Puppet Master

Merry Christmas!

Darkness. The absence of light surrounded him all over. The boy walked deeper into the depths of the deep shadows. No sound. No light. No wind. No scent. No taste. Just numbness. He kept walking. A green string formed from his back, lighting up the surrounding area. It pulled him back. Another to his right arm, then to his left. Each one forcing the boy back as they formed from his legs. He tried to break them but they refused to budge.

"Mwhahahahaha..."

The boy lifted his head. Above him stood a giant with long green locks, crazed emerald eyes, and a crooked smile that spilt the demons face. It held its hands out, the strings connected to each finger. It let out a cackle that echoed into the dark, disrupting the still air. The boys walking pace turned into a brisk jog then into a full-on sprint. The demon giants laugh racked his brain, bouncing between the sides of his mind, getting louder with each ragged breath that escaped his failing lungs. Just when he thought that he could see a light breach into the darkness, A sudden, painful throb fell upon his limbs. He was ripped from the ground and forced backwards. The boy fell to his knees, clawing at the invisible floor, desperately reaching out for that only light in the dark. The monster above cackled loudly as it used his strings to pull him further and further from the light. No matter how hard he struggled, the boy was dragged further and further from the light until it disappeared and he was surrounded by the dark once more.

"MWHAHAHAHA!"

He looked up. The demon reached down with its monstrous hand. He watched in terror as it got closer and closer. The boy reached his small hand between the large fingers. He froze as he saw the pale porcelain that coated his own skin and the screwed-in joints. The giant's hand fell onto him. He let out a scream as his body shattered into tiny pieces of ceramic and bolts.

_______________________________

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Mary Lou jumped so that she fell out of her bed. She untangled herself from her blankets before throwing herself out of her room, her door hitting the wall with a *BANG*. She sprinted down the hallway.
"IZUKU!?" she yelled, bursting into the living room of her apartment. Her eyes immediately fell upon the green-haired boy who was twitching harshly on the couch, the blanket on the floor and the pillow all the way in the kitchen. She ran over to him and crouched by the couch. "Izuku," she said, grabbing his arm, "it's okay! It's just a dream!" As soon as her hand met his arm, his green eyes shot open wide and his body went completely limp aside from the small, shivering rise and fall of his chest. A bubbly laugh escaped the boy's lips and it broke her heart. He wasn't looking at her but at something far in the scariest depths of his mind. Mary Lou ran her hands through his hair.

"Shhh... it's alright," she whispered, taking his shaking hand and rubbing soothing circles on its back with her thumb. "It's alright, Izuku. You are okay. You are safe and warm." She moved her hand from his hair to grab the All Might blanket from the floor and sloppily drape it over the shaking figure on the couch. "Everything is ok-"

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

Izuku's wide eyes redirected from whatever he was staring at to the door. Mary Lou mentally cursed. She knew the heroes were at the door. It's Christmas morning and they were here for the 'party.'
"I'll be right there!" she hollered. Mary Lou looked back at the boy. She gently took his face in her hands. "Izuku," his eyes shifted to her. She smiled. "Merry Christmas." Izuku blinked for the first time since his eyes had opened. He slowly opened his eyes. They were much clearer and that was Mary Lou's time to let go of the boy and not touch him any further, only enough to calm him down.

"Mr. Aizawa and the others are here. May I let them in?" It took a beat but Izuku softly but surely nodded. Mary Lou nodded. She stood up as Izuku finally pulled himself together and into a sitting position. Mary Lou retrieved the pillow from the kitchen, handing it to him before she recrossed the kitchen to the front door. Mary Lou unlocked the door and opened it.
Never before was she more grateful for how the group did not immediately shout 'MERRY CHRISTMAS!' when she opened the door. Mr. Yamada raised his hand. "Morning!" he half-yelled, half-spoke which seemed to be his only inside voice. Mary Lou smiled, "Merry Christmas, everyone! Please come in!" She moved out of the entrance and let everyone file in. That's when she noticed the purple-haired boy whose hair seemed to defy gravity. He followed closely behind Mr. Aizawa. Mary Lou closed the door, making sure to lock it, and followed everyone into the living room where they were all greeting Izuku who had already folded his blanket and was sitting on the couch as usual. They have never had this many in the apartment at once, Mary Lou wondered how Izuku would handle it.