Be Careful What You Wish For

Turning Wheel

"Wait!" Izuku gasped, throwing his head back with a flinch. His wrists stung as he pulled his arms instinctively to shield his face. He pried his eyelids open, meeting an amused Shigaraki. The villain chuckled.

"Good morning, hero," he said. "Had a nice nap?"

Izuku panted vigorously, eyes round as he stared at the man. He was running out of ideas, and with heavy trepidation, he said, "I know what you're going to do. You're going to torture me to death."

The villain's eyes crinkled into slits with mirth. "Look, the hero knows what's coming," his giggles joined the blonde girl, who was practically bouncing in her seat on the bar counter.

"Toga Himiko!" she'd said, pressing the blade into his cheek. "Please say my name before you die, okay?"

"Aw, he's so scared! Like a baby bunny! It's sooooo cute!" she practically sang her words, juggling the open box cutter in one hand, the sharp steel glinting in the low light as it pirouetted through the air, before she caught it by the handle with ease and started the process over again. "Come on Shiggy, let me have just one stab at him, pleeeeease!"

"No," Shigaraki snarled. "This brat's mine. I let you have your fun back at the camp, now it's my turn."

The girl pouted, sticking her tongue out at her boss when he wasn't looking. Izuku paid close attention to it all, every word, every action, everything. A plan was stringing itself together in his head. It wasn't a good plan, it was desperate, a last resort from being pushed into a corner with no other way out, but it was a chance.

I want to get out of here. Out o u t . I don't care anymore.

"I know more than that, Shigaraki."

That caught the villain's attention. He raised a wispy brow. "Oh?" he challenged, doubting. "Please, enlighten me."

"I know you want Kacc—Bakugou and Tokoyami to join you as subordinates," he glanced at his classmates. The man with the mask, Mr. Compress, managed to look smug despite his covered face, standing between the two teens, hands ready to strike. Bakugou scowled at Izuku, but it was more puzzled than cross. "You saw how Bakugou acted in the sports festival and decided he would make a good villain. Tokoyami was just a bonus."

"Hooo...?" Shigaraki cocked his head. "Did you figure that out yourself, or did someone tell you?"

"There's more," Izuku ignored the question, swallowing. "I could tell you how much Toga wants to stab me right now, but you already know that. Spinner doesn't like the idea of killing me, especially not through torture, because of my association with Stain, but he won't stop you. These restraints aren't meant to hold me, just give Mr. Compress enough time to kill Tokoyami in case I don't behave. He won't touch Bakugou unless he has to, and he'll only kill him as a last resort. If that isn't enough to stop me, Mustard will use his quirk to force me into unconsciousness. Not every villain is in this room right now. You have more waiting further inside. One of them uses fire, the other can create clones. Not to mention the noumus. The reason you kidnapped me is because you want revenge for the mall."

Shigaraki looked like he couldn't settle between feeling intrigued or disturbed, but from the way his fingers twitched, Izuku knew he wasn't sold yet. He could practically smell the man's bloodlust from here.

"One more thing," Izuku said. His tongue felt heavy, and his throat itched. "I know what you're going to say next."

The sickly looking man stilled. He almost sounded excited when he asked, "And what is that?"