His heart pounds against his rib cage, the frantic beating, a great contrast to the steady, almost painfully slow steps he takes towards the interrogation room.

He supposes that given that it's not literally an interrogation room, he should feel better.

Yet... Izuku can't help the overwhelming sense of dread that pools in his stomach. Making it hard for him to calm down his agitated heart, to relax, and just breathe.

His mind screams at him to turn around. To just stop and avoid it all. Avoid the incoming pain, the inevitable hurt he's going to feel. However, despite his screeching thoughts, his body moves. His eyes involuntarily catch Aizawa's eyes. His guardian meets his gaze with a comforting nod. So, he puts one foot in front of the other, knowing that no matter what, he has someone there for him. A constant structure to rely on.

Narrowing his eyes in determination, he walks in.

The furniture in the room has been moved so that there a couch is in the middle of the room. Four chairs are placed around it. Making at so two chairs sit on each side of the sofa.

The quirk specialist is already lying on his back on it. Tsukauchi stands right next to him.

"Tom already began his preparations. All you have to do is sit next to him and take a hold of his hand." The detective says, his hand gesturing to the seat right next to the seemingly, sleeping man.

Glancing one last time at both Shinsou and Aizawa, Izuku complies. The others also sit down. Tsukauchi sits on the chair directly in front of Izuku while Aizawa and Shinsou sit on the other two chairs.

"I'm going to ask you some questions, okay?" Naomosa says slowly, opening the notebook in his hands and clicking the pen in his grip. "Whenever you're ready." He encourages, eyes gesturing for Izuku's hand.

Taking in a deep breath and steadying his erratic heart, he raises his hand. Fingers hesitantly reaching for Tom's hand.

The man's hand is cold in his grip. The contact sends chills running down his spine. Involuntarily making his whole body shudder.

Almost immediately, a black projection appears in front of them. Floating a couple of feet away from the couch. Static erupts from the screen, creating a constant hum in the silence that surrounds them.

Closing his eyes, he readies himself for the first question.

"Okay. So, I'm going to ask you to ease us in. What is the first thing you remember happening after the villains warped you away from the campsite?"

For the first time since his rescue, Izuku consciously wills himself to recall the horrifying events. His mind reaches for the memories. Summoning the images to the forefront of his mind, as if freeing them from the locked space he's forced them into.

The static on the projection falters and hazy images flicker across the screen. Snips and flashes of that fateful night. The dark forest, the purple warp gate. As if the footage is coming right from Izuku's eyes.

Through the projection, they hear his erratic breathing. His panting echo throughout the room. A sense of unease quickly enveloping its occupants.

Willing his eyes to look at the projection, he focuses on the memory. He feels vaguely disassociated as he watches the scene shown before him. As if they weren't his own recollections being displayed to the world around him. As if this wasn't his absolute worst experience being projected in front of him.

___________________________

Pride wells in Aizawa's chest as he watches his ward's courage. Watches the sheer amount of determination and bravery in those emerald green orbs as his son readies himself for the questioning.

Tsukauchi asks his first question and the projection erupts to life. No longer an empty display of static but instead, it shows a series of flashing images. Until, finally, the screen settles on one constant footage.

They watch as the world seems to spin before finally, Izuku is dropped in a bar. The screen flickers, a testament to the dizziness and exhaustion the boy must have been feeling at the time. He's on the floor, head rested on the tiles as people move around him.

A lone figure approaches the fallen boy, crouching until they're facing the kid.

Aizawa can hear Izuku's breath hitch from the seat next to him.

Aizawa immediately recognizes her. The crazed, gleeful sheen in her eye shines as she stares at Izuku. The projection making it as though the woman is looking straight at them.

Abruptly, Aizawa is hit with regret. The realization of just how hard and painful this was going to be, hits him at full force. Suddenly, all he wants to do is wrap his boy in his arms and protect him from it all.

He can't though, because this was Izuku's choice. He, alone, could decide when he needed to stop. So, he does the next best thing. He take the kid's other hand in his grip. Trying to convey his feelings. Trying to show the teen that he wasn't alone in this. Not anymore.

"Missed me, Izuku-kun?" Her voice is sickeningly sweet as she speaks. "Oh, honey...It's going to be okay. I'm here." She coos darkly, a morbid satisfaction resides in her eyes. The screen goes back to its static haze after that. The first memory coming to an end.

