Work Text:
Hunted in the dark,
Your safety is a facade.
Twisted lies, hide what you can,
Treasured prize, stay with me.
Run from what seeks,
Breached and searching.
What it takes, again and again.
Who it says it is,
Grotesque assumptions (and lies).
Compromised.
Who you'll believe they are,
Slaughter and slander.
Who'll take care of you,
Mistakes that'll cost us.
Shifting and searching.
--
“It’s amazing, this creature can take on so many shapes!”
Izuku paused briefly from his work, his attention pulled away from collecting samples from the flora they removed from the planet their ship was orbiting. For whatever reason the people who had gone down to the planet had decided to bring back a creature they found, believing it to either be in a deep hibernation or dead when they couldn’t immediately find a pulse.
Something told him that it wasn’t wise to bring this alien lifeform on the ship, but he was just a young intern brought aboard by the ship’s lead scientist—the captain’s best friend—and the captain himself.
He tried to ignore the way the captain would glare at him, always remarking that he had no room on his ship for children who could barely carry their own weight, but lately the captain has been glaring at him less and less as he diligently did whatever task was assigned to him.
While he knows it’s risky to get distracted from his job of organizing Dr. Garaki’s reports and collecting samples, Izuku couldn’t help but take a quick peek at the specimen that currently floated in the tank that monitored its vitals and abilities.
For a brief moment the creature took on a more humanoid appearance with fairly messy hair that floated in the specialized fluids that were designed to keep it asleep, but it briefly cracked an eye open and shifted its form to something much broader.
Hair shrinking into even lighter curls as it took on the form of their captain who watched the creature with fascination.
Izuku quickly turned his gaze away from the creature, instead focusing on the sample and paperwork that sat in front of him.
While it was neat that they found an actual alien on this planet, he couldn’t help but get a bad feeling.
As if bringing this alien aboard their ship was a mistake.
“Continue studying this specimen, I’ll let the bridge know that we’ll be making a jump to return to the space station within the next system hour,” the captain ordered, walking right by Izuku before stopping.
“Also I’ll be taking the intern with me.”
Dr. Garaki only scoffed.
“Well who are you going to send in his place?” He asked.
Izuku already knew the answer as he followed the captain to the bridge, especially as he watched the captain’s other ward make his way to the lab.
He tried not to shiver when Tomura shot him a glare, likely wishing he was the one following the captain to the bridge instead of Izuku.
In truth, Izuku wishes he could trade places with Tomura.
Though soon, he will find, it was probably fate that he wasn’t in the lab when they made the jump.
Staring at the back of the Captain's head as he walked quickly to keep pace behind, Izuku couldn't help but cast his mind back to that alien. Amazing, Dr. Garaki had said. Even the captain seemed taken with it. He understood that, objectively, it was amazing. It shifted its form seemingly effortlessly. All the same, amazing wouldn’t be the first adjective Izuku, personally, would use to describe the creature. But Dr. Garaki was uninterested in his intern’s opinions and the captain even less so. Tomura had only expressed annoyance when Izuku had asked him if he'd felt any discomfort with bringing it on board the ship.
So it seemed Izuku was alone in his fear.
He couldn't even adequately explain it, if anyone would have bothered to ask him. Nothing had actually happened since they brought the alien into the ship’s lab. Was it really standard protocol, what they were doing, though? He was just a lowly intern, but it seemed unnecessarily reckless to Izuku. And he didn't like its eyes.
In the brief moments where they were open, they felt intelligent. Hungry.
The Captain's hand landed heavily on Izuku's shoulder. He flinched, head whipping up. "Y-yes?" he managed, voice weak.
But the Captain just looked at him.
"Ah… Captain?"
He blinked, ripping his hand away. "Keep up. I won't be slowing down for your weak legs."
