Whumptober 2021

On a need to know basis

The world was over, it had been for a while. But yet, why hadn't Izuku stopped looking for survivors?

On a need to know basis

Recovery | Scars | 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗵

TW!

Collapsed buildings and blood.

The battle was over.

That's what everyone had said. The city was destroyed, leaving piles of rubble throughout it. Those who survived the initial attack had fleed, concerned for their wellbeing and the safety of those they loved. Izuku was not one of them. He was a hero. He had to defend what little was left of Japan.

This was the city he grew up in. It was the city where he took his first steps, the city where he was first diagnosed as quirkless. But it was also the city where he received a quirk from All Might. He had many wonderful memories in the mass of debris he now stood on.

The battle had been tense. Izuku would know, he had fought in it.

Shigaraki had been the man behind the slaughter of millions of innocent lives. His quirk had evolved, powering up as he tore through buildings like they were butter. They crumpled in an instant, leaving heroes overworked as they searched for survivors. Civilian safety was always a top priority when it came to hero work. Many heroes lost their lives in their attempts to save others.

And yet, Izuku was here, barely sixteen. He outlived some of the most experienced pro heroes Japan had to offer. It was daunting. The feeling that he'd die at any given moment scared him half to death.

For the months that Izuku had spent surveying the area, he had yet to come across anyone who was alive. He solely found cold slabs of meat, former shells of what used to be full of life. They were frozen in time, taunting Izuku of what used to be the norm.

Navigating the terrain was rough, simply seeing it was dangerous. The debris was stacked precariously, almost as if a slight breeze would knock it over. And topple over it did.

The first time he'd seen it happen, he hadn't seen it coming. He'd let his guard down and despite the hauntingly quiet streets, he hadn't noticed the subtle creaking sound. It was too late, by the time he'd noticed it, it'd collapsed almost directly on top of him.

Blinding pain ripped throughout his body as his left leg. Panicked, he tried to wriggle free, causing his leg to throb harder. After a few painful hours, he'd slowly wriggled himself free from the grasp of the debris. He winced as he took note of the leg, its colour a pure red as the blood dripped off of it. He had barely been able to save it, resulting in a permanent limp as he walked.

Izuku sighed, at least there was hope for tomorrow.