Chapter Text
…He was gone again.
Izuku wasn’t even sure if he had ever come back the day prior, if not for the plate of food he woke up to on his bedside.
He had opened his eyes that morning to an empty house, quiet and still. The only sounds being the sound of it settling.
It was still early, not even noon. He had a lot of time before the man would be back.
…
He stared at the front door.
…
Surely, it was locked, right?
…
His hand reached for the door knob. Slowly, carefully twisting the handle.
It opened.
…
It was a trap.
It had to be.
Otherwise, why didn’t he try this the first time the man left the house?
Izuku stared at the doorknob, at the crack of light shining through the door. At the hint of freedom.
He pulled the door open slowly. There was a screen door behind it. Just a normal screen door…and he half expected there to be just an empty void, or even cement.
Outside the screen door was what he had seen every time he looked out a window. Trees. Lots and lots of trees.
His hand shook as it grasped the handle of the screen door. It took some effort, but he opened it, just as carefully as he did the initial door.
A rush of cool air hit him in the face. The smell of the outdoors, grass, flowers and trees.
Slowly, tentatively, he took one foot and placed it outside. When his leg wasn’t cut off at the knee, he took his other foot and also placed it outside.
Now he was standing outside of the house. With his hand still on the screen door, holding it open.
His eyes looked back and forth. Nothing but trees. He was in a forest by the looks of it.
The screen door shut with a slam and Izuku winced. Tensed up as if All for One was going to swoop down from the heavens and smite him right there.
He looked up at the cloudy sky and saw nothing, no sign of him.
He took a breath and started walking a few steps forward. The grass crunching under his bare feet, wet and mushy.
Out of curiosity, he turned around and looked at where he had been held captive for the past weeks.
…It was just a normal house.
It looked like it had been uprooted and dropped in the middle of the forest. Foundations and all.
He stood there just staring at it, blinking. Then he turned around and took off quickly into the woods.
He ran as fast as he could, dodging trees and ignoring the rocks and branches that cut into his feet. Not knowing where he was headed.
He ran and ran until he couldn’t see the house anymore. Just trees and foliage everywhere he looked.
He just needed to get away. As far away as he possibly could.
He didn't notice the fog that slowly enveloped the woods until he was in the thick of it. His senses heightened out of fear, he could have sworn he saw something move over the trees.
Suddenly he smelled smoke. First, he panicked, thinking the fog that rolled over him was from a forest fire. But then he smelled…
…Popcorn?
Izuku tentatively followed the scent. There in the distance, between the trees he saw the flickering light of a campfire. As he moved closer he saw a tent and…a person.
There was a person here camping!
Izuku felt a flood of hope overfill his body.
“Um, hello?” He called out, trying to make his voice and body language as unthreatening as possible.
The person—the woman, snapped her head up in his direction. Her eyes wide before she blinked a few hundred times.
“Oh!” She exclaimed. “I d-didn't think anyone else would be out here!”
“I didn't either,” Izuku answered honestly. “Um, do you-can you…help me?” He asked.
“Help you? What are you lost or something?” She asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
Izuku pieced together there that she must think his apparel was odd. Really, why wouldn't she?
He was practically wearing pajamas, barefoot, while she was wearing gear fit for camping in the woods far from civilization.
“Y-yes, please, I need help. I'm—”
SNAP!
Grrrrrroooowl
Both Izuku and the woman froze at the sudden alarming sound.
Izuku whirled around and saw nothing but brush and trees. That was…until he saw the eyes.
Golden, glowing eyes stared him down from the tall undergrowth. What else he saw besides the eyes was pure black.
One word filled his mind at the sight.
Nomu.