A Merfolk's Tale

Chapter Twenty One

So, I just noticed that it was actually hard to put Todoroki and Aizawa-sensei in the same scene together since their first names have just a one-letter difference from each other    (っ °Д °;)っ sorry about that \(￣︶￣*\))

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Izuku winced as Hisashi stitched his head wound up but it wasn't as painful as the lashings he received the other day or how the villagers, who had once looked at him with smiles when he had danced with Shoto, glared at him and blamed him for their kingdom's misfortune just because he was a merman... a cursed creature.

Izuku closed his eyes and let tears flow down his face. Katsuki and the others had been right... there was nothing good in the human world-- that the humans would only love and accept you as long as they think that you're one of them even though you're just pretending, and then hate you once you reveal your true self and they find out that you're different from them. They'd hate you as if you did nothing good.

He remembered how, despite his blurry vision, he saw Shoto amongst the panicking crowd around him-- how his eyes widened in surprise and in horror upon seeing him in his true form. He couldn't handle being stared at like that, especially from Shoto whom he expected would accept him even in his mermaid form-- the main reason why he had thrashed out and caused injury to himself. He was so lost in thought the failed to see Shigaraki and approach him.

"That was a close one, eh little one?" Shigaraki said as he grabbed Izuku's jaw and forced the greenhead to look up. "The villagers almost tore you apart,"

Izuku averted his eyes. "Kill me already..." he mumbled, "You already got what you want, right...? Yuei is now yours..."

"Oh but it will never be ours, not until that bloody prince of theirs is still alive," Shigaraki said, "And until he breathes his last breath at my feet, you will continue on to live-- suffering at the hands of the humans you foolishly put your trust on,"

Izuku glared at him. "If you dare hurt even a single hair on Shoto--"

"What will you do, merman?" Shigaraki cackled. "Flap your fins?"

Izuku didn't answer. How could he? He can't even save himself from the pitiful situation he's in, what more can he do to threaten Shigaraki?

Shigaraki then turned to Hisashi and to one of the guards that had been the pirates' true spy-- Kosuke. "Take him back in the dungeon,"

"We'll play later, little one," Shigaraki mumbled to Izuku before Kosuke slung the young merman over his shoulder as he was nothing but a sack of rice.

The sudden movement made Izuku's head pound and before he could even fight back, he was dumped back inside his cell and was thrown tattered clothes for him to wear before they slammed the gates shut and locked him up.

"Maybe spending night under here would knock some sense into you," Kosuke said, "See you in the morning.

Izuku looked at him in shock and he glanced at the small window that provided his cell a bit of light. Before they dragged him to the circle, they made sure that Izuku did not eat dinner and with his stay overdue, he was unable to eat lunch as well... surely they wouldn't let him skip dinner tonight... right?

He willed himself to change in his human form and quickly put on some clothes, careful of Kosuke's lustful eyes that were set on him as if a predator watched its prey. Izuku would've changed after the guards left but he had no choice, he couldn't talk to them in his mermaid form.

"C-can you at least give me water to drink...?" Izuku asked, hoping that a hint of mercy would creep its way to the guards' heart.

Kosuke made a move and returned back with a bowl of water to which the guard handed to Izuku through an outstretched hand. His legs were shaky when he stood up, but he was just too thirsty to even endure how painful his legs felt and struggled to walk and reach for the bowl.