Izuku nodded, ducking his head. He tightened his arms around his research notebook, the corners dog-eared from countless hours of nervous fiddling. He needed to pay attention; he was on thin ice enough as it was, between the Captain and Tomura. Dr. Garaki was totally consumed with studying the specimen, so he'd be of little help in arguing for Izuku's placement on the ship.
It'll get better, he thought to himself. We'll offload it on the space station, where we'll at least get a fuller genetic reading. And then…
And then…he wasn’t really sure. It wasn’t his place to say, either way.
"Yes," he heard the Captain say.
Izuku lifted his head, finding him speaking to the bridge officer.
"Why are you just standing there?" the captain asked, turning to glare at Izuku. "We're preparing to jump. Get in position."
He nodded, swallowing. While jump travel was standard procedure, it still made him nervous every time. Something about the anticipation, maybe, or perhaps the mental list of everything that could possibly go wrong in the .00001% error rate that ran as background noise in his head every time.
Partial splice, he thought, strapping himself into an open jump seat. Vortex sunder. Misaligned reentry.
The Captain barked out a series of orders while Izuku kicked his notebook under the chair. Critical power failure. Magnetic interference.
The countdown droned over the intercom. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.
Then it went dark.
For a split second, the bridge just seemed to sit in silence, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
“Engineering, talk to me,” the Captain ordered, pressing a button for the comms. “What happened to my ship?”
No answer. The buttons were glowing from the battery power- back ups in the case of power outages- but there was no sound to indicate anyone had heard.
“Bridge to Engineering!” the Captain barked. “What’s going on down there?”
Still no answer.
“Communication channels are down,” reported one of the pilots near the Captain’s seat.
“Scan the ship for-”
“Scanning is down, sir!” another reported. “So is all power.”
“Activate the emergency generators and switch to auxiliary power then!”
“We’re trying, sir!” the pilot protested. “But there is no power in this room. It has to be done manually in the engine room itself!”
And comms were down, so engineering would be unable to activate the generators. But if the whole ship was without power, then that should have been the first thing they did, regardless of if they got the order from the bridge or not. Izuku had assisted with the engineers of the ship enough to know that protocol.
So why hadn’t they yet?
A chill crept up Izuku’s spine. Something about this whole thing felt very wrong. He was thankful he had remained strapped in his chair, because he would have jumped all the way to the ceiling when the doors burst open and Dr Garaki ran in.
“Doctor, we’re a little busy!” the Captain scolded.
“I know sir, but this is too important!” the chief scientist panted. “The specimen! It- it’s gone.”
“I don’t have time for this, Garaki!” the Captain snapped. “We’re in the middle of something. I’m sorry that you can’t find your fossil in the dark-”
“It’s not a fossil though,” Izuku spoke up. “It’s an unknown specimen. We assumed it was either dead or in deep hibernation and likely has shape shifting abilities!”
“Intern, I don’t-”
The Captain froze mid sentence as something seemed to dawn on him.
“Doctor, when did you notice the specimen was gone? Before or after the lights went out?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Captain! It was before!”
But if it was before then…
Oh. Oh, that was why the Captain was concerned.
Because if the creature was a shapeshifter, it might have disguised itself as any member of the crew. It might be roaming around, trying to gain information about its new surroundings, trying to get off the ship or…
Or sabotaging the engines to a critical degree, shutting off power and communications, so that it could not be discovered.
But if it was the last one, then that meant this creature was not trying to escape. That was not the behavior of a life form trying to return to its planet of origin.
This was the behavior of a predator.
The creature was on a hunt.
–
His entire body itched as he ran through the halls, his breathing shallow as he slipped into a small closet when he heard those footsteps get too close for comfort. All he could see when peaking through the crack was a large shadow that grew longer in the red auxiliary lights—almost demonic.
Tomura held his breath when it approached closer, making that unholy crooning sound as it sniffed the air. He dared not look at it directly, not after seeing what happened to Dr. Garaki when it broke out.
