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A silhouette of a man filled the room when Izuku woke up. Any light that came from somewhere in the room was blocked by the seraphic body of perhaps the devil himself. All-seeing-non-eyes pierced through his (very) mortal body and broke him down more than he already was. Every move he had made so far felt wrong, too human for a presence as divine as the man in front of him. What can one do but bow, kneel and soak in the presence of someone others can only dream of reaching. A creature not meant to walk amongst the mere mortals that inhabit this realm. A god amongst men, just sitting across from him. Staring at him with eyes that cannot see the world, even though they once did. Blind to the horrors he has raised and will raise.
“I see that you are awake,’ the man spoke softly, yet Izuku’s body could not help but shiver with fear. Unwillingly remembering the damage this god, man could do.
“Fear not my boy, I do not mean to harm you in any way.” A snake, one that slithered away from Eden offered an apple. His body would have moved if it could. Too fatigued to move even though everything inside of him was begging him to move, to run, to flee, to kneel, to bow to the presence of everything. His counterpart and destiny.
“Don’t call me that,” he managed to say. The man had no right to call him that. Not after kidnapping him, taking him from his mom, friends, and mentor. He would not allow the man to take that nickname as well. He would not accept that rotten apple.
“Fine then, my child. I know it might be hard to believe but I truly wish you no harm even considering,” the man seemed to pause and think for a moment. Not really knowing what to say. No word can even comprehend the situation that was playing out. A centuries-old villain, who is walking down a self-proclaimed righteousness path having a conversation with a 16-year-old boy, burdened with a destiny he did not know he chose. Finally, as a dark afterthought, “circumstances.” The word lacked meaning.
As the silence returned, Izuku started to feel his body become more stable. Somewhere inside he could still touch the fire of One-for-All. Yet the warmth of his quirk did not bring him any comfort. It was a cruel reminder of his responsibilities, his duty to the world. Yet, when destiny arrived, he failed. He failed All Might and his legacy. He was not prepared enough to fight this being. How could he be? Not even two years of preparation, of becoming the ultimate weapon. Life was not fair. And neither was All Might whispered a dark part of him. How dare he offer the world to a 14-year-old without telling him he would have to carry it on his shoulders for eternity. All Might had no right to act like Zeus, not when Izuku worshiped the ground the hero walked on. Yet just like Atlas, he was punished with the burden to hold up the sky or all would be lost. A coldness that felt distant was slowly approaching in small waves. It served as a kind but small distraction.
Not one that lasted for long. “My child, I know this might be a weird situation for you but I can assure you this is currently for the best. The world right now is an unkind place, even more so than before. A treasure like you should not be exposed to those gruesome crimes in the state that you are currently in. I promise you this much my child, we, you will see the sunrise again. But for now, you must stay here. Safe.” The man said as he approached him and sat down next to him. Legs that once made the ground shake now almost tiptoed towards Izuku. Bringing comforting sounds with each step that they took. But how comforting can one be when you are only known for pain, for your fingers who used to drip rivers of blood and for everything you stand for, which is so awful and correct at the same time that people rather pretend and live in ignorant bliss then face the truth of what’s been hiding in front of them their whole lives. A hand warmer than expected caressed his cheek.
A fog that was unnoticed until now disappeared. The coldness finally crashed into his bones. What distraction it offered before long gone. Something salt made its way into his mouth. Regardless of everything, his eyes burned water. And not for the first time in his life did he hear Katsuki’s voice calling him a crybaby, a loser. The mocking voice of a shadow from a past life. Has he not grown at all? What makes him different from the pathetic person that he once was. His (All might’s) quirk?! Is that it? Who would he be when All Might demands his quirk back. Would he return to being useless, nothing, Deku? He may have reclaimed that name, but it still stings sometimes. How could it not when one word holds more history than most can imagine.
Suddenly the man, One-for-All stood up. Towering over him, like a king looking down on his subjects. His face looked at peace. As if he was willing to share the burden of the sky, even though he was one of the reasons the burden existed in the first place. Only if Izuku would just let him. If Izuku would open his mind and get rid of all the propaganda that the world created then the sky would lift and Zeus’ punishment would be gone. Instead, he whimpers.
“Shush now, my little one. You are safe. You want to know why?” A smile so full of warmth never felt this cold and cruel. Uneven breaths started to fill the room, longing for someone who is not HERE. The promise made to a lonely mother broke. Izuku cannot help but wonder how much his mother can take. He knows she loves him with her entire heart, but how can a person take. Would she have been happier when had he been born with a quirk? Instead, she gave birth to a quirkless (useless) child that aimed at the sky and when he finally got what he wanted, he fell. Why wasn’t he born with a quirk!?
“Why,” a whisper. Barely audible.