He thinks he hears Shinsou hiss at the scene, he doesn't pay it any mind though. He's too focused on the steadily paling face of his ward. All the while, he tries to keep the bile from rising to his throat. The hatred he holds towards this woman beyond any feeling he's ever harbored for any human being before.

"She's gone. She can't hurt you anymore." He whispers to his kid, squeezing the hand in his hold harder.

_________________________________

The static hums, a constant flickering noise in the room. The first question made it clear that this was only going to get harder.

Coughing lightly, the detective is the first one to interrupt the quiet. "Are you okay to continue Midoriya?" He asks tentatively, waiting for a confirmation from the teen.

Izuku doesn't react at first. His eyes are still trained on the projection. His gaze seems to be miles away. A small nudge from Shinsou gets his attention. His whole body tenses before he meets the detective's stare and nods resolutely.

"Okay, can you show us what they wanted from you? I mean, did they tell you why you were the target?" The cautiousness is palpable in the detective's wording. However, with a knowing gaze, the man seems to understand that it's safe to bring up this particular subject.

"Y-yeah. All for one talked to me twice." Izuku stammers quietly, closing his eyes again and focusing on the memory.

The projection lights up once again, a myriad of images flashing. However, the footage settles faster this time. Izuku's mind having already focused on the events of his time there.

All of the room's occupants seem to stiffen at the sight before them.

This time, Izuku seem to be tied to a chair. His breathing uneven as electricity surges through his body. They see his whole body flinch and stiffen under the shock. Watch as the cuffs scrape against his raw skin as his body convulses in their hold.

"Ah, you're finally awake." Shigaraki's voice is cold as he steps into their collective view. "I was wondering if we'd have to increase the voltage a little. You've been out for a while now."

Anger bubbles in Shinsou's heart. It barely suppressed the utter helplessness he's feeling right now. His friend was getting tortured. They were hurting him and there was no one there to save him. Aizawa's knuckles are white as he squeezes the chair's handle with his free hand. Mirroring Shinsou's feelings.

The screen flickers once again, as Izuku focuses on the specific conversation he's had with All For One. It settles after a moment, showing a furious Shigaraki. The villain looks like he's about to use his quirk on Izuku.

"Tomura. That's enough." A voice calls out. The sheer authority that his tone emits is enough to send chills running down Tsukauchi's back. Horror creeping into his mind as he realizes that the man speaking was his friend's greatest nemesis.

"But Sensei. He was- "

"Get the rest, I need to have a little chat with our new guest here." Shigaraki looks like he wants to protest but reluctantly stalks away and out the door.

"Hello, Izuku Midoriya. I don't believe I've introduced myself yet. My name is All for One, but you can call me Sensei." The man pauses as if expecting some kind of reaction "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?" A new sense of pride wells in Shinsou's chest as he hears the steadiness in his friend's voice. He doesn't know if he could've been this level headed if he was faced with one of the world's worst villains.

"Ah, straight to the point I see... All right, so be it." The villain pushes some kind of button and the door swings open. Villains trickle into the room a moment later. Inko Midoriya is the last one to enter. The smile on her face makes Shinsou's skin crawl.

"Long time no see, son." When Izuku doesn't deem her with a response, they watch as she slaps him hard on the face. A red-ish bruise already forming at the place of contact. Without even realizing it, Shinsou finds himself moving to stand up. For a moment, forgetting that they were watching the past. That he couldn't do anything to stop his best friend from getting hurt. Tsukauchi nudges him, effectively making him calm down. The man isn't sporting a kind expression anymore. He's scowling at the screen. As angry as the rest of them. "Is that a way to greet your mother brat?" Inko's voice is shrill as it echoes through the room. Izuku's body trembles slightly under Aizawa's grip.

"Well" All for One clears his throat. "Now that the warm reunions are over...I believe you must be confused, young Midoriya." For once Aizawa is glad for the interruption. The villain then proceeds to explain his plans, telling his captive how he came into contact with his mother. How they struck a deal. As he called it. Through his monologue, Tsukauchi is writing down everything on his notepad. The scratching serves to distract Izuku from the man's voice. Calming down his racing thoughts. A welcome distraction. "Anyway..." The villain continued "It brings us to why you are here now."

"Sensei, do I get to do it now?" The excitement in Shigaraki's tone only serves to increase the dread pooling in Shinsou's stomach. He wants to ask, wants to know what he means by that. Yet, deep down, he thinks he knows. It doesn't make it easier though.