When it showed its true form and tore into the doctor with the same mercilessness a cone snail harbored for its prey.
The creature continued to croon out something before it started to hum something that sounded like nails dragging down a board, sending shivers down Tomura’s spine.
What kind of monster did they even find!?
For a moment there was silence.
His heart thundered against his chest as he pressed his hands against his mouth, praying that the alien did not notice he was there. He refused to relax while it was still out there, but soon he heard it move on towards the bridge.
After a few seconds, Tomura let out a breath of relief and poked his head out the door where he saw a member of his crew rush in from the direction of the engine room—Dabi if he remembered right.
“What was that explosion in the lab!?” Dabi asked, more like shouted.
Tomura shook his head and grabbed his crewmate before dragging him into the closet with him.
“Quiet, Garaki’s specimen escaped and killed him,” he hissed out under his breath.
“How did it make it from the lab to the engine room so fast?” Dabi asked.
That was a good question.
How did it even do that? Does it have unnatural speed? He thought all it could do was change its shape to mimic those around it, at least according to Garaki’s notes.
Unless…
Tomura jumped at the sound of metal creaking, like a vent being pulled open.
The vents. It can navigate through the vents.
“We have to get to the bridge and warn the captain, before it reaches him.”
–
The Captain whipped his head between them, before settling his glare firmly on Izuku. He swallowed, fingers fumbling as he unbuckled himself from his seat, standing on unsteady legs. This was all incredibly overwhelming; he didn't need the Captain's strange disdain resting on him at a time like this. He looked especially scary now, too. The emergency lights cast his pale face in red hues that matched his eyes. He looked almost demonic. “It’s probably what sabotaged the power supply and communications.”
“It’s very possible,” Dr. Garaki acknowledged, on edge. His eyes bore into Izuku. He tried not to wither under the weight of both stares. “We have no idea what this thing is capable of. For all we know, it could be cutting the oxygen supply, ruining the engines, attacking crew members—even killing them."
Izuku jumped, eyes wide. Of course, this wasn't a surprise, but hearing it out loud was… "T-Tomura was in the lab with you, wasn't he? Is he okay?"
"I left to grab the captain as soon as I realized it had disappeared. We've taken precautions, but I'm afraid that, at this time, we cannot guarantee anybody's safety."
Izuku swallowed thickly. He and Tomura had never exactly seen eye-to-eye, but he really hoped he’d managed to evade this creature. Who knew how dangerous it was?
The Captain swore under his breath. “And we wouldn’t even know, since it could look like any of us.”
Right. Right, it could. It followed that it could probably sound like any of them, too, if it could mimic appearances so effortlessly. Someone like Tomura was suspicious on a good day, though; he’d probably be smart about such a threat. As for everybody else…
“So what do we do?” Izuku asked, trailing after the Captain and Dr. Garaki as they slowly stepped back into the hallway, away from the bridge.
“I am going to take defensive measures against this monster,” the Captain replied, not bothering to look back at him. “And that starts with separating out every potential masquerading alien.”
“Of course,” Dr. Garaki agreed quickly. He cast a quick glance back at Izuku.
The Captain shot Garaki a nasty look, fingers curling into fists at his sides.
“Okay,” Izuku replied, ducking his head as he tried to keep track of his feet in the dark. Even with the emergency lights, it was incredibly hard to see. The warm, red hue of the hallway made it feel organic, like a heaving throat. Izuku grimaced at the thought. He grunted when his head bumped into the Captain’s back. Shoot. They’d stopped and he hadn’t even noticed. “S-sorry!”
“Sh!” the Captain hissed.
Izuku covered his mouth with both hands, curling his shoulders.
Dr. Garaki stood very still.
The Captain looked between them again, then sighed as he rolled his eyes. His hand darted out, grabbing Izuku roughly around his bicep and dragging him toward the wall. The battery-powered buttons of a storage closet lit up his fingers as he punched in the open code.
