racing the way it was at the moment.
"Can't sleep?"
Shōto stiffened at the familiar voice. For a moment he thought of what to say. He wasn't one for words either. '...How can I be a hero if I can't even communicate properly?!' He drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them tightly.
"...It's okay. Neither can I...I can never get a good nights rest."
Shōto sighed once again, burying his face into his drawn knees. One hand was latched around the wrist of his opposite hand; squeezing tightly. He kept his silence.
It was all he could do.
"Kinda hard to sleep when someone is screaming right across from your cell..."
"Hmm, Kaminari?"
"Shinsō?"
'...Well he has someone to talk to now.' Shōto thought to himself sourly. He was so angry that he couldn't spare a single word for the other teenager. The only one that he shared his cell with. He was sure Hitoshi wished he was celled with someone else.
"Can't sleep, huh?"
"Nah, not really." He replied quietly.
"Neither can myself or Todoroki." Hitoshi replied curtly, "Insomnia."
"Oh? Eh...mines is just regular old daymares." Denki laughed offhandedly, "Like...I can't get the screaming out of my head man."
"Will you two, shut the fuck up?!"
Shōto snorted, his head lifted slightly. He looked in the direction of the gruff voice. It was obvious as to who it belonged too.
"Bakugō?"
"Dunce face." Katsuki exclaimed blandly. His voice filled with annoyance and a hint of pain. "Who the fuck else do you think it is?!" He shouted lowly at the blonde.
"Like a regular party house..." Hitoshi snarked.
Shōto could tell it didn't hold its normal bite. While, he hadn't known Hitoshi for a long amount of time or gotten to know him better — it was obvious enough that the older teenager was a snarky guy. One who didn't lay off of anyone with his quick and sharp tongued remarks. He turned his head towards his cellmate.
Surprisingly, Katsuki only snorted in response. Shōto figured it was due to the pain. He was just beaten and humiliated a few hours ago.
"...Yo, Baku-bro?"
"...Fuckin' what?"
"Are you...alright man?"
Katsuki clicked his tongue, "The hell do you think, dunce face?" His reply was snappish at most.
"Why do you keep doing this man? Like...we can handle ourselves..." Denki exclaimed quietly.
Shōto still stayed silent, preferring to listen than engage. It wasn't his time yet. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the cold stone wall.
"...Will you fuckers just go to fuckin' sleep..."
Shōto felt his heart clenched at the sound in the ash blonde's voice. He sounded totally and utterly defeated, either that or he was drained. It only angered him more and made him question if he had the right to be a hero.
A hero would confide in the one who was hurting and in pain.
Deep in his mind he continued to question himself. It was all he could think about; all other thoughts were chased away. He kept his ears peeled, listening out for his classmates. There was a few hushed whispers shared between Hitoshi and Denki; it was mostly the blonde that was doing the talking.
Soon enough, he could hear soft snores coming from Hitoshi. Denki must've noticed as well — he had gone silent. Shōto wasn't sure if the blonde was sleep or awake; he wasn't about to question it.
If only several minutes later, unable to keep his eyes open; his head tilting further to the side. Shōto soon found himself following closely after Hitoshi — falling into an uneasy sleep.
"...Do you guys think they've notice yet?"
"Eh?!"
"Who noticed what?"
Shōto glanced toward the cell that held, Uraraka Ochako. She had been extremely quiet since everything snowballed. Since they landed themselves in a dungeon like room. He couldn't blame her for being quiet; figuring everything was weighing heavily on her mind.
He understood the feeling all too well.
"Look...the fuck are you talkin' about round cheeks?" Katsuki asked gruffly.
Ochako sighed heavily, "The heroes...do you think they've noticed?"
"...Well the one most-likely to notice would be Todoroki's old man."
Shōto twitched slightly at the mention of his father. Still he said nothing in response to Denki's comment. It was true that his father would perhaps be the first to notice. Then again, he never liked answering his fathers' text messages or phone calls. His inability to pick up his phone could be mistaken for the usual reasons — a strong dislike for the older man.
"Eh..."
"It could be true."
"...Shut the fuck up, dunce face."
"Todoroki-kun?" Ochako called out.
Shōto knew she wanted confirmation on Denki's statement. He wasn't sure if he wanted to give them answer. It would only serve to crush their spirits more if he had to explain himself for the reasonings why his father wouldn't suspect any foul play.
He hoped that she thought he was asleep.
"...Todoroki-kun...?"