“Why what, my child?” Came the curious response, while the man brought down his hand again to pet his hair.
“Why are you doing this to me,” the child cried. “Why me?! Why do you keep calling me yours? Why am I here? What do you want from me?” Exhaustion. Would this have happened if he had been luckier from birth?
The man tilted his head slightly to the side and if he had enough face left he would have frowned, his hand movement kept going. Even though Izuku knew that this was wrong, he could not help but appreciate the physical contact that the man offered. It felt familiar.
“What else should I call something that is mine. Where else should I put my own flesh and blood if not safe and sound next to my side? Those heroes did not give you what you needed. All I ever wanted of you was for you to be safe and look how that turned out. That idiotic symbol of peace almost ruined you. But not anymore. I won’t let that happen”
Suddenly the sky came crashing down. The words spilled from the man’s lips were too much. One can only live with a certain amount of pressure. He felt as if the air in his lungs had been taken away. He couldn’t breathe. For a moment Izuku could understand Shigaraki a bit better, his need to scratch. To get rid of everything that was him. His body tingled, he wanted to move, but he couldn’t. He could only stare. (He failed, didn’t he).
“Yes, my son. Do not hide from the truth you asked for. Your blood is mine as much as mine is yours. You can no longer hide from what was denied from you. A powerful lady your mother is, having me kept away from you for this long. Yet she failed.” The pressure was not gone. How gladly Izuku wanted it gone. Instead, water spilled from his eyes. Mouth still open, searching for words that were lost in the air. The rotten apple the snake offered did not look so bad on the hindside. He should have taken it when he had the chance. Now, he does not know what the snake is offering him.
A sigh. “Your mother is stronger than she appears. She always fascinated me. The ability to pull and push small objects. Yet how small is too small?” Nothing but a dark chuckle. “Apparently pushing me away from you based on a molecular level was not small enough. It weakened her though, using her quirk like that. Until one-day molecular level was too small and big at the same time. I felt her power resolve and then I knew. There is only so much a human can take. She is or maybe was stronger than most humans. It might not always seem like it, my Izuku. But she did really care for you, in her own way. Just like I do. After all, you are my son. And that woman had no right to keep me away from you!”
His mom knew. His mom fucking knew. What else did she know? What else did he not know? His bed felt too big. He was too small. How could his mother not tell him? He had a father that did not want to abandon him. A father that was kept away, for good reasons. But he was wanted, right? The hand was still in his hair, bringing him more and more comfort. A reminder of what was taken from him. A longing almost fulfilled. Unless this man, his father, also took something away from him.
“Are you the reason,” he hiccupped. “Are the reason I am what I am.” Taunts of the old returned. Wounds that should have healed years ago, opened up. The silence is gone, his ears rang.
Give and take. Easy as that. What else is there to take when you have nothing left. Stripped away from you. Never even given the chance to grow. All because of hi-.
“How dare you even think that!” Izuku had heard the greatest hero of all time roar with all his might, but he was nothing but a cub to the lion in front of him. Explosions from years ago that sometimes still made him flinch, deafened by the rage of a god. “I never touched your quirk. No matter what one would offer me I would not dare to try and take your quirk.” As if the man, his father (no matter how much he wanted to deny it. His blood knew. It sang), could read his thoughts. Rage turned into wrath and for the first time that Izuku looked at the man he realized that the hate was not meant for him. He did not fear his gaze. He feared for whoever fucked up. In some way, it was comforting to finally have someone care about you, because of you. Not because of your quirk, your knowledge, or some other reason. Someone besides his mother, no whispered a part of him. She knew. Someone wanted him, and not just someone. His father, who he believed had left him after his diagnosis, wanted him. The air around him was not as heavy anymore.
“My dear Izuku, you have a quirk. That poisonous woman. Don’t interrupt me, my child, not now.” Izuku remained quiet, not sure if he would have spoken up otherwise. “That woman never told you. Feared you for what you are capable of. Afraid of what society might think of someone like me. Afraid of the unknown, so she placed you WILLINGLY into a society that hates the weak. But you were never weak. Not even before All Might put his venom into your body. You just never received the right training but if you let me, you will finally get what has been taken from you. Close your eyes, my dear child. You will need the energy for what is about to come and I as your father would prefer if everything will go smoothly.”
As his father continued to pet him, while whispering small promises of the future, of love. He felt the sky lift. It terrified him. Not for what was to come, but for what he would become is he accepted what his father promised. But how can one refuse the quest of an angel when it’s right before him. His father might be disguised as a devil to keep away those not worthy of his attention, but the sweet and loving words that reach his ears, which are only meant for him, told him the truth. His burden, the destiny he chose, is gone. He was glad he never accepted the apple because what the snake offered now was so much better.