Izuku watched the door hiss open to reveal nothing but blackness. His breath hitched as he was shoved inside, knees knocking into a box as his hands fell against the wall to brace himself. He turned quickly, heart pressing against his ribs. “Captain—!”
"Stay here," the Captain said brusquely, grabbing the door.
"Wait!" Izuku yelped, reaching out. He winced when the door slammed onto his hand.
The Captain glowered at him. "This is for your and the crew's safety," he said. “I can’t have you getting in my way while I secure the premises. Stay here until someone comes to grab you."
Izuku bit his lip, retreating into the storage closet. He held his arguments pressed against the back of his teeth, anxiety swelling in his chest. Didn’t it make more sense to group together in a situation like this? What if the Captain or Dr. Garaki got into trouble and they needed another set of eyes? What if…
He knew those arguments were all excuses, so he kept them to himself. In his own head, he had to admit the truth: he was scared. He was very scared and he did not like the idea of being alone in a cramped, dark closet while that thing was on the loose.
"Stay," the Captain stressed.
Izuku nodded, curling his hands to his chest. The door slid shut, bathing him in darkness. Then he heard the electric click of the lock turning into place.
Izuku waited in the darkness for who knew how long. He didn’t dare move; if the creature had an enhanced sense of hearing, it might hear Izuku shifting around with the boxes and the sanitation supplies. He just remained as still as a statue, waiting for any word. Any single word.
It was killing him, not knowing what was going on. Was the creature in engineering still? Did it go back to Medical and attack Tomura and Dabi? Were his friends– okay, they would not call themselves his friends, but they were the closest thing he had to friends– still alive or did the creature hurt them?
He couldn’t even tell if the Captain had been successful in finding the creature, because the lights were still out, comms were down, and Izuku was just stuck sitting in the dark, waiting and hoping that someone would come open the door soon.
At first he was scared at the thought of that person being the creature. Shifted to look like one of the crew, maybe even Garaki or Tomura, and luring Izuku into a false sense of security. But Izuku remembered that there had been a pass code that was used on the doors, so the creature would be unable to use that trick to get him out. Izuku couldn’t even open the door from the inside.
He knew from experience. Sometimes the crew would shove him inside as a prank when they were bored, and then Garaki or the Captain would have to come and get him.
Luckily, he didn’t hear any sounds of fighting, or screams or shouting. He was worried about paranoia destroying the crew. That nobody would be able to trust anyone around them and would begin trying to attack anyone who could not confirm their identity in a concrete way. They might even accuse him of being the shifter, unless he could answer their questions.
They might not like him, but they would not kill him. It would upset the captain.
The Captain had always been… strange in regards to Izuku.
He had been Izuku’s guardian since he was a baby. He had been a friend of Izuku’s parents and took him in when they died on a mission. But he was not loving or nurturing like parents were. He was always cold. Always holding Izuku at arms length, pushing him to grow more, to do better, to be better than he was.
And Izuku did his best, but every time he succeeded, the Captain would find ten other ways that he had failed.
But he still kept Izuku close. Still took him under his wing and made him an intern on his ship, even when there were so many other great candidates out there. So there had to be something he saw in Izuku, right?
Sure, he usually only described Izuku’s work as “adequate” and had not stopped the others from picking on him, but at least adequate was better than poor, and he had assured Izuku all interns went through similar hazing when he was an intern. So it was probably not as bad as Izuku thought.
It did still hurt sometimes though. Knowing he was never his guardian’s priority.
But that was what happened when you were the ward of one of the greatest captains in the Fleet. You don’t get fame, don’t get glory, don’t get that mushy love and family stuff that Tomura and Dabi always scoffed at. But you get a good home, food in your stomach, and eventually a place on the flagship of the Fleet itself.
Things could be a lot worse.
… okay, not much worse than a shape shifting alien coming in and ruining the engines, comms, and power. But still…
Wait… if there was no power… did that include life support?
