Jade

Part 71

"I know, Shota."

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"Sit up, Izuku." AFO says from across the room.

Izuku, who was still laid on his back, pushed himself onto his knees. With his fisted hands on his thighs, he faced AFO.

"At least pretend like you regret it...well, that would take all the fun out of it, I suppose.." Izuku felt a phantom hand loosely close in around his neck. It pulled him up till only his toes scraped the floor. "I hope you know what's coming."

If AFO didn't kill him today, Izuku would do it himself. He knew this was the end of the line, it was either death or enslavement.

Death was infinitely more appealing.

Izuku fought off the instinct of trying to grab onto the force holding him up and tried to stay still. Giving him a show would only make him want more of it.

They stayed like that for a long time, Izuku held by his throat and All For One just watching as Izuku struggled to stay upright. He had no idea how long it had been since he'd fallen into the room.

A portal opened to AFO's right and the League of Villains filed into the room, some limping and one unconscious.

He didn't regret doing that to Toga.

Dabi stormed over to Izuku, his cloak waving about, and placed a burning hot hand on his chest through the slice Toga had made in his shirt. "This is what you get for fucking with me, you worthless brat." He whispered into Izuku's ear.

Izuku flailed in the air, trying to get away from Dabi but all of a sudden his hands were locked by his side. "Keep squirming Jade." He said. His hand stayed in place but the heat picked up. "Do you know how fucking embarrassing it is to be the first one to go down?"

Izuku's skin puckered beneath Dabi's palm, he couldn't stop it when a pained cry slipped through his lips.

And he couldn't stop the cries at all after that.

"Why are you so quiet, Jade?" Dabi asked, his palm shifted just a bit and the pain blinding. "Come on, I've missed that charming snark of yours."

"Enough." AFO spoke.

Dabi pulled his hand back and scowled at Izuku but not before pushing down on the burns he left, pulling a pained grunt from him.

"I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer honestly, is that clear?"

"Yes, Sensei." Izuku rasped, his skin was clammy and he just couldn't catch his breath.

"How did you leave your cell?"

"We-" Izuku tried to suppress the cough in his throat but it surfaced regardless. AFO set him closer to the ground so he could stand on his toes. "Shigaraki gave a toy to Bakugo. I broke it and used the parts inside to pick my handcuffs and the door."

"See, I've already learned so much from you, child." Said AFO while Shigaraki seethed at his side. "Tomura you must be mindful of such things in the future."

"Yes, Sensei." Shigaraki said through gritted teeth.

A scraping sound echoed through the room, approaching Izuku. Then he was pushed down by his neck into a chair and the force tightened. The burnt skin on his chest folded onto itself and Izuku saw stars. And while he tried not to make it apparent, the constriction horrified him. He couldn't take a complete breath. Combined with his erratic breathing, Izuku was moments away from a full blown panic attack.