Death Paradox 💥BAKUDEKU💥

Chapter 2

Part 1
The Fool

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Chapter 2

The next few days passed by practically without incident and Izuku spent every spare moment he had researching the marks on his arm and chest. He buried himself in books about symbolism, ancient runes, and mystical tattoos. He scoured the internet, diving into forums and obscure websites, hoping for even the tiniest clue that could shed light on the strange symbols now inked into his skin. Every break between classes, every evening in his room, and even late into the night, Izuku was relentlessly searching for answers.

Despite his tireless efforts and countless hours of research, he was still frustratingly coming up empty. The symbols seemed to defy explanation, and every promising lead turned out to be another dead end. But Izuku didn't have the luxury of giving up; he had to understand these marks, had to figure out what they meant for him and for the twisted game he was now a part of. They had to be the key to finding the cards.

Not only that, but he was also going through the motions of his daily routine, attending classes, training, and trying to act as normal as possible. He couldn't let his classmates or teachers see there was something off about him. So, he forced himself to smile, to engage in conversations, to perform well in his training sessions. Every morning, he put on his U.A. uniform and steeled himself for another day of pretending everything was fine. His classmates and thankfully his close group seemed none the wiser, their interactions and behaviors largely unchanged.

He was also staying vigilant for any signs of the cards he was tasked with finding. His eyes constantly scanned his surroundings, looking for anything out of place or unusual. In the classroom, he kept an ear out for any mention of the Arcana. During training, he watched his classmates closely, searching for any indication that one of them might know of the cards.

Everything was going as smoothly as Izuku had hoped until one day when all the guys were in the locker room. Izuku, in his exhaustion, got careless. He reached for his bag on the bench, and his sleeve slipped back, exposing the tattoo on his arm.

Eijiro pointed out the tattoo on Izuku's wrist. "Hey, nice ink, Midoriya," he said with a grin, nodding towards the red symbol. "Didn't know you were the bad boy type!" He quickly pulled his sleeve down, but the damage was done. The others had already seen it.

Crap. Izuku's heart skipped a beat. He had hoped no one would notice, or at least not mention it. Izuku was still gapping at Kirishima, panic flaring in his chest. Behind Eijiro, he saw Katsuki's head whip around at the mention of the tattoo.

Before Izuku could come up with an excuse, Mineta made a racket from across the room. "No way! There's no way Midoriya had the balls to get tattooed! What, did you lose a bet or something?"

"Didn't know you were so bold, Deku," Denki chimed in, his tone teasing but friendly. Izuku forced a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck trying and failing to come up with an excuse.

"What's it mean?" Hanta asked, leaning in to get a closer look. The curiosity in his eyes was mirrored by the rest of the guys, who had now gathered around.

Izuku felt the heat rising in his cheeks, and his mind raced for a plausible explanation. "Uh, well, you see, it's kind of a long story," he started, his voice wavering. "I, uh, I got it because, um, well, it's sort of a reminder, you know? To stay strong and, uh, never give up..."

He could see their skeptical expressions, and he knew he wasn't convincing anyone. Crap. Crap. Crap. He couldn't let them know he had no idea what it meant, at least they hadn't noticed the one over his heart. He continued to stammer, his words tumbling over each other. "I-it's just something I wanted to do for a while now, a-and I thought, why not? You know, life is short and all, and, uh, sometimes you just have to take risks..."