Izuku’s heart plunged.
Life support might be down. Which would mean that there was no air ventilation, which meant… if they weren’t careful, people would begin to suffocate as they ran out of air on the ship. Sure, it might take hours, but it could happen.
Was that why he never heard any shouts or screams? It wasn’t that people were being careful and practicing good judgment. It was because yelling would take up more air on their limited supply.
The idea of gasping for breath, slowly suffocating in this darkness, with no friends or family around him to even care about him…
Izuku began to sniffle. He tried to stop himself, but he couldn’t help it. Tears stung his eyes as he realized that if the creature killed everyone on this ship, Izuku would die here in a supply closet, entrenched in darkness, and unable to breathe as the air left his lungs.
Part of him knew that crying was not going to help anything. Captain had always said he was too emotional. The others teased him for being a crybaby.
But Izuku couldn’t help it. He found himself crying a lot. Even though he told himself it could be worse and he should be thankful for what he had and where he was, he found himself crying. As if hoping maybe this time someone would answer and would wipe away his tears and hug him.
There was a sharp knock on the door and Izuku cried out in alarm, stumbling back into a mop.
“Izuku? Are you alright?”
It was the Captain’s voice! He was alright- or… or was it the creature?
How would he be able to tell? Could he tell from inside here?
“Hold on, I’m opening the door. We’ll need to move fast. This creature is on the move, and we need to get out of here quickly.”
That was when Izuku remembered that the lock was protected by a code and biometrics.
While the creature could mimic anyone’s appearance, there was no way it would know what codes are used on the ship and it might have missed some important detail when it comes to its mimicry that the biometric scanner would pick up on—like the blood.
No matter what form the creature took, the blood drawn would always be black.
Relief flooded Izuku when the door opened and he was facing the Captain once again, and he knows this has to be the Captain because the door opened even with all the security protocols put on it.
Red eyes studied him carefully before a hand reached out to Izuku.
He didn’t hesitate to take the offered hand, which brought a smile to the Captain’s face.
Strange, but he remembered times where he would always dream of doing something, anything, to make the Captain smile.
But maybe it’s the fact that Izuku did what the Captain said and stayed put that made him smile.
The smile was gone as quickly as it appeared as the Captain pulled Izuku away from the supply closet and further down the hall.
“Most of the crew has already made it to the escape pods, as far as I know it’s just us and the creature,” the Captain said, his grip firm yet gentle on Izuku’s arm.
Izuku nodded.
It would make sense for everyone to escape at this point, and since the creature could look like anyone then it goes without saying that if they see anyone alone then they must be the specimen.
“You!” A voice shouted, carrying through the hall.
An ugly sounding wail that called Izuku’s attention as he glanced over his shoulder to see someone further down the hall.
It looked just like the Captain, but the snarl on its face and the way the red auxiliary lights bathed it made it look more like a monster than man.
Emotions must be what causes the creature’s form to shift away from whatever it’s disguised as, revealing the true monster underneath the stolen skin.
A tug on his arm snapped his attention away from the creature that was rapidly gaining on him.
Izuku’s attention was stolen away by the Captain who had pulled Izuku up and into his arms—reminding Izuku of just how small he was compared to the Captain.
When was the last time the Captain had carried Izuku? He couldn’t remember, but at least there was a warm sense of safety here.
“I won’t let that monster take you,” the Captain spoke, his strides much faster than that of the monster that started to chase them both.
Izuku saw the monster chasing after them. Those red eyes bulging with rage as it reached for the weapon in the holster.
“Captain!” he called in warning.
The Captain dodged to the side and used his own body to shield Izuku. Izuku’s eyes went to the fire doors. They should have their own power source for fire containment.
He lunged up and punched in the code- that was one of the few he knew. Protocol dictated all members of the ship know the codes for fire safety. The airtight doors slammed shut and the beast snarled with rage, banging against the bullet proof glass.