"Go ahead Tomura."

It doesn't ease the anger and uselessness he feels as he watches Izuku's body tremble and convulse under the shock. As he hears his hitching breath and watches the electricity course through the boy's body one again.

Doesn't make it any easier to hear his friend's screams, the sound shaking him to the very core. He wants to close his eyes. Want to erase the haunting images that he knows are going to plague his dreams for a long time to come. He stops himself though. His friend went through all of that. The least he could do was get a hold of himself.

Looking at Izuku now, he can't help the sudden urge to just get him away from this. If he's shaken by just watching this. He can't imagine having to relive it. Wasn't going through it once enough? Why were they putting him through this again?

"Why- Why are you doing this?" Aizawa's heart squeezes in his chest as he hears his ward speak. As he hears the pain in his tone. The sheer effort it takes for him to utter these few words.

"Oh, young Midoriya... I thought you were smarter than this." Aizawa wants to go in there and strangle the man. "You see... Your mother told us about your previous state. The miraculous way you acquired your quirk." The man's laughter makes the bile rise in his throat. "After the sports festival, I made the connection. It wasn't hard, your mentor didn't really try to hide it. You're the current holder of One For all aren't you?" The villain doesn't even wait for a response. "Although it saddens me to see such potential go to waste... your fate was decided the moment you accepted All Might's offer. Your mother, in return for the precious information she gave us, gets to have her son back... It just so happens that she preferred you when you were quirkless."

"They were after your quirk..." Tsukauchi whispers from his seat. His hands hold his notebook in a tight grip. Creasing the papers in his hold.

"He didn't get it." Izuku speaks for the first time since the second memory started. His voice is quiet, with no emotion in his tone.

Aizawa's about to ask him to elaborate when he hears it. Laughter erupts from the projection. Izuku. The sound is so utterly wrong that it makes the hair on his arms stand on end. He's never heard Izuku laugh like that. The sound is so- so empty. No trace of joy in it.

"You think that I'm going to give you my quirk?" Aizawa didn't know if he should be proud of his son or mad at him for his recklessness. "I'd rather die." The room's temperature seems to drop as soon as they hear Izuku say those words.

Shinsou's breath hitch in his throat as he hears it. The resolution and resistance in Izuku's voice. In that moment, his friend was ready to give up his life for this. He was ready to die to protect this quirk from getting into the wrong hands.

Tsukauchi's respect for the boy increases tenfold despite the sudden urge he has to punch Toshinori. Aizawa must be thinking the same thing, is the angry scowl on his features is anything to go by.

"Izuku-kun... What did we say happens when you disobey?" Tsukauchi thinks he knows what the woman's sentence implies. Given the evidence he found in the Midoriya's house. He doesn't like where this was going at all.

"Give it your worst, mom." Dread pools in Aizawa's stomach as he hears his ward challenge his captors. Inko Midoriya doesn't do anything immediately and it only serves to increase his fears. His mind subconsciously preparing himself for what was about to come next. He knows it's going to happen. Watches as she moves, her hands gripping onto what seems to be a remote. The electricity is back at full force, he waits for the screams but, to his surprise, they don't come.

Instead, he sees Izuku's body freeze, as if he's willing every fiber of his body not to react. He watches morbidly as his ward suffers through the pain in silence. They can hear his labored breathing. Practically see the way his teeth clench painfully in his jaw. As he wills himself not to utter a single sound.

The screen flickers on and off. Izuku's vision dimming as the pain must have been becoming unbearable. Before finally, it turns back to static. The memory over. The boy finally losing consciousness.

"Midoriya, I'm going to have you show us what happened next later but first... You said you spoke to All for One twice?" Tsukauchi asks, voice holding an unidentifiable tone to it.

His sentence is barely over when another memory flickers to life on the projection.

"I- I am n-not going t-to listen to y-you a-anymore" The image is blurry, it's a testament to the kid's mindset at that moment. His gaze is fixed to the ground. Body probably too tired to hold itself up. He's not strapped to a chair anymore. Instead, this time, it's as if his body is hanging from the ceiling. Arms chalked above his head. They can hear the teen's panting.

Shinsou doesn't want to think about the pain he must've gone through to reach this point. His eyes burn as he hears the sheer agony in his friend's voice.