He wonder how low he could stoop. Silently cursing himself for not answering the call of his friend. He hoped she would understand why. He knew that Izuku would.
"Fuckin' leave it, round cheeks. He's probably fuckin' sleep or some shit..." Katsuki grumbled out.
Something was telling him that Katsuki didn't believe too much in his own statement. He felt a sudden weight on his shoulders. Guilt. It couldn't have been anything else but guilt. He had so much to be guilty for; his nails dug into his skin.
"Mind as well just get some rest..."
He wished his heart would stop breaking. He wished his classmate didn't sound so sad. He wished he would have just been truthful with her at the start of the conversation. Truthful with each and everyone of them.
"...G'night." Denki stated, sounding just as disappointed.
Once again, he drifted off into any uneasy sleep. One that was filled with nightmares of the past.
Shōto rolled over to be flat on his back. His eyes were wide open as he stared upwards into the darkness. He wasn't sure how many days had passed since they had been captured but, it was beginning to feel like a lifetime.
It made him nervous to think of how much time had passed. About how concerned his mother was from not hearing from him. His thoughts began to drift towards his sister and brother; his bottom lip began to trembled.
He moved his arms, laying them both across his chest. His hands locked together and he squeezed his fingers tightly; Anything to escape his current thoughts that he had been buried deep within for quite some time.
"Kacchan?"
"Fuckin' Deku..."
Shōto found himself pulled away from his thoughts by his two classmates. They had been talking with one another for quite sometime — well Izuku was talking and Katsuki had been shouting. Their conversations were ones of importance. Both of them bouncing ideas off one another; a plan of escape.
He wouldn't say it or admit it but, he was thinking of one as well. He just wasn't sure if it would work like their plans possibly could.
"I was thinking..."
"Oh, I would have never fuckin' guessed. Deku thinks." Katsuki replied sarcastically.
It put a smile on Shōto's face. If only for a split second. He was sure Izuku would brush it off, not wanting another argument with the hotheaded ash blonde teenager.
"...Anyway, I was thinking and well..." Izuku paused. Chains rattled slightly, "No...never-mind. It probably wouldn't work."
"Tch," Katsuki clicked his tongue, "What the fuck gives you the fuckin' right to decided that?! What's your fuckin' brilliant idea nerd?"
"It's nothing. It's stupid. So...forget I even said anything..."
Shōto could hear the discouragement within Izuku's voice as he spoke. He frowned slightly. '...If Midoriya think's his own ideas are useless...then mines are lesser than dirt itself.' His eyebrows knitted together tightly and he sighed.
"Okay. Listen up, whoever the fuck is up." Katsuki started off gruffly, "New plan. Involves Invisible chick, strictly in the beginning."
"...We are all ears. And after you explain your plan...Dark Shadow wishes to share something as well."
Shōto nearly forgot that Fumikage was still in contact with his quirk Dark Shadow. It was a wonder what sentient quirks could do and be taught. He would have to indulge in questioning Fumikage on that at a much later time.
"Aight...I got birdbrains here listenin' to me. Ponytail girl, four-eyes, you two up? I already know Deku is listenin' as well."
"Yes, Bakugō-kun...I'm listening."
To his ears, Momo sounded completely exhausted. He already knew why. She was lacking the proper nutrients her body needed for her quirk to be more fruitful. He knew that everyone else was hungry but, hunger for Momo was almost like someone wishing her dead. He wished he could do something for her and quietly he wondered if Rikidō had any sort of snacks or sweets on him.
Anything to hold Momo over until they came up with something solid.
"I am all ears, Bakugō-san!!"
"Good shit but first," Katsuki paused, "Ponytail girl, you good?"
"I'm fine Bakugō-kun. Just a little tired is all..."
There was a certain weakness within Momo's voice. Nobody pointed out. However, Shōto was sure nobody was buying it either.
"...So the plan is gonna be simple," Katsuki started off gruffly, "Invisible girl will sneak out of her cell. Then, she'll grab any one of the keys that one bastard has and you'll have to play some musical fuckin' chairs then. Now...say that the key goes to the cell holding shitty hair, he's a sturdy motherfucker. He should be able to knock these doors clean off the hinges."
"And if that doesn't work?"
Shōto perked up at the new voice. He twisted his body around so that his head was touching the stonewall behind him. He looked towards where he last heard Hitoshi's voice.
The older teenager had asked a great question. One that had popped up in his mind as soon as Katsuki mentioned a guessing game with the keys.