“Boy! You listen to me, remember? That creature is going to kill you! It will devour you! Get away from it, NOW!”
The voice had the captain’s commanding tone but to Izuku it seemed more arrogant than authoritative. As if it expected Izuku’s obedience simply because it said so.
“It is alright, Izuku,” the real Captain said, picking him up and running to the escape pods. “It won’t hurt you. I’ve got you.”
Proof that this was the real one who cared about Izuku. He actually knew Izuku’s name.
He wrapped his arms around the Captain’s neck as the man rushed to the escape pods, with the ease that only someone who had been on the ship before would have had.
Izuku jumped at the sound of shattering glass. Had the creature somehow broken through the fire doors?
There was a terrible roar through the halls as the creature reappeared in the distance, bathed in red light, blood dripping from his hands, and eyes murderous and cold.
“GIVE HIM BACK! HE IS MINE!”
The Captain gave no response, but ran into one of the escape pods and slammed his hand on the door, sealing them off from the creature.
“Strap in, my boy,” he ordered, placing Izuku on the ground.
Izuku couldn’t help but feel a flutter of warmth at this. How long had he craved that sort of affection from his guardian? As long as he could remember?
He quickly went to the co-pilot seat and secured himself. He quickly activated the control panel with the captain, turning on the engines, life support, getting ready to launch.
“MIDORIYA!”
Izuku flinched at the sound of banging against the door.
“HE’S TRYING TO TAKE YOU BACK TO THE ROCK WE FOUND HIM ON! DON’T LET HIM! I ORDER YOU TO KILL HIM!”
Izuku turned back to the Captain beside him, who gave him a reassuring smile, blue eyes shining with-
Wait- blue eyes? The Captain’s eyes were red.
Izuku tried to jump from his seat, but an arm- far too long to be human and soon began to form more of a tentacle- lashed out and wrapped tightly around him, pinning him to the seat and pinning his wrists together so he could not make a move.
“CAP-”
Another tentacle lashed out, wrapping around his mouth as several more arms emerged from the creature and it began entering coordinates into the escape pod.
“Just enough fuel to get us to the rendezvous,” it muttered. “The others will be waiting for us. They’ll take us home the rest of the way.”
Izuku’s eyes widened and he began to thrash against the tentacles. It was not trying to take him down to the planet. It was taking him to another location where the Fleet wouldn’t be able to find him.
“MIDOR-”
The creature slammed activated the thrusters, and Izuku could only scream as the pod launched free, jettisoning from the ship and instead of towards the planet, out into the empty, unexplored, uncharted world of space.
No. Nononononono…
The creature leaned back and the tentacles and strange limbs receded, replaced with more humanoid features. A head of blond hair, ice blue eyes, a large body that could easily break Izuku like a twig, and a smile that confirmed to Izuku that he was dead.
“It is alright, my boy. You’re safe now.”
Izuku lunged, trying to reach the control panels, but the creature quickly pulled back his hands.
“None of that now. I know you’re scared. I know he lied to you. But you’re safe. You’re- you’re finally safe. I finally found you.”
Tears stung the creature’s eyes as he unbuckled himself and stood, moving over to Izuku who was still secured to the seat. Izuku flinched and tried to move away, but too late the creature was beside him, bending down to meet his eyes.
“I- I don’t understand,” Izuku murmured. “That planet we found you on- it wasn’t your home?”
The creature chuckled.
“No. It was one I knew that the Fleet would be unable to resist exploring. I had planned for them to take me back to central command so that I could find you, but when I heard your voice… when I saw you there…”
It had been planning to use them this whole time? It would have hitched a ride on the ship back to Central all for… all for him?
“Did you kill them?” Izuku asked. “Tomura? Dabi? Garaki?”
At this, the man– no, the creature– stiffened.
“Some were dead. They had to die. They would have stopped me from getting you. I’m sorry for having to go that far, but it is far less blood than All For One has ever spilled.”