"Oh, honey... think you have a choice?" Izuku's mother laughs, her voice resounds through the interrogation, the sound is revolting. "I guess this isn't working... Electricity isn't enough." She looked thoughtful, her voice light as if she wasn't talking about the torture of her own son. "Maybe we need to go back to our old ways, don't you think so Izuku-kun?"

Izuku hears her voice. The voice that haunts his nightmares and echoes in his mind every second of every day. He feels his whole body tense at her words. Mind subconsciously going back to the years of torment and abuse he's suffered by her hands. He doesn't even realize when the projection flickers and his memories flash across the screen. Showing Aizawa, Shinsou and Tsukauchi the dark box he's spent most of his childhood trapped in, the abuse he's suffered at that women's hands. He squeezes his eyes shut, only opening them again when he feels the pressure on his right hand increase. Aizawa squeezing his hand in comfort.

Looking up, he sees similar expressions of both anger and sadness looking back at him. It's only when he looks to the screen that he realizes what he's done. The screen flickers back to darkness as he wills the memories to dissipate.

Vaguely, he notes that the anger isn't aimed at him. "I'm sorry..." He whispers.

"It's not your fault," Aizawa reassures with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry we didn't save you back then Midoriya." Tsukauchi says, remorse and guilt practically dripping from his tone.

Izuku doesn't know what to say to that. So, instead, he focuses back on his second talk with All for One. Willing his heart to calm down, his body to relax. He's safe. He's not there anymore.

The villains interrupt whatever Inko had in mind. Instead, they take him to the bar again.

"Young Midoriya" All for One greets curtly "I hope your stay here wasn't too unpleasant. Did you perhaps change your mind about our proposal?"

"I think you know my answer. I think you've known from the start." Izuku's voice doesn't waver despite the exhaustion and pain Tsukauchi knows he must be feeling.

"Very well, I knew it was going to be hard to persuade you. Nonetheless, nothing is impossible Midoriya, you are living proof of that. You, a quirkless nobody, was chosen to wield this power. It intrigues me..." All for One is quiet for a few minutes after that. Aizawa almost thinks it's over. It's not that easy though. It never is. "Yet, know this. No matter how strong you may think you are, you can only bend so far before you break and believe me when I say this... I will break you."

Raw, instinctual fear envelops Shinsou's body. The villain's intimidating aura, gets him even through the screen. He remembers the oppressing sense of terror he felt that night at Kamino. It was exactly the same. He doesn't know how Izuku could just take it and challenge that man through it all.

All for One goes to speak but his words are once again interrupted by laughter. The same laughter they'd heard before. Shinsou doesn't think he'll ever get used to hearing it. That wrong, lifeless sound, erupting from his friend's throat. It scares him more than the villain.

"You see All For One... You're wrong."

"How dare you!" Shigaraki seethed from his place near the bar, Kurogiri instantly moving to hold him back from attacking. The rest of the villains looked shell-shocked. After all, here he was, powerless, standing in front of the greatest villain of all time and laughing.

"How so" The villain scuffed unperturbed by Tomura's outburst, his voice was laced with sarcasm and disinterest.

"You say you're going to break me..." Izuku's voice is cold as rings through the room. Empty. "But even you can't break what's already broken."

A heavy silence settled over the room, the quiet could be broken by the sound of a needle falling to the ground.

"You know what to do, Compress."

The projection flickers back to its empty state. Static breaking the silence. Aizawa immediately turns towards Izuku.

There's an urgency in his voice when he speaks. "What did he do?" He asks, worry evident in his tone. "What did he do to you Izuku?"

Izuku doesn't answer, instead electing to stare at the ground resolutely.

"Compress... That's the guy with the marble quirk right?" Shinsou asks carefully, knowing the tension in the room could be cut with a knife.

"That's what your mother meant." Tsukauchi breathes, realization dawning on him as his eyes widen.

Shinsou and Aizawa both seem to come to the same conclusion. Their mind flashing to the memories they saw earlier.

"She told them about the dark box. They recreated it." Izuku admits quietly, voice barely above a whisper. His eyes are still trained on the floor tiles.

"Did they hurt you in any other way?" Tsukauchi doesn't realize his mistake until the screen flickers back to life. The projection whirling with a myriad of new memories.

They're not complete this time. In fact, it's as if someone compiled a series of videos and put them together.

