The Hope Barely Found

Problem Solution Wound

Izuku didn't move as they peeled off his shirt. He didn't care. Izuku was numb, but that was okay. Maybe he could get a release later. Izuku just wanted it all to go away. The lights were too bright. The smells were too strong. Everything was too loud.

Shinsou and Todoroki could only stare at the scars and wounds that littered his torso and stomach. Knives wounds and rips all across his chest. Bruises, black and purple and red from beatings. White lines that could've been from lash's, for God's sakes. Burns that went up and down his body.

The worst was the white lines that trailed up and down his arms, and at his thighs. Cutting marks. This was going to be a problem, Shinsou and Todoroki determined. The longer they looked, the worse it got, so instead they got to work on putting on fresh gauzes and bandages on his arms, chest, everywhere.

Shinsou wondered if he felt like a mummy yet.

Carefully leading Izuku to the sink, he leaned his head back, using a towel to cushion his neck. They turned on the water, and started rinsing the blood out of his hair, and slowly, bit by bit, removing some glass shards they saw.

"How the hell were you able to fight us like this?" Todoroki exclaimed, exasperated.

They worked for a while on his hair, before it was finally a shade of green. It was dull, but there.

Izuku's pants had been pushed up as far as possible without being too intrusive, and legs cleaned up as well. The burns had been worst on his feet, and Shinsou wondered if that was a specific punishment from trying to run or something.

Finally, after about two solid hours of work, Todoroki and Shinsou declared they were done.

They quickly cleaned up Izuku, and gave him some fresh clothes Tsukauchi had picked up. Shinsou made sure they fully covered his skin, as it was cold, and he wanted Izuku to be fully functional before he showed other people the markings.

Shinsou wanted it to be Izuku's choice to tell the others about it. But he couldn't really say much, when he wasn't exactly about to open up either.

Shinsou just wanted Izuku to be functional again. He had liked the boy from the second he had helped take off Shinsou's stupid duck tape.

The duck tape had been a punishment for mouthing off again. It happened a lot. And Izuku had helped, without even knowing his name. Todoroki didn't know why he cared to be honest. There was just something about the boy, about Izuku, that Todoroki felt the need to protect.

Unlocking the door, Shinsou and Todoroki led Izuku to the couch, where he collapsed once again.

"Do you guys have any clue what they showed him?" Thirteen asked for the hundredth time.

Todoroki rolled his eyes. "We met him today".

"And we were trying to kill each other," Shinsou reminded her.

"Why do you three get along so well then?" Thirteen asked.

Shinsou shrugged. "We've all gone through something similar. It's just as simple as in the cage, we didn't have a choice".

"But now that we're out," Todoroki continued, "we're some of the only people who even have an idea of what he's gone through".

Thirteen nodded. "I... must admit, I still don't fully understand, but I have the basics. Detective Tsukauchi will be back later with food. You can watch tv or something".

Shinsou and Todoroki looked at her, and instead just sat on the bed, trying to rest.

It didn't come for any of them. Instead, their thoughts were plagued with memory's and questions of what would come next.