Amnesty

First-Class Rejects

All Izuku wanted was one full night's rest or even just a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. For two weeks he's been ducking in and out of alleys, abandoned buildings, sleeping up in trees or rooftops, wherever he could find without attracting too much attention to himself. Even so, every night he has woken up to attempts on his life. Tonight was no different. He had decided to lay low in an alley not too far from U.A. in hopes that villains would be more scarce. Unfortunately, he had been mistaken.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Izuku Midoriya." One of the shadowed figures stepped forward into the moonlight, blocking his path. Blonde hair turned silver and their lips curled into a wicked grin. "What did you do to earn such a high price on your head?"

Two other figures fanned out on either side of the alleyway, making sure to keep out of the light. The cold night air burned Izuku's lungs and seemed to seep to his bones. Sweat drenched his tattered clothing and beaded down his face. His limbs felt like wet sandbags as he willed his body into a defensive position; steadying himself as his right knee almost gave out from under him. The blonde laughed and unsheathed the sword at his hip. "The streets haven't treated you well. You look pretty banged up."

Izuku could hear snickering on either side of him and careful footsteps finding their final destination. He needed to focus on the villain in front of him then he would deal with the others. The blonde is using a sword so there were two main options: either he was quirkless or his quirk had something to do with the blade or the blood the blade could produce. There was the chance that the sword was a complementary weapon, but unlikely. Either way, the man had an air of confidence about him. He knew how to use his weapon of choice with ease, best to steer clear.

The slight scrape of metal off to his left caught his attention. Izuku quickly glanced toward the sound, not wanting to take his eyes off the blonde for long. A flicker of silver light greeted him. At least one of the others was using a weapon as well. Same options applied. At least two of his aggressors had range on him. If he could produce a controlled blast with his finger, then he could potentially escape. That being said, the blast might draw too much attention to the area. He also might not be able to take them all out. And he didn't know if there were more he wasn't currently aware of. A swift and quiet attack would be the best option, though that would require getting up close and personal.

One for All surged through his body, providing a faint green to illuminate the night but with it, he felt the draw on his remaining energy. His body beginning to shake under the strain. He had one chance to pull this off. One chance to get away. A blitz attack. In this condition, he wouldn't last long in a drawn-out fight but if he managed to catch them off guard . . .

One step forward and the ground rushed up to meet him. He found himself on his back, the lights of the city reached up into the night sky like hungry hands, masking all but the most stubborn of stars. Darkness threatened the edges of Izuku's vision, but something was comforting about the few stars that blazed brilliantly despite what was leveled against them. Distorted voices inched closer as the green neon of One for All began to fade. Something blunt prodded his chest, each time more forceful than the last. Above him, he heard laughter then a curt command right before cold metal latched itself around his wrists. For a moment, panic coursed through Izuku as his body seized. He had come accustomed to his quirk's presence, but foreign energy stripped One for All to a faint hum. Still there, but held hostage. Restrained.

A heaviness weighed on him as he fought for consciousness. None of his limbs would move and he tried to speak but his mouth betrayed him as his jaw wouldn't even open. Only a gurgling mess came from deep within his throat which only inspired more fits of laughter from his capturers. Metal cuffs clamped down on Izuku's ankles and the sharp clank of chains drilled into his head like a railroad spike. A groan escaped his lips, flinching away from the noise. Rough hands gripped his face, wrenching it to one side. Sharp and sudden, a prick followed by a cold sensation on his neck spread under his skin. "This will only twinge a bit. No need to resist so much. Take it easy, Deku." The slight inflection on Izuku's chosen name oozed with mockery.