So not only was he in the hands of a monster, he was in the hands of a killer. Izuku thought of the people on the ship. They had no power. They would not know that Izuku was taken with the creature if they thought the Captain was the monster like Izuku had.
And even if they did, would they search for Izuku? Would they- would they even care?
Or would they blame him for all of their deaths?
The creature woke up and made its move because he found Izuku. If Izuku had said nothing, if he had just stayed in the shadows, maybe some of them would be alive.
And if they didn’t get the power back… life support…
Were they all going to die?
The creature didn’t seem to care. He just wiped the tears from Izuku’s eyes, smiling down as if Izuku were more precious than the moons.
“My baby. My son… ever since he left Inko and I stranded on that rock… I thought I’d never see you again.”
He cupped Izuku’s face and Izuku whimpered. Was it going to kill him? Devour him? Hurt him?
“Don’t be afraid. I could never hurt you, my boy. I know you’re confused but… it will make sense soon. We’re going to meet Yoichi and the others and we’ll make it home.”
He pulled Izuku into a tight hug, and as scared as Izuku was, a part of him also felt the warmth and safety as those arms held him.
“It is alright, my boy. Dad’s here. I am here.”
–
Reiju glared at the now departed escape pod as rage coursed through him. How dare he.
After all his hard work, over fifteen years of revenge he put into taking and housing that child as punishment for that creature and his accomplices for when they stole his brother those years ago. It had taken years of meticulous planning to steal away something of similar importance to the Cephalopoid. Though, nothing could ever truly fill the void left by the loss of his brother. After all, it wasn’t like he could ever truly get Yoichi back. This would have had to have been enough.
Except. He clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes at the absent pod. That boy was his. His revenge, punishment for those fiends. And now more of his property had been stolen by those creatures.
He closed his eyes, remembering the young, green skinned paralarvae he had taken from that disgusting planet. He had taken the child then and raised him all this time despite the sin that was his species and relation to the creature who had wronged him. No matter the wretched heritage, the child belongs to him now. A trophy for his efforts. Just like Yoichi had. And he wasn’t going to lose anything else of his. Ever.
He sent another glare at the launching station before turning to leave.
He needed to see who was still alive after that creature’s rampage. ‘That imbecile Garaki, what was he thinking?! Letting one of those things on my ship.’ Then he could work on getting his systems back online and start tracking that pod.
He wouldn’t be stolen from again. And this time he would take extra care to make sure that there would be nothing left for that boy, Midoriya, to recognize while he dragged him back to where he belonged.
—
When Toshinori had disguised himself as Garaki, he really wanted to take the chance to kill that kidnapper. But he knew he had to keep his priorities straight, which paid off as he held his sleeping child in his arms. The escape pod he had stolen drifted gently through the cosmos, steadily making its way to the place where he would meet with his allies.
His hand brushed through green curls, his own gaze studying the form his child had selected for himself.
Though a part of him wondered if his child actually chose this form of his own volition, or if he selected it as a means of self-preservation while surrounded by those monsters.
He wouldn’t put it past All for One to force Izuku to remain in this form, forced to stay suppressed for fifteen years—for his whole life.
It’s no wonder his child never realized just what he really is.
His child shifted slightly in his sleep, letting out a small breath as he appeared to have finally relaxed after remaining incredibly high-strung during a decent portion of the flight.
But soon his child won’t have to worry, as there’s a more comfortable bed waiting for him on the One for All.
Toshinori looked up when he heard a soft beeping, the flash of a communication request from a nearby ship.
He reached over to press the button, though he was careful to not disturb his son’s sleep.
“This is the One for All, Enchanter speaking, state your identity and purpose.”
He grinned as he answered Yoichi, “This is All Smite, I found him.”
“Wonderful! We’ll bring you in momentarily!”
Soon the reunion will be complete, and then he can make All for One pay for what he did.