Chapter Text
Izuku should have realised something was off sooner.
There had been a string of kids his age going missing within the few months, all targeted for their weak or missing Quick. Kids who do no more than change the colour of their eye or shift the bones in their pinky toes and kids who lacked the gene to even do that.
Kids who were and could pass off as Quirkless.
He'd been warned by his school to keep an eye out - they'd lose funding off they lost another Quirkless kid, and the budget relied on the bonus they got for enrolling an 'underprivileged' - for anything suspicious and to stay away from it. His Ma had also told him to come straight home after school, equally worried about losing the money granted to her for housing her defected child.
He liked to pretend there were intentions other than saving his benefits.
That he was actually cared for.
He had been being careful too; took the longer route home to refrain from cutting through allies, stopped to fuss no cats, hid in the nearest building when he recognised a vehicle twice in the same journey.
But it had been quiet for a while, and the rain was so heavy and he was so cold. He had thought it would be safe to take one shortcut. The alley hadn't been too small either, on the side of two shops and so large enough for vans to park at the side to deliver products.
One had been, the side facing the alley and a man in an apron jumping back in.
Izuku had thought nothing of it, pulling his phone to check the time. He still had a bit of time before his Ma was expecting him home - he could run into the shop and get some sweets. He had some money left over from lunch, he'd even surprise his Ma and they could watch a movie-
A hand slammed onto the phone, knocking it from his hand as an arm wrapped over his chest, pinning his arms to his side and lifting him a few inches off the ground. A hand clamed over his mouth, cutting off his scream and nails digging into his cheek.
A heel stomped on his phone, breaking the glass screen as he was hoisted to the van, everything rushed and organised. A coil was wrapped around his ankles as he was thrown on the rough floor, fabric stuffed into his mouth and ductaped in placed, shoulders screaming in protest as the coil wrapped his wrists, keeping his arms behind his back.
The door to the van was shoved closed, tears rolling his cheek as Izuku thrashed, trying to kick out as people bustled around him, the van rumbling to life. One moved to crouch in front of where he lay, hands gripping his face and twisting it to look up.
Purple eyes flashed.
"Izuku Midoriya, correct?" Something inside Izuku shifted, compelling his body. He nodded before he could stop himself, and the man grinned. "Good, make sure to stretch your legs. It'll be a tight squeeze."
Before Izuku could fight back, a hand pinched the skin of his thigh through his trousers, jabbing in a needle and pushing a thick liquid in. It was fast acting, his vision swaying before the needle left, falling unconscious before his head was dropped.
=--=
Izuku blinked rapidly when the door opened, the stream of light hitting his sensitive eyes harshly and too quickly for his pupils to adjust. He pressed his body tighter into the corner, squishing himself as far from the door two feet away as possible.
His hand tightened behind his back, the cloth heavy suddenly, and pressed the side of his face further into his shoulder, hoping the loose duct tape would not be seen. It wasn't. His leg spasmed with cramp as a hand grasped his ankle (the one he'd managed to wiggle from the cord tying them), tugging on it.
For the first time in six days (providing the rounds were every hour) he heard the voice of another, and not just the screams of others being crammed into small boxes like he. "Moving day!"
Once he'd been dragged out of the small space, he lent up and let the duct tape fly off one side, pressing his teeth into the bare wrist as the hand adjusted to grasp his. He bit down, kept pressing until his met resistance, blood filling his mouth and bubbling down his chin.
He held tight when the man screamed, thrashing his arm around, before letting go and dashing. He didn't make it far, body cramping and the small energy reserves he had ran dry, before his body collapsed.
He screamed out, tears of fear and frustration ran down his face, body tight in pain as black spots filled his vision. He kicked out when people surrounded him, teeth snapping down on nothing in warning as the man being escorted away barked out warnings.
One hand grabbed his hair, pulling him to feet by it and forcing him to rise to his tip toes, unable to pull away and bite the hands that tightened the cord on his hands, tying fresh ones so painfully tight around his ankles he feared he'd lose them, and finally shoving something in his mouth.
It was rubber, filling out roughly the space around his teeth, and tying behind his head, pulling in his hair. With the only weapon he had left, he sagged to the ground once released, pushing to press his back against the wall.
The cirling group took a step out the way, allowing the purple eyed man to step through, purple hair messy as his eyes glistened. He looked at Izuku like he was a prize. "A fighter, huh? Clever too, you'd last a few rounds in the ring."
