Prompt: What if Izuku and Shouta met in a different way? A horrible way?
Warnings: Child Abuse, Depressive, Angst

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Shouta's POV

Shouta suddenly awakes when he is roughly thrown onto the floor of his cell with his hands and feet tied up. He keeps his facial expressions concealed as he looks up at his captor, who Shouta can't see as he is blindfolded.

How did he get in this position? Shouta's location was given out by somebody as he was supposed to stop a drug ring tonight. Somebody in his agency is a traitor. However, he can worry about that later.

"So this is the great Eraserhead? He doesn't look so great from here!" A cocky male voice echoes through the room.

Suddenly, a dry childish voice speaks up, "I keep telling you that you need some glasses, asshole. It would help hide your face because I certainly don't want to see it." Shouta's heart stops.

There isn't a kid here, is there?

Loud footsteps can be heard around him to the other side of the cell. After a moment of silence, a sickening snap can be heard.

However, the kid (he knows for sure now) just laughs, "Great job, you snapped my spine again! Unlike last time, I can't feel my legs, so you've been working out since last time! May God bless you!" The sarcasm from the kid makes Shouta feel sick.

A kid shouldn't feel like that.

A growl can be heard from the captor, "You're lucky you can be an asset. Otherwise, you would be dead where you stand. I'll make you wait to be healed tomorrow."

"Uh, I want to be dead, though? Have you not been listening to me for the last three months? THAT'S SO RUDE! I'VE BEEN SINGING TO YOU FOR FUCK SAKES!" By the end, the child is coughing heavily.

Shouta is glad he can school is facial expression.

"You are so smart, yet you are stupid enough to scream even though you haven't had water today. Anyway, ignore him, Eraserhead. He's just a brat. Oh, and you can blame him for the lack of furniture in here. He used everything against us. Be ready for some brain-washing later."

With that, the gate closes to leave Shouta in the dark, but his expression immediately changes to worry. He sits up and turns himself to face the boy based on the last place he heard him, "Kid, are you okay?" He makes sure to be gentle.

"Yeah yeah, give me a moment." The boy huffs. That's when Shouta can hear soft whimpers along with shuffling.

"What are you doing? If your spine is injured, you shouldn't be moving at all."

"Don't worry! This is absolutely normal! If you feel something touching your back, it's me. I'm going to remove the blind-fold."

How the hell is the kid able to do so much while a hero hasn't done anything?

"Kid, you don't have to."

"First off, I'm Izuku, not kid. After being here, it's fucking disrespectful to call me kid. Second, if I can get you out of here, then you can come back and save me. Or not. At least I know I saved someone before I die. Here, you mind if I use you as leverage?"

"Go ahead, but be careful. Also, quiet. They could hear us."

"No. The asshats made this area soundproof because of me." How much trouble did this kid cause?

That's when Shouta feels trembling hands grip the back of his uniform. Slowly, the hands grip his shoulders before the weight of the kid is leaned on him. Izuku breaths heavily for a moment.

"Sorry, Eraser. I can't sit up otherwise." The kid- Izuku mutters as he starts untying the knot.

"You're fine. Call me Aizawa. How old are you?" Shouta needs to know who he is working with.

"12, and got it," Izuku says as the blindfold drops. Shouta feels sicker after hearing that. A 12-year-old in here for three months? That's pushing it. What's interesting is that he hasn't heard of an Izuku in the lost children files.

Shouta shakes his head. He needs to evaluate the situation first.

The room is dark as expected beside a single light-bulb hanging from the ceiling. The place is all brick with an iron-bar wall seeing out to show nobody outside. However, he can't see Izuku yet as he is behind Shouta.

Shouta asks, "What's the chances of you freeing my arms and legs?"

"Can I see your shoestring? Well, boot string?"

"Yeah."

Shouta feels Izuku get off his back and crawl in front of him. He has to hide his emotions against for what he sees.

Izuku is mostly naked besides for boxers, but most of his skin is covered in something, whether it be bruises, dirt, blisters, cuts, or blood. He can clearly see broken bones as the kid has to be malnourished because he is short too. He can't see Izuku's face due to the long-green curly hair covering it. Shouta watches Izuku fiddle with the strings of his boots until he gets them loose. Izuku is about to move again, but Shouta stops him.

