2 Years Ago

Izuku's eyes peeled open, the immediate flood of blinding overhead lighting causing his vision to go out of focus.
He felt himself blink and squirm on impulse, his lids hesitating whilst he himself adjusted to the shower of white light.

He slowly inched his wrist upward to soothe the sudden head-splitting headache that ensued, to find that he was unable to do so.

His wrist was bound to a hospital bed--with handcuffs.

Izuku instantly began to panic. What on earth could he have done to warrant such hospitality?

He wanted to mutter to himself the possible causes and consequences of his current state; such theatrics being accompanied with a near stifling feeling--as though the walls were closing in and melting along with the rest of the room.

More than anything, though, he felt the urge to laugh bitterly.

Such irony, the number one pro hero himself, ending up in a hospital room defending countless lives and being bound to a bed in response--with mere handcuffs, no less.

How insulting.

He tugged on the small chain, but there was no give.

The tiny chain he'd intended to snap like cooked pasta was still intact, as though he'd never tried in the first place.

Perplexed, the freckled man tried again.

And again.

Nothing happened.

Alright, now, he was actually beginning to panic.

There was an audible struggle emanating from his room, as he'd come to the sickening realization that his other hand was bound similarly.

Even his legs were strapped to the hospital bed.

Izuku opened his mouth to exclaim, but was cut off by the swinging open of the room's doors.

"What on earth is going on here?"
Funny. He should've been asking that.

Wait...That voice was...

"Iida?"
Izuku called, ceasing his movements out of utter shock.

He'd realised that Tenya's dissatisfaction wasn't towards himself, when someone in a large white coat trailed in behind him.

"You can't be in here, it's not safe–"

"He's awake! You guys, Deku's awake!"

Izuku'd recognised the big, bright chestnut-coloured eyes that peered in from the doorway.

Ochako had disappeared as soon as Izuku caught a glance of her, only to reappear with Shoto, Fumikage and Asui following closely behind.

The stranger in the white jacket grew stern.
"We're not allowing visitors, please see yourselves out of the room."

Izuku's restraints rattled as he called,
"Wait! What's going on? Why am I being kept like this? Tell me what's going on!"

"We came as soon as we heard!"
Ochako worriedly stated, as the group was being ushered out of the room.
"Sit tight, Midoriya, we're going to fix this."
Shoto reassured him.
"And try not to speak!"
Tenya added, being the last person that was sent outside.

The stranger followed the group, shutting the door behind them.

Izuku was alone again.
The faint beeping of a heart rate monitor being the only other audible sound in the secluded space--other than his own quick, unsteady breathing.

He understood that he was in a hospital, and that he was being handled as any felon would.

But for the life of him, Izuku couldn't understand why.

Did he hurt someone in battle? Did he destroy too much public property?
He couldn't even remember that.

And where was Katsuki?
Since he wasn't with Tenya and the others, Izuku assumed he was also being hospitalised.

'I hope Kacchan's okay...'
He thought, beginning to calm his thoughts and sink back into his restraints.

He knew it was his mind's poor attempt at scaring himself, however.
It would be a cold day in hell the day Katsuki got worse injuries than him.

He was the winner, after all.

...

Izuku figured his rambling thoughts must've put him to sleep, because his eyes were open to an empty room one second, and then staring at Tenya's worried face the next.

The natural lighting seeping into the room through thin cracks in the curtains was less bright than before, suggesting that some time indeed passed since Izuku was last conscious.

Nonetheless, Tenya's sudden appearance caused Izuku to jolt backward in surprise, which was, fairly easier than before.

His restraints were gone.
Was it all a dream?
Nevermind.
The matter at hand was,
"Jesus Christ, Iida. You scared me!"
The man combed a scarred hand through forest-green curls.

Tenya cleared his throat.
"Apologies. I just finally had those ridiculous 'precautions' removed, and I didn't want to wake you just yet."

Ah. Not a dream, after all.

"Precautions? What are you going on about?"
Izuku scratched the back of his head as though he hadn't been able to do so for years.

Tenya shifted his stance uncomfortably.
"Well...You–"

The door swung open.
"Ah! Midoriya's awake!"

Asui was the one who checked in this time. She tipped her head out of their view to call on the rest of Izuku's visitors.

Not a moment later, the same group made their way into the room, only now they were accompanied by Eijiro and Ashido.

"Midoriya! Oh, thank God!"
They all exclaimed individually.
Shoto approached Tenya, resting a hand on his husband's shoulder.
"Why didn't you call us?"

"He woke up like thirty seconds ago, Sho. And frankly, I feel as though he could use some rest after what happened."

"Oh for the love of God, what the hell happened?"
Izuku cut through whatever everyone else was discussing, shifting their attention onto him.

He'd admit that the snappy attitude was uncalled for--and he'd regretted it almost as soon as he'd said it--but living with Katsuki for the last couple years had it's quirks.

Izuku had a mouth on him now, and combined with his prior loose-lipped antics, it wasn't all that fun a combination at times.

"And Kacchan. Where is he? Is he here as well?"

Izuku thought that it was his sudden outburst that stunned them silent, but then realised that it was something else.

Something similar had flickered behind their eyes, each expressing their discomfort differently.

"Well?"
Izuku felt like a stern father berating his children.

What he wasn't expecting, was for Ashido to break down in tears.

Strong arms embraced her trembling stature as Eijiro squeezed her against the chest of his soft hoodie.

Everyone looked like they were about to cry at that point.

Hell, even Izuku was ready to shed tears at the sight of his friends in such distress.

That was when he began to fear the worst.
Was Katsuki injured?
Was he in critical condition? But he was fighting on, right? He was winning as always...
Right?

His throat beginning to feel as through he were being choked with icy hands.

Izuku's eyes began to shift to each individual before him. None of them could meet his gaze.

It made something in his gut twist coldly with worry.

Everyone was taken aback by who decided to speak up.

"Bakugo..."
Fumikage cleared his throat, swallowing hard as though he were severely dehydrated.
"He's...Not with us."

Izuku couldn't believe what he was hearing.
He had to have misheard.
He had to have been misinterpreting the situation.

Of course, that was it.
Katsuki just, wasn't in the room--which was obvious.

He forced out a dry chuckle.
"No, seriously. Where is Kacchan?"
His expression didn't change from that of a worried one.
His tone definitely didn't match the deadpan look on his face.

"He's...Gone, Midoriya."
Eijiro bit his tongue when he felt Ashido's agonizing sobs dampen against his chest.
She wasn't loud, but it was still painful.

"Gone? Gone where?"

Izuku kept convincing himself that whatever he thought happened to Katsuki was wrong.
There was no way...There was just no way.

Shoto stepped forward, beginning to approach Izuku's bedside.
"He's gone, Midoriya. And he's not coming ba–"

"You're wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong!"
Izuku could feel the tears well up in his eyes as he covered his ears.

"Midoriya! Get ahold of yourself! You're acting like that if a child!"
Tenya said sternly, despite having tears in his eyes.

"You're both making things worse!"
Ochako huffed.
"Don't you recall what they said in the final report? What happened to the people who were hit is still unknown. Stop jumping to conclusions."
She more reassured herself than anyone else.

The brunette approached an increasingly confused Izuku, gingerly removing the hands pressed firmly against his ears.

"Deku...Do you really not remember what happened?"
She asked softly, sincere worry crossing her usually bubbly features.

Of course Izuku hadn't remember what happened. If he did, he probably would've understood why he woke up in handcuffs.

He probably would've known...What happened to Katsuki.