Swan Dive

Chapter 10: Pain

What's this? An update a day early?! Well, I honestly felt kind of bad for leaving you guys with that last chapter, so consider this my (shitty) peace offering.

I also must say that Wattpad is awesome. My original platform was Fanfiction.net, but they've been excessively mean/rude over there. I mean, come on, if you don't like where the story's going, then just leave. You don't have to leave a comment stating that my story is 'too much' or 'jumping the shark' and that you're out. I mean, I've got feelings, too, you know. *pouts* 

Chapter 10: Pain

Izuku was numb with fear and pain. He may have been the only one without injuries, but it didn't seem to matter, now. His mother was dead. His mother was gone. Murdered... tortured to death by his stupid biological father who'd shown up out of nowhere for some reason Izuku couldn't comprehend.

It'd been hours. They couldn't even reach her to close her eyes. Her stare seemed to mock Izuku, reminding him that her death was his fault, somehow. Her screams still rang in his ears.

Shouta tried to keep him from looking at her, but he caught Shouta himself staring on more than one occasion. They were both in shock. They were both grieving. But Shouta, at least, was trying to help Izuku somehow. Izuku couldn't figure out how to return that favor to his father figure.

Neither of them slept, but eventually the footsteps returned. The two stiffened, and Shouta's arms wrapped tightly around him. Izuku felt safer in Shouta's arms, even though logically, he knew that Hisashi could still take him from Shouta with little-to-no effort.

Hisashi opened the door and came downstairs with a large garbage bag. Izuku's stomach revolted, and it was all he could do to keep from vomiting as he roughly shoved his mother (that's my mom! Give her back! She doesn't deserve this!) into the bag and dragged her slowly up the stairs. Every thunk of her hitting the steps made his heart twist painfully.

As soon as Hisashi closed the door behind himself, Izuku was on his feet, shuffling away from Shouta as quickly as he could before emptying the pathetic contents of his stomach. The hero looked about a minute away from the action himself, but Izuku thought that it could also be a result from the concussion. The man could barely stand, as it was.

After he was done, he shakily returned to his dad, because he's all I've got left. The thought made his throat close up with tears.

"Shh... I'm here, Zuzu, I'm here... Dad's here." Shouta held him in his arms and rocked him gently. The motion actually managed to calm him a little, and he concentrated on listening to his dad's heartbeat—physical proof that he wasn't alone.

Izuku startled badly when the hinges of the door screamed. He must've fallen asleep in Shouta's arms. The hero still held him protectively, and he could feel his arms tighten as Hisashi approached the two with a sickening grin.

"Now, Inko was... uncooperative. Perhaps you'll be able to answer my questions?"

Neither of them answered, waiting with baited breath for the man to drop the question that killed his mother.

"Where can I find All for One?"

"All for... what?" Izuku blinked. He'd never heard of such a thing before. Was it a weapon? A person?

"He's a myth." Shouta glared.

"Oh, no. The proof of his existence is right here, after all." He smiled at Izuku, and said boy felt like a piece of meat beneath his gaze. "But that's beside the point, for now." He shook his head. "I'll get my answers in due time. I'm a patient man, after all. What I'm more interested in, at the moment, is your Quirk, Izuku."