"Let me move, Izuku. I'm not injured. Stay lying down when you do this. I can do my feet, but I need my hands free first." Shouta states as he spins himself around to give the kid access to his tied hands. Izuku uses the string as a saw as he wraps it around the zip tie and starts running it back and forth. Shouta estimates it is an hour before Izuku breaks it due to Shouta forcing Izuku to stop multiple times, so Izuku wouldn't push himself.

The first thing Shouta did when Izuku got him out is to run his hand through Izuku's hair. He watches the kid tense, but almost forces himself to settle down.

"Good job, Izuku," Shouta says genuinely.

Izuku huffs, "Yeah yeah. Get your feet free because I have no idea when they come back. They don't have a schedule. Once you're free, when they come in, you can YEET yourself at them and get out."

Did Izuku just say a meme? Shouta doesn't know if he is impressed Izuku can still joke or if Izuku is just insane.

Izuku throws the shoestring at Shouta, and he starts getting his feet free.

Shouta takes the chance for more information, "What do you know about this place?"

"There are three people here at all times. The fourth only comes in the middle of the day to brainwash me. He already came today. One has a strength quirk, and he's the main problem for whenever I try to fuck shit up. That's who threw you in here. Another one can heal broken bones, but it's painful AF. The other dude...what is it...I think it's a sensitivity quirk of some kind. Don't ask me for the specifics, but I notice that when I am screaming, he flinches. I know the way out, but it's mostly hallways. We are in a basement. Um, they all have pistols, and I think one prefers a bat. Oh, and they come twice a day at morning and night to make sure I don't die unless I cause trouble." From there, Izuku gives a very descriptive explanation of each of the men along with directions on how to get out.

Shouta is thoroughly impressed by how much Izuku knows. That's more than enough to get him out.

"And you? Let me see your injuries." Shouta states when he snaps the zip tie on his feet. He stretches quickly before going to Izuku.

"A couple broke ribs, spine snapped, paralyzed waist down, malnutrition, do I need to continue?"

Shouta sighs because he knows that's bad. Izuku should be dead right now.

Shouta looks over the kid to find too many injuries, "I'm going to get you out of here. For now, you need to stay still."

Izuku is quiet for a moment. Then, shocking Shouta, he says, "Leave me here."

"Kid, no-"

"Izuku, and hear me out. If you take me with you, you will be weighed down and have everyone after you. That minimizes your possibility of escape. My chances of making it out are shit anyway, so you might as well put my life towards something. If you can get to the police station and back here as quickly as possible, that would work better. I can distract for as long as I can to increase your chance."

Shouta looks away because he feels sicker the longer he listens to Izuku. It's like Izuku is treating his life like a piece of a game rather than something precious. The worst part is that Izuku has a logical plan.

"Why should I go with your plan?" Shouta is willing to give Izuku a chance to prove himself.

"If you take me with you, you're risking injury on me. Sure, I'll still get injured, but moving me around like that is probably worst. You heard them. They need me alive anyway, so they will heal me if nothing else."

"Do you know why they want you?"

"Intelligence. I'm good with technology, plans, hacking, and a lot of other things. They also knew the police would not bother with my case anyway."

"Why?"

"I'm quirkless. The quirkless population is basically ignored by the police. Rephrase, the quirkless are ignored in general. Or killed depending on what part of the spectrum you look at. It doesn't matter how smart I am. What matters is my fucking genetics." The spite in Izuku's voice gives everything Shouta needs to know.

Everything clicks together, and Shouta can't help but hate the story.

Shouta sighs once more, "Tell me how to get out. Then rest."

Izuku does just that.

When the thugs come, Shouta knocks them out and escapes to find help.

Shouta arrives back to see Izuku practically destroyed, living on a string of life.

The thugs are arrested, but Shouta doesn't care as he follows Izuku to the hospital.

Izuku is forced into a medically-induced coma for had badly his injuries are. The doctors don't know if he will make it.

Shouta stays with Izuku despite his logical senses telling him to back away.

However, he clings to Izuku's last words, despite how crude they are, before passing out,

"Thank you. At least I'm out of the deep end of hell. Hopefully, they get their dicks chopped off. Give me a couple of days to wake up."