"...He has a point, Kacchan."
"Yeah, I don't see how playing a guessing game would be smart, Bakugō."
"Oh, yeah?! I'd like to see you do fuckin' better dunce face!! And shut the fuck up, Deku!! You didn't even share your so called brilliant idea!!"
"No need to shout bro...I'm like right here..." Denki grumbled, with a huff.
"I never said it was brilliant, Kacchan!! Stop putting words into my mouth!!"
"Then stop opening your fuckin' mouth you shitty fuckin' Deku!!!"
Quickly after the small shouting match — everyone had gone quiet. Shōto noticed that Fumikage didn't share what Dark Shadow wanted to say. For a minute, he wondered if he should ask Fumikage what his quirk wanted to say to them all.
Decidedly he shifted his body around so that he was laying side by side with the wall. He then rolled over so that he was facing it directly. He figured if Fumikage wasn't going to say anything then it would be useless to bring it up.
"Kacchan?"
"Holy fuck. What is it Deku? Can't you just go to fuckin' sleep...like damn..."
Shōto cracked a single eye open. As usual he was met with darkness. It was tiring to be met with the same thing night after night.
"Do you think All Might knows?"
"That we're all missing?"
"Yeah."
Shōto couldn't help but sigh as he thought about the former number one Pro-Hero. To him, he was sure All Might would notice anything and everything. The man was just that amazing. Unfortunately, even if he did know something was up — he was powerless to do anything. He brushed the back of his hand against his nose and frowned.
"Probably. I mean like...well yeah. Fuck yeah, he's noticed. Why in the fuck would you ask me that you stupid nerd?!"
Shōto couldn't quite put his finger on it but, it sounded as if Katsuki knows something that was strictly between him and Izuku. He had to wonder if his theory of Izuku being the illegitimate love child was correct.
"Well...oh. Oh no."
"The fuck is it now, Deku?"
"Bakugō can't you be a little nicer?"
"Round cheeks, could your cheeks be a little less fuckin' round?"
"Deku, what's wrong?"
Shōto could only imagine the unamused expression on Ochako's face. He was sure that would look somewhat comical but, he found the fact that she was completely immune to Katsuki's distasteful attitude to be even more funny.
"My mom! I promised her that I would call...she's probably really worried right now. Dammit..."
'Mom...' Shōto moved his hand and clutched at his shirt. His eyebrows knitted together and he wondered how his mother was fairing. 'I wasn't even able to send that last letter before the trip. I hope she isn't saddened or disappointed.' The last thing he would ever want to do was break his mothers' heart. That had happened one too many times already.
"Fuck. Deku you just had to mention parents...motherfucker."
"Problem, Baku-bro?"
"BIG FUCKIN' PROBLEM DUNCE FACE!! Deku just had to fuckin' come out the mouth and mention parents. Like FUCK, my ma is probably pissed as fuck."
"Why in the hell would you say that?"
"...Dunce face if you met my ma, you'd fuckin' understand. Deku is the only fucker that gets what I'm talkin' about. My ma is like a fuckin' banshee. Old fuckin' seahag..."
"That's kinda mean my dude."
"Fuck you, dunce face."
There had been days that Shōto wondered what Katsuki's parents were like; especially when he something during their time with the elementary school students. If he could recall Katsuki had said something about being taught with force. Now he was concerned.
"So...how's about your dad?"
"Why the fuck do you want to know that shit dunce face?! What's it too ya?!"
"Curious my dude...and bored. Ya know, can't sleep. Nightmares."
"...Pops ain't got shit on my ma. He can barely hold a fuckin' candle to me. What does that tell you?"
"That you are certified in being completely insane."
"...Fuck you, dunce face."
"Yo, Midoriya! What about you?"
"Ahem...if I may ask that you respect your neighbors and keep it to an acceptable volume. Inside voice please."
Shōto smile a little at Tenya's quick interruption. His voice was stern and to the point. He imagined Tenya squinting his eyes at everyone; he wanted to laugh. Then the darkness reminded him — there was nothing to laugh about.
"Sorry, class prez..."
"Sorry, Iida-kun we'll try to keep it to a minimum."
"Kaminari-san. Uraraka-chan. I do thank you and I'm sure your neighbors are very much appreciative as well."
"Heh, right...anyway, Midoriya, your dad. What's your dad like man? You barely speak a word about him."
There was silence. One that Shōto could tell was uncomfortable. This was also another thing that he wondered about as well.
