Chapter Text
“HELP ME! PLE-AAAAAAAAGH”
The gut wrenching screams of the small white haired boy echoed throughout the warehouse, sending shivers down the spines of the guards and caged children alike. The fighting ring had just gotten the thirteen year old boy in a month ago, under the impression that he was quirkless. He was supposed to be used as bait, until one of the handlers noticed the small lumps in his back. They grew every day, causing screams of pain to spill from the poor childs’ lips, until they removed him from his cage and locked him in a semi soundproof room. After the fourth day of constant screaming they opened the room to find him lying in a pool of blood, the no longer small nubs having pushed through the skin of his back. He had long since passed out from the pain, and whimpered in his sleep. Ignoring the protests of the other handlers, one -his codename was Red, the handlers went by colors rather than real names- moved towards the unconscious boy.
Izuku sucked in a sharp breath as Reds’ hand ghosted the ripped skin and muscles of his back. The older man paused, before harshly grabbing the growing appendage and /yanking/. Izukus’ eyes flew open before a moment of silence. And then, he screamed. Nothing in their careers could have prepared the handlers for the sound that ripped from his throat. It was a horrifying mix between an animalistic scream and the sharp, haunting cry similar to that of a Loon waterbird. It filled the warehouse, flooding through the maze of hallways, and making the five handlers flee. The door was left open in their haste to leave, allowing the shrieks and the sickeningly sweet smell of old blood to fill the hallway.
The screams ceased momentarily before starting up again, reaching the ears of one Hitoshi Shinsou. He had been in the middle of a fight when he heard it. The screams of pain clouded his head and he froze, just like everyone else in the arena. The dust of the bullpen, kicked up by the fight, shrouded his view, and he just stood there, locked in a daze. He closed his eyes and listened, before speaking.
“What do you think is happening in there?”
“I’m not sure, I-” Hitoshi tossed his knife to the ground in front of his hypnotized opponent.
“Slit your throat.” He opened his eyes to see the dust had settled and his opponent was dead on the floor. He always liked that part. The buzzer sounded his victory, but he didn’t move. He just stood and listened to the haunting screams. He didn’t move when the other boy's body was removed, or when strong hands pulled him from the center of the ring. The screams were the only thing in his head. They were beautiful, and he couldn't get enough.
Meanwhile, back in the dark room, Izuku thrashed around in agony. His snow white hair was crimson with blood, and the remaining appendage burst through his skin, drawing out more screams. After the pain subsided, he was left lying numb in a pool of blood.
When the handlers came to collect him, they found him on the floor, with large black and green blood coated wings sprouting from his back. He trilled softly as tears ran down his already wet face. Hands grabbed at his wings, using them to pull him from the room. He looked at the faces of the other children as they passed, and they watched in horror as his limp body was dragged to his cage by his wings. The large open wounds dragged on the rough concrete floor, drawing a trail of blood behind him. Suddenly, Izuku was being lifted by his still sensitive wings, and white hot pain blinded his vision. He screamed, much louder than before. Red dropped him in shock, and he screamed impossibly louder when his back hit the floor. The other children covered their ears, hoping to black out the nightmarish sound. All of them but one. When he could finally pull himself together, he saw a purple haired boy watching with a delirious grin on his face. The grin grew wider when Izuku let loose a low cry, sounding like a ghost. Red had abandoned him, so he crawled towards the boy.
He wondered why the boy was smiling at his pain. Was he some kind of psycho? Nevertheless, Izuku crawled forward, reaching out to the boy. Their hands almost touched before the others’ hand twisted away, and latched onto his bloody wing. He looked up, and the purple haired boy made eye contact, before ripping his wing from it’s socket.
_____
Hitoshi had no idea why he did what he did. He just wanted to hear those screams again. He knew it was wrong, torturing the boy who had been screaming in the Quiet Room for a week, but he was drunk on the sound. Maybe it was part of the quirk, but when he heard the beautiful cries, he wanted nothing more than to hear them for the rest of his days. He wanted the boy.
“What is your name, baby bird?” Hitoshi’s hand uncurled from the boy's wing and wrapped it around his throat, squeezing when he stayed quiet.
“I-Izuku.” His voice, rough from screaming, had Hitoshi seeing stars. He sounded so small, and weak. He pulled Izuku roughly against the bars of the cage, so their faces were mere inches apart.
“That’s such a pretty name baby. Call me Toshi.” A tear fell from the small boy's eye, and Hitoshi resisted the urge to lick it off. He settled for reaching forward with his free hand to wipe it from his cheek. Izuku's eyes are so pretty, all green and sparkling with tears. Hitoshi saw Blue sneaking up behind Izuku, and reaching down for his injured wing. The boy screamed when he was pulled back, the sound invading Hitoshi’s ears. It made him shudder with want. The other kids watched as Izuku was thrown into the cage next to his. His eyes skimmed over Izuku’s thin body, clothed in nothing but a long, thin shirt. He noted the slashes and starburst scars covering Izuku’s legs and arms. Rage flooded his system and clouded his mind. How could someone hurt such an innocent creature? He decided then and there that no one was allowed to hurt Izuku.
His Izuku.
He stayed true to that, refusing to let him be taken for fights. The week after his wings grew in, Red had cleared him for the arena. His wings had been cleaned and so had his hair, Hitoshi thought he looked beautiful, and wasn't about to lose him. When Red tried to drag Izuku from his cage, Hitoshi screamed and thrashed, sticking his head through the bars to bite the man's hands. He was punished for it, but it was worth seeing the look of thanks in Izuku's eyes.
The quirk they were using on him was wearing off, now that he was voluntarily fighting for Izuku. He was horrified by what he had done to Izuku's wings and apologised profusely, until Izuku was giggling. He froze, blushing. It sounded like summer, and happiness. Then, Hitoshi panicked. If a handler heard him laugh, they’d make him fight. No matter how many times he bit, or screamed or volunteered to fight, they would drag Izuku out by the wings.
They would make his baby bird fight.