D. A. B. I. [COUNT TO TEN FICVERSE]

Research Hour: Chaos

Shouto was finding it harder and harder to maintain consciousness. All he could feel was the burning sensation of his bleeding skin. These words carved onto his chest. His foggy mind tried to retrace the scene. What had happened? One minute he was happily walking with Izuku and the next he was here, sitting in this chair, being threatened by people that wanted to know the secrets of his father's facility. Damn him. That man was causing trouble in every area of Shouto's life.

"Still not going to speak, hm?" the one slammed his fist against Shouto's wound. He lost his breath for a minute.

"I am not going to betray my father," Shouto replied. He'd said the words dozens of times before. His resolve was as strong as ever. He wouldn't tell them a thing. He knew this was likely a test. His father probably planned the whole thing. He also knew that he must protect the facility. It was the only safe haven for Izuku. He couldn't allow anything to happen to him. Why did he feel this overwhelming need to protect Izuku? He pushed the question to the side. He couldn't protect his brother from their father. But at least he could protect Izuku from the world.

The sound of glass. Shouto lifted his head to see what had caused it. Izuku stood there, rage overflowing in his eyes. He smiled, sadistically, but waved at the people holding Shouto hostage. "Don't take a step closer. I'll shoot." Shouto heard one of them say. The muffled grumbles finally reached his ears. He was too stunned by the fact that Izuku had jumped all the way up here. How was that possible?

"You'll shoot?" Izuku's head tilted ever so slightly. He scoffed. He threw off his jacket and placed Shouto's lab coat on the ground. "Oh!" he clapped his hands together. "You mean you'll shoot Shouto!" Izuku nodded. Shouto opened his mouth but no words would escape. He was concerned for Izuku. He was concerned for Deku. But, more than anything else, he wished that no harm would come to these strangers. If that happened, Izuku might never be allowed out into the real world again. Or worse, his father might bring Touya into it and blame him for something Shouto had done.

Izuku's eyes met Shouto's. Shouto opened his mouth to speak again. He still couldn't say anything. He didn't have the chance. The guy with the gun slapped him before he could fully register that Izuku was there. Not Deku. Shouto felt the base of the gun against his skin. He could feel the blood trickling down his cheek. The only thoughts that crossed his mind were of his father. An image of him beating Touya. This scene had haunted him for a while now. He couldn't escape the lingering feeling. His chest hurt. His face hurt. The base of his neck hurt. This was the most he'd gotten injured in his entire life.

"Don't worry about me, Izuku. You should take care of yourself," Shouto said. His vocal cords were finally working. Izuku frowned. Izuku sighed. He appeared disappointed with Shouto's words. Why? Izuku was far more injured than Shouto. His wounds were more dangerous. He'd just jumped through a window. "You don't seem to understand what I'm talking about. Your wrists and hands are covered in blood from the glass. You wouldn't want them to get infected. Your immune system is fairly weak because you haven't been exposed to the outside. It could get you sick again." Shouto's brain sometimes worked faster than Shouto could understand. He said all of these things when he didn't notice these facts until after he'd said them. His brain was muddled and confused. He was more interested in Izuku's safety than his own. Izuku was here to rescue him. He should be a bit more thankful. But the thought of Izuku sick from infection troubled Shouto.

"Shut up!" another hit to his face. Shouto grunted. He noticed the blood staining his pants. The cut must be getting bigger. Shouto sighed. There wasn't anything he could do in this situation. It wasn't as if he couldn't overpower these people. He could. He could escape using his quirk. However, now that Izuku was here that possibility was gone. Shouto had managed this far on the assumption these goons were hired by his father. He knew they wouldn't kill him so he allowed them to do as they wished. But, he couldn't explain that inkling to Izuku. If Izuku knew that Shouto suspected his father was behind this, Izuku would take those words as fact and then promptly kill the beast. That would put Izuku in the public's bad eyes again. They'd just barely forgotten about him.