Villain Deku - Broken

Chapter 22 - Answers

Several days passed since the defeat of AFO. Deku spent a lot of that time meditating, going so far as to enter a death-like trance, completely oblivious to the outside world. And in that time, Deku thought a lot about his life, his death, the world, the heroes, the villains, all of it. He filled his time with priceless nothing, wondering what sort of higher power had set him on this road if one even existed. Finally, about a week after his imprisonment, Deku was awoken from his slumber when he was called to the interrogation room to answer some questions. He didn't exactly walk to the room, more bouncing than walking and more floating than bouncing. He seemed more free, almost. Anyway, he sat down at the table, had his hands chained to the table, and awaited his partner. He wasn't at all surprised when Mr. Naomasa entered the room, clipboard in hand. Naomasa sat down, taking a glance at the boy. The boy already seemed different, more relaxed than before. Taking this as a good thing, Naomasa cleared his throat, pressed record on a device he had stored in his pocket, and began.

N: Hello Deku.

D: Hello Naomasa.

N: You... know my name.

D: Of course. A week well spent is a week well learned. I've learned a lot these last seven days and suffice to say, I've enjoyed it quite a bit.

N: Really? You've enjoyed being in prison?

D: Well, no. I didn't mind it to begin with, but then I got bored. So for the last five days, I've been meditating and listening to the world's voice. A little bit of soul-searching. It's been quite enlightening.

N: (writes this down) Good to know. Anyway Deku, as you've no doubt guessed I'm going to ask you some questions about you, Stain, and the League. It would be in your best interest to cooperate.

D: Of course officer. Ask away.

N: First of all, why did you decide to become Stain's apprentice?

D: He made me an offer I couldn't refuse. He promised that he would make me stronger than any quirk wielder, and capable of carrying out my destiny not as a weak little quirkless kid, but as a powerful villain. Normally I'd have said no, but I was in a bad place. Having just attempted suicide, I figured "fuck it," and said yes. I had nothing left, and nowhere to go but up. Next question.

N: (covering shock) Of course. Second, why did you join the League Of Villains?

D: Just a matter of the right place at the right time. The League hoped to recruit Stain into the League, believing a powerful figure in both strength and status could increase their reputation. Stain declined their offer, but convinced me to go. He told me it was a good opportunity to become stronger, stronger than I could've been with him. I joined the League because I wanted to become stronger.

...

Then again, I was interested in how other villains operated. Being Stain's apprentice attracts a lot of attention, so I also attracted a lot of hate. I joined the League to reduce that hate, and also to study them. I knew that they would become powerful adversaries the moment I saw them, so I joined them. "Know thy enemy", and all that.

N: Thank you Deku. Now (puts down the clipboard) how many people have you killed during your time as a villain?

D: Don't worry Naomasa, I didn't kill anyone. I fought with some people but I can assure you that no one died by my hand during my time as a villain.

Naomasa was satisfied with these answers, his quirk having confirmed them, yet something still didn't quite add up. "So Deku," Naomasa continued, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible, "tell me. Why didn't you resist when you were captured?" 

Deku smiled. "Come on Naomasa, isn't it obvious? Two years on the run, I've spent. Two years. I could've been halfway through a course at high school right now, had fate not had other plans for me. I've spent so much time in the middle of an action movie that I've slowly become desensitized to it all. Uncaring for what happens to me or what I cause. Even when trained to control every aspect of the mind and soul, I still couldn't stop my heart from hardening into diamonds. Why did I let myself be arrested, officer? Because I was bored. Simple as that, your quirk can confirm it."

Naomasa stiffened slightly. "My quirk?"

Deku sighed. "Naomasa Tsukauchi. Quirk: Lie Detector. You can instantly tell if someone's lying to you. Weak, yet highly effective in this profession."

"Not many people know about my quirk. The only person I've told is my wife and my boss." Naomasa said, stunned he knew a secret he had told next to no one.

"Secrets aren't secrets if you tell them to someone. Then they're just information. Information which can easily be heard when you and your wife have a chat in your office at 11 in the morning." Deku tried to sit back, forgetting he had cuffs on and having to sit straight due to the discomfort. "Also, tell Janice that the yellow crop top does not go with the purple jeans. It just doesn't."

Naomasa swallowed nervously. Deku was revealing just how powerful he was without even meaning to. He had no quirk, yet he could easily overpower all of the staff there, as well as most heroes to. Deku smiled. "Don't worry Naomasa. I won't hurt anyone. I have no intention of breaking out. I just want to spend some time without wondering when the next mission will be and how pissed Shigaraki will be when I return."

Naomasa wrote all of this down, before thanking Deku for his time and exiting the room. He entered the room immediately across the hall, coming into a room full of screens and monitors. In there was Inko Midoriya, tears glistening in her eyes. She wasn't sure if they were from joy or terror though. The person in the room was undoubtedly her son Izuku, but his demeanor was that of someone the complete opposite, that of someone who doesn't care what happens from this point on. And yet, she could still see the true Midoriya, a young boy who only wants to be happy. Truly happy for a reason that would make anyone happy. He was still Izuku, but not her Izuku. She turned to Naomasa. "May I speak to him?" she said, hoping he would say yes. Naomasa cautiously agreed, and let Ms. Midoriya into the room with her son.

"Hey, Mom. It's been a while. Sorry, I didn't write, it's been a strange couple of years." Deku acted so calmly and collected as if he had only seen her this morning as he left for school. He knew that she was his mother, he just didn't care. She was just another person. 

"Hi, Izuku," Inko said, feeling extremely awkward in this scenario. "I... you..." Eventually, she just ran toward him and hugged him. Deku stiffened. He hadn't felt affection of any kind in two years. The feeling of love and kindness was alien to him. He looked at her. Just another person.

A person who had raised him. Cared for him. Been there when no one else was and told him that he could do anything he put his mind to. That was her. That was his mother. He felt a cold sensation traveling down his face. He wiped it away, and briefly tasted salt. Tears. He was crying. Crying at the first kind touch in two years. Inko looked up. "Izuku?" Izuku did not respond, his throat garbled from distress, his eyes too wet to see. He shook in his seat, muscles spasming as the repressed emotional trauma of over two years surfaced all at once.

He looked down at her. His mother. Inko Midoriya. "Mom?". And he hugged her back. And they both hugged and cried for a long time.

It was such a sweet moment. It was a shame that it set off the dominos of Deku's psyche, setting them tumbling and putting into motion a set of events that would lead to... well, we wouldn't want to spoil that now, would we?