Everything was perfect (Until it wasn't)

Echos in an Empty Room

Sorry for the long wait! I hope you can enjoy this super short chapter

When Shouto woke up, he was surprised by how rested and refreshed he felt, a stark contrast to the evident exhaustion weighing down Aizawa. Shouto observed his teacher's heavy eyelids, fighting against the urge to sleep with sheer determination. Guilt washed over Shouto, he couldn't bear seeing Aizawa struggle to stay awake like that, especially not in that unforgiving wooden chair.

"Maybe you should grab some coffee," Shouto suggested, his voice laced with concern. Aizawa was exhausted because of him, the least Shouto could do was stand to be without Aizawa for a bit while he got himself some coffee.

Aizawa responded with a tired yawn, stretching his body languidly as he sat up. "Are you sure? The line for the coffee machine might be long, and I could be gone for a while..."

Shouto nodded, his conviction unwavering. "It's fine, you look really tired."

With a loud pop from his joints, Aizawa rose from his seat. "This chair is no friend to anyone's back," he grumbled, his voice heavy with exhaustion. Shouto offered a sympathetic smile, watching as Aizawa half waved and left the room.

Left alone, Shouto wondered how to pass the time. The hospital room was without any distractions, lacking even the simplest forms of entertainment like a television or a bookshelf. He scanned the sterile environment, a wave of restlessness crashing over him. The enforced stillness gnawed at his sanity.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the door swung open. Shouto turned his head, confused. Had Aizawa gotten his coffee already?
Instead of Aizawa, an unfamiliar figure entered – an old-looking man, in scrubs, yet there was something unsettling about him. His confident stride and peculiar appearance sent a shiver of unease down Shouto's spine.

The man approached with a grin that reminded Shouto of a Cheshire cat. Stopping beside Shouto's bed, the man put a hand atop Shouto's head. It would have looked affectionate if it wasn't for the evil glint in the man's eyes. The glint that just screamed 'Evil intent'. "Looks like your Sensei stepped out," he rasped, reaching to fiddle with the equipment nearby. Shouto's throat constricted, rendering him speechless as he fixated on the stranger.

"How about a little adventure?" the man chuckled, brandishing a syringe.

"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?" Shouto's voice was meant to be forceful, but fear seeped through. The man's laughter echoed through the room, offering no reply as he injected the syringe.

At first, Shouto felt nothing. He was about to scream for help when the drug took hold. His eyelids grew heavy, his head drooped backward, and as the man's grin widened, Shouto's world faded into darkness.

"Stop..." Shouto managed to utter before succumbing to the abyss.

____

Aizawa's return to the hospital was a quiet journey, each step heavy with exhaustion until he reached Shouto's room. As the door swung open, an empty bed greeted him—a glaring void where Shouto should have been.

"Shouto?" Aizawa's voice slipped out, a whisper against the silence. The room lay still, the comforting hum of machines replaced by the sterile scent of antiseptic that hung in the air.

His eyes swept over the room, once and then again, hoping to find Shouto's figure amidst the shadows. But the bed remained untouched, the room a chilling testament to an unsettling reality. Had Shouto been moved? Was there some mistake?

Turning on his heel, Aizawa stepped out, his senses sharpened, his gaze slicing through the corridor. He made his way to the nurses' station, his eyes filled with panic.

"Excuse me," he addressed the nurse, his voice steady, concealing the whirlwind of thoughts within him. "I'm looking for my s- um, the patient who was inside room 143, Shouto Todoroki. He was supposed to be in that room." His hand gestured towards the void that had, until recently, held the soft and reassuring presence of Shouto.

The nurse paused, her expression shifting from indifference to concern. "Just a moment," she replied, her fingers dancing across the keyboard of her computer. Aizawa observed, his mind methodically sorting through the next steps, the protocols for a missing person—especially one as vulnerable as Shouto.

"No record of transfer or discharge," she announced, puzzled. "This is very unusual."

Aizawa's protective instincts surged, tempered by his training. "I need to review the security footage," His voice remained steady, echoing the determination of a hero... and the unwavering resolve of a dad.

With a nod, the nurse complied, recognizing the gravity of the situation. "Please follow me," she instructed, leading Aizawa toward the security room. As they walked, Aizawa's thoughts raced, images of Shouto hurt and scared flashed in his mind. The thought made his heartbeat pick up. Another boost of adrenaline coursed through his system.

He was going to find Shouto. He couldn't be far.

And knowing Shouto, he would never back down without putting up a fight. 

I know I say this all the time but- sorry this chapter took SO long. I don't have any excuse except that I got unmotivated with this. I outlined this story when I was 11 so the outline is horrendous. If you haven't already been able to tell, this story is a mess and a lot of things weren't thought through when I first made this. 

I was really thinking about putting this fic up for adoption. 

Anyway- Me and my friend wrote this together so that's why the writing style of this chapter is a bit different. I hope you guys don't mind lol

Sorry for the short chapter, I'm trying to get better at getting chapters out but I'm obviously failing

Anyway, I hope you somehow enjoyed this, and have a good day/night!

<33