"...My dad...well..."
"Yeah?!"
"There...isn't much to say."
"Yeah...what?"
"I don't really know him like that. All I know is that he works across seas."
"...Sorry bro, didn't know that was a sensitive subject..."
Shōto almost felt as guilt as Denki. It was a question that he had also wondered and a question that he wished to ask within the near future. 'Guess...that won't be asked. Ever.' He wondered if that was why Izuku was always so nervous. So jumpy and anxious all the time. Then again, that could all be do to Katsuki. The two had known each for a very long time.
"Sorry about what? Talking about my dad isn't a sensitive subject for me." Izuku almost laughed; it sounded nervous. "I just don't know him all too well."
Silence washed over the group once again. The more his classmates talked amongst each other — the more things he began to think about. Things that he wouldn't normally find himself worrying over.
Ochako sighed heavily, "...I really miss my parents..."
It was the last comment of the night that was shared and for some reason, Shōto resonated with it. For the first time, he found himself missing his family. To his surprise and concern, he missed his father. The man who had made his life a living hell.
That night, he fell asleep — his dreams where that of a family he wished he had.
Shōto shuffled himself backwards, his back pressing against the cold bars of his cell. He was seated directly in front of the cell door. It was for a reason. To protect Hitoshi from their tormentors. The older purple haired teenager had been the newest and recent target.
Nobody knew why.
They had just decided one night that they were going to branch out. Hitoshi had the misfortune of just being there.
Shōto remembered the first night Hitoshi was returned to them. He had been trembling and crying for hours straight. He managed to cry himself to sleep — only to wake up screaming and crying minutes later.
Every time they took Hitoshi — the most loudest and rowdiest of his classmates had spoke in volumes. They continued for the hours that Hitoshi had been gone and once he was returned to them, a crying mess, they all went silent.
It was a never ending cycle of madness.
It wasn't even the normal kind of madness.
This madness was something festering and bubbling. Boiling over the top. A scratch that had been itched to the point of bleeding.
A madness that stirred something deep within Shōto. One that he couldn't ignore even if he tried.
So, he began to act.
Shōto rubbed the back of his hand against his nose. He could feel the dried up blood from his nose cracking and falling onto his upper lip. Another quick swipe of his hand overtop of his mouth and it was gone.
Gone.
Just like his mind.
Like his sanity.
Never had he ever felt this powerless since the age of five.
He clenched and unclenched his fist. The anger was bubbling to the surface. He took a few deep breaths — trying to calm himself. If there was one thing he disliked the most about himself was his anger; it was on par with that of his father.
His eyes scanned over the darkness before him before landing in a particular spot. The same spot that they had left Hitoshi. He was sure that he was still there. If his memory served him correctly — every time they would get a little light from the iron door being opened, he sees Hitoshi. Trembling and curling into himself tightly. Trying to make himself smaller.
He clenches and unclenches is fist again. His eyebrows dropping low — eyes narrowed. He could feel his teeth grinding against one another.
Time after time, he wonders what he could do.
Time after time, he stations himself at the cell door.
Time after time, he acts as a guardian. A defender.
Time after time, he receives warnings — light injures. A busted nose or lip. Sometimes they would twist his arm behind his back. Slam his head against the wall; hard enough to leave a growing knot.
Still, he never backs down. In his eyes, that is what a hero does. Never one to back down. Always one to defend those who were unable to defend themselves.
A hero was All Might.
Shōto closed his eyes tightly. His knees drawn to his chest and arms wrapped around them lightly. His hands hung loosely in front of his knees.
His mind was flood with thoughts. Ideas swimming across and none being shared. He didn't believe any of his ideas would work. He wished to test it before sharing anything. He wanted to be sure. Positive that it was solid enough to share to everyone.
He wanted his classmates to have hope.
He wanted them to smile and laugh. Not crying and screaming in pain. Worrying if their teacher was alive or not.
And then, the daring thought would come to mind.
'Do something about it. You don't like what you see...you didn't have the power back then but, you do now. So do something about it. Stop being a coward.' Shōto dug his nails into his skin. It was something that went through his mind many times. Something that he had slept on plenty of times before hand.
Something that he had woke up to this very day. Something that stood boldly in his mind. Making itself known and clear.
And there, he devised his plan.
A plan he wouldn't share until he was sure it worked.
A plan that could possibly kill him if it went wrong.
A plan he was willing to place his life on.
The plan he would be following through with just hours from now.