Behind the Smile | TodoBakuDeku | Book 1

Chapter 22

Bakugo's POV

"We've got a meeting with Aizawa, Mic, and some of the other heroes this afternoon. Apparently, they want to discuss Aizawa's findings during the interrogation and want to know more about...well, about your symptoms," I hesitantly told Izuku and Shoto. I knew Izuku wanted nothing more than to stay in and avoid the world, but he was going to need help if he wanted to break that damn curse of a quirk.

I noticed Izuku looking down, picking at his fingers until they were raw, so I placed my hand over his. He looked up at me like a deer in the headlights and I didn't know how to help him. Setting my pride aside to let other heroes help was the best thing I could think of, aside from being there for him.

"Are you going to be okay, Izuku?" Shoto asked as he ran his fingers through Izuku's hair.

Izuku was obviously uncomfortable about the meeting, but I could tell there was something else going on, too. "We can do most of the talking, if you want," I offered. "You just need to be honest with us before we get there. We can't back you up, if we don't know the whole truth."

"Not again," Izuku whimpered to himself, curling up into the fetal position and covering his ears. "Please, not again."

It seemed like he was looking into the corner of the room, but there was nothing there. Shoto and I gave each other a knowing, concerned look before making our way to either side of Izuku. It had to be that little asshole in his head. There was no way around it, and I wasn't about to let it hurt my Izuku.

"Go away," Izuku whispered, turning towards the corner of the room, but we still saw nothing there. I continued to hold onto Izuku's hand, while Shoto rubbed small soothing circles on his back to keep him calm. It wasn't working, though, because he looked like he was over exhausting himself and about to pass out.

Izuku tried to cover his ears again, pleading, "No! Please, just stop. It wasn't wrong." He must have forgotten that anyone else was in the room. We needed to find a way to pull him back to us and fast.

I wish I could have seen that bastard in the corner. I wanted to beat the living shit out of it and tell it to get lost, but there was nothing there and that infuriated me.

"I...I love them. It wasn't wrong. I love them!" Izuku cried. Dark Deku must have been talking about last night. That fucking dirty bastard! I think Shoto caught on as well. "You're right, Izu. There was nothing wrong with what we did. We love you, too. Just come back to us...We need you to hear us, please!" Shoto was beginning to break down.

We both cried out for Izuku but it was as if he couldn't hear us even though we were right next to him, attempting to break him from the fucking trance he was in. He didn't say another word, as silent tears fell from his dulled emerald eyes. He was under that monster's spell and I had no idea how to break it.

Izuku stood up, still in a trance-like state, and began to walk away from us. We reached out for him, but he used his quirk to force his way past us and shut himself in the bathroom. We started pounding on the door trying to get it to open, but it wouldn't budge. It began to glow a dark purple, as we heard Izuku throwing up.

We backed away as the door grew brighter. Shoto went to reach for the door again, but I pulled him back. "Don't be a moron! If you touch that shit, I might up end up being the only non-suicidal idiot out of the three of us!"

"But we can't just stand here!" Shoto spat back. "He needs us!"

"Don't you think I already know that?!"

How do I force him to listen to us?! That thing obviously has him sealed in...If only there was a way to break into his subconscious...SHIT

"Sho, call Eye-Bags Jr. and tell him to get his ass over here now. He won't do it if I ask," I direct Shoto. Suddenly, the purple light surrounding the door seeped out into a basketball-sized orb.

"FUCK! Hurry up, Sho!!" I say as I grab him and use small explosions to dodge the damn thing.

"He's on his way," Shoto responded as he built an ice shield around us to keep the orb away, but it was slamming into the ice, cracking it down the center. Just as it was about to break through, Shoto threw up another ice shield.

"What the fuck do you need that I had to–" Shinso walked into the room and immediately ducked as the orb came whirling for him. I grabbed his sleeve and yanked him behind the mini ice glacier.

"Look, we don't have time to explain, but Izuku needs your help," I pleaded with Shinso. "You need to get inside his head and tell him to stop listening to it."

"To what?" Shinso asked but readied himself regardless of the answer.

"We'll explain later. On the count of three, Sho, I need you to ball that thing up in the thickest ice you can. Shinso, at the same time we'll both run for the bathroom. I'll bust the fuckin' door open, while that purple shit is preoccupied and you get to Izuku. Get in his head and make him stop. Got it?

"One..."

I can hear Izuku rummaging through cabinets sporadically.

"Two..."

He better be okay or I swear to god...

"Three!"

Why did it get quiet in there all of a sudden?

We sprang into action, Shoto imprisoning the orb as best he could, he bought me time to explode the door wide open, but what I found was heart-wrenching.

I couldn't move, much less breathe, as I saw my love standing on the edge of the tub with a noose around his neck. He had tied the top to the shower rod and was about to hang himself, and I just stood there like a fucking idiot. What is wrong with me?

"Midoriya?" Shinso gasped.

"Hmmm?" Izuku responded before his eyes glazed over.

That response was all Shinso needed to break in. "Take that off and step down carefully," he commanded, though his voice was wavering as the tears poured. Izuku did as he was told and I felt the weight of the world leave my shoulders. He was safe, or at least that's what I thought.