He crouched down, one hand cupping Izuku's chin and moving his head to the side. The tears ran faster, Izuku whimpering as he flinched, trying to recoil. He laughed. "Of course, if you didn't freeze up when someone more powerful stepped up. Scared, aren't you?"
When Izuku didn't answer, he gripped harsher, sending more waves of overwhelming fear through him, making Izuku choke on his own sobs. The man let go, standing. "Do not be bested by a scared child, you idiots. Get him to the boat."
Hands gripped him painfully, lifting him up from the ground and dragging him through the halls. He gasped as sunlight hit him once they stepped out a thick metal door, onto a bustling port. He saw other children before led in a line hundreds of metres away, onto a boat, and scrambled.
On the other side was a plane, people moving boxes from the large manner and into the back, all moving quickly and efficiently.
Izuku screamed out from behind the gag, writhing the best he could in fear, shaking his head rapidly and slamming his body into the men holding him, trying to get loose. Get away. They grunted, but overall ignored him.
They stopped suddenly after Izuku planted his feet into one shin, pride curling in Izuku's heart at the belief his action has stopped them, before cowering as a shadow stepped over him. He looked up slowly, heart catching in his throat.
Standing besides the purple haired man was a much taller one, lanky but yet somehow filling out the suit he wore. His hands were tucked in his pockets, posture relaxed as he raised an eyebrow at Izuku. Black hair dangled down to his chin, stubble looking spiky and dark eyes above dark bags made Izuku want to shrink away.
When he pulled one hand from his pocket, revealing an insignia tattoed just above the knuckle of his middle finger, Izuku nearly screamed.
A Villain.
The Villain.
The hand moved up to wipe blood from Izuku's cheeks, the corner of his lip quirking up. "Shinsou, I assume you know what happened?" The purple haired man nodded, bowing his head. "Bit an Officer."
Nodding, the Villain wiped his thumb down his suit, not caring for the smudge it made. He studied Izuku intensely, judging him with a light stare. "ID?" Shinsou nodded, obviously suppressing a yawn.
"Izuku Midoriya; eleven; Quirkless. Acquired with batch 34D, being transferred from testing to the ring for additional training."
"Hmm," the man gripped Izuku's throat, using the top of his hand to force Izuku's head from side to side, "take him to my plane. My home has been missing something important. Docile, almost."
The purple haired man nodded, falling just behind from the taller male as they began walking, the guards dragging a thrashing Izuku. He froze when the Villain sent a look over his shoulder, huffing a laugh, and guiding them towards a specific box on the large plane.
Everything was stacked up, as if the Villain was simply moving homes, but he didn't focus on that, only on the chill spreading over his body when the large material cover was lifted up. A cage.
"Drop him, I will take over. Leave." Izuku hit the floor as the guards turned and left, the Villain nodding to Izuku as he opened the cage door. "In." He didn't get a choice when he didn't move, a hand grabbing the scuff of his neck and launching him inside.
Izuku kicked out, panic building when his foot was caught, unable to dislodge. The Villain was grinning, light glinting off the glee in his eyes as it did the needle in his hands. Izuku screamed, shaking his head and continuing to fight, trying to spew words through the gag.
The sharp pinch made him freeze, eyes landing on the needle deep in his thigh, the man pulling it out slowly after forcing the plunger down. His hesitation lasted only a second, breathing becoming deep in panic and making his head swim as his leg began to numb, the tingling loss of feeling spreading throughout his bloodstream. He felt it like a cold wash, not able to move as he was released from the grip, left to panic on the floor.
Izuku ended up on his side, bound arms splayed in front of him and tears running down his face, a few getting stuck on the side of his nose. The Villain locked the cage back up, the sound of the metal hatch grating sending bile up Izuku's throat, before moving to the side, facing Izuku.
The smile was gone at least.
"I'd sleep if I was you, it's a long journey. Well, you will sleep." It went dark as the blanket was pulled back over the top and sides of the cage, encasing him in pitch black nothingness, and Izuku let out a sob, staring at where he thought his hands might be.
His eyelids grew heavy as the floor beneath grumbled, the boat roaring to life. A voice passed, shouting orders, and hands pushed through the blanket at the top, covering them as the hands gripped the metal and shook, ensuring it was secured down. Izuku didn't know how much longer passed - or if any longer passed.
If he had fallen asleep, he was in the same nothingness as he was awake.