They watch in growing horror as Izuku gets tortured over and over again. In the first videos he's still chained to the ceiling. Electricity surging through the shackles that hold him up as his whole body shudders and convulses under the power. Screams erupting from his throat, the sound shrill and horrifying. The next memory comes before they're ready and they watch once again as the child is subjected to a new kind of pain over and over again. They can only sit there, completely useless and helpless as Izuku is thrown into the marble. Complete darkness enveloping him as he screams for release. As he begs to be let free. His sobs echoing through the room.

Shinsou doesn't realize he's crying until the tears drop onto his arm. Making his whole body flinch.

With every memory they watch, Izuku's hair loses its color more and more.

Slowly but surely, the green gives space to snow-white strands. The torture and pain too much for his body to bear. With every beating, every punishment. His hair grows whiter.

Looking towards the other occupants of the room. They all wear different expression of pain and sadness on their features. However, it's Izuku that worries Shinsou the most. The boy doesn't visibly react. In fact, he's completely frozen and emotionless when he looks at him. As if the boy isn't registering what he's watching. As if his mind is miles away. Despite his memories being displayed in front of them.

He's trembling. As if he wants to move but-

"S-Stop." He finds himself whispering before he can stop himself. "STOP!" Shinsou shouts this time. Gaining the attention of both Aizawa and Tsukauchi. "Make it stop!" He's moving before he can stop himself. Yanking Midoriya's hand away from the quirk specialist. Effectively putting an end to the memories.

As if a switch has been flicked. Izuku's body seems to come back to life. The tension in his body seeps away, his head shooting up to look around the room as if coming out of a trance. Tears spilling from his eyes as he meets Shinsou's gaze. Gratitude and relief evident in his emerald orbs.

"Wha-" Tsukauchi starts to ask but Shinsou interrupts him. Already knowing what the man was going to say.

"He wanted to stop it. He couldn't move..." At that, Aizawa nods in understanding. The man must have also noticed the way Izuku's body seemed to tremble, as if he was trying to stop it but was too caught up in his mind to do so.

"T-Thank you." Izuku's voice breaks and Tsukauchi thinks that he may have failed this kid again.

He should have known that this would happen. Shouldn't have let it get this far.

"I'm sorry Midoriya." He says sincerely, trying to convey his remorse. "We'll stop. You won't have to go through that again."

"I-I'm sorry. I- I tried b-but I-"

"No." Aizawa cuts him off before he can finish his apology. "You did amazing." He says earnestly, wanting the kid to know how brave and strong he's been. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"I can answer more questions if you want." Izuku offers, turning once again to the detective. "Just not with the q-quirk."

"We've already got more than enough Midoriya. You don't have to continue. You've already done wonderfully." The man says kindly. Knowing just how much the kid in front of him has been through and survived.

Nodding his head in acceptance, Izuku moves to get up. His mind still reeling with the storm of feelings and memories he's been overwhelmed with just a few minutes earlier.

He hears Aizawa talking to the detective quietly. Feels Shinsou's hand on his shoulder, carefully guiding him to the exit.

It's as if everything comes down on him all at once. As if the emotions he's been trying to suppress hits him at full force. His body moves on autopilot and suddenly they're in the car.

He knows he's disassociating. He's familiar with it enough by now to recognize it. That faraway feeling that overtakes his mind. Distancing himself from everything around him. As if he's trapping himself away from the emotions. The pain.

He vaguely hears both Aizawa and Shinsou trying to talk to him but he can't make out the words. Their voices sound too far away. It's as if he's underwater and the only thing he hears is the eerie quiet that surrounds him.

He thinks it's overdue.

He's been trying to keep it together throughout the whole interrogation. Willing his mind and body to push through the overwhelming need to just shut down. To stop it all.

So, he sits there, head pressed against the car window as he watches the scenery move with the vehicle.

It's only when they pull up to Height Alliance's dorm building that he starts to feel the world around him again. As if he's being anchored back to reality. Shinsou's hand is clutching his own. He doesn't know when that happened but he's nonetheless, thankful for it. The contact grounds him somehow.

They walk to the dorm and with each step, he feels pieces of himself settle back in place. Finally gaining back his awareness. Sounds and sensations registering in his mind normally again.

"Are you okay to go inside?" Aizawa asks, voice soft, understanding. There's no trace of judgment in his tone.

Izuku doesn't trust his voice to work right now, so he only nods.

Gathering his wits, he pushes the doors open.