Swan Dive

Chapter 11: Rescue

I know it's not Friday, but think of this as an early Christmas gift. ^_~ Also, expect a 'surprise' update for Christmas Eve, too~! Please enjoy~!

*Rushes off to work*

Chapter 11: Rescue

Shouta had never felt more useless. Hours blurred into days, and while he tried to keep track of time, he honestly wasn't sure how long it'd been. Every now and then, Hisashi would come down and drag Shouta up to his torture chamber where he'd be gagged and forced to watch as the Villain tortured Izuku, who always refused to scream.

He'd be forced to sit there and watch as his son thrashed about in mindless agony. Shouta's wrists were now as bloody as Izuku's. Hisashi never did more than the serum, though. Whether that was a good thing or not, Shouta didn't know.

Whenever he'd torture Izuku, he always had this look of intrigue on his face, and he'd start asking Shouta questions about All For One, most of which he had no idea how to answer. If anything, he gained more information from Hisashi than the man gained from Shouta.

Aside from that, they were left alone. No food, minimal water. Shouta and Izuku were grateful for small blessings.

Sometimes, when the lantern was bright enough, they'd talk in sign, as Izuku's jaw caused him some problems from time-to-time, now.

Other times, the lantern was so dim they could hardly make out their own hands, and spoke in soft, quiet tones. Izuku always seemed calmer when Shouta spoke, and would lean against his chest as he talked about whatever came to mind. He usually told him stories about his time at U.A., or his countless missions as a hero—both good and bad. He told him about his old friend, Shirakumo, who died in his Second Year of U.A., and how guilty Shouta still felt about it. How he thought he'd heard his friend and partner yelling encouragement to him throughout the entire battle, only to find out that he'd been dead the entire time.

He'd never told anyone about Shirakumo. Only Nemuri and Hizashi knew about him, because they'd been there.

They were trauma bonding, and while Shouta knew it would only cause more harm than good further down the road, he couldn't find it in himself to deny Izuku anything after he literally went through hell so Shouta didn't have to.

And that guilt ate away at him like nothing he'd ever experienced. Izuku constantly reminded him that he shouldn't feel guilty, and Shouta knew this. It wasn't his fault; it was Hisashi's for putting them in this godforsaken nightmare. But that still didn't make the crushing guilt any lighter. He still found himself wondering if they'd still be there if he'd only remembered to grab his Capture Weapon or cell phone that night. Maybe Inko would still be alive.

Shouta noted that their dynamic had shifted. Yes, they were still father and son, but... there was a deeper level of trust, now. Shouta felt comfortable opening up to Izuku about things that even Hizashi didn't know. Izuku returned the favor easily.

"Do you still want to be a hero, after all this?" Shouta found himself asking one 'night' after Izuku regained coherence from his latest torture.

"If anything, Dad... this makes me want to be a hero more." Shouta blinked in surprise. "I mean... How many people have to go through this? Maybe... no, I will save someone from this one day. I'll make sure that at least one kid doesn't have to lose their mom like... like me."

"Damn, kid. Most people—even pros—would break under what you're going through. Under what you've gone through. And here you are turning trauma into fuel for your dreams." Shouta gave a deep, dry laugh. "Are you still glad I caught you that day?"