Work Text
23: Forced Choice
Public Display | Broken Pedestal | “I’m doing this for you.”
Aizawa Shouta woke up strapped to a chair. The metal of it was cold beneath him. The thick bands dug into his wrists and ankles. No matter how he pulled there was no give. The metal just cut further into his skin. The edges were sharp and blood began to gather.
“Sensei stop. You’re hurting yourself.” Midoriya’s voice was too fucking gentle for their situation.
The kid sat across from him. Strapped to a similar chair. A red dot clear on his forehead. Bakugo was beside him, in the same situation. Both kids had bruises on their temples. Shouta was sure he had a matching one himself.
The lack of crackling lighting and pops of fireworks told Shouta they couldn’t use their quirks. This metal could be suppressants or something else happened while they were all unconscious.
The room around them was plain. Void of any other furniture. The walls and floor a gray concrete. There wasn’t a door on the walls he could see, so it must be behind him. He could see a light blinking in the corner of the room. They were being watched. How many people could see them?
“Glad to see you moving Eraserhead!” A voice boomed around them. Bakugo snarled at the loud noise. Probably aggravating a headache. Shouta knew his head hurt.
“Now! You have a choice in front of you. Choose which kid will live. You have 15 minutes.”
Shouta could only watch as the kid took in that information. Bakugo grew afraid. The kid was filled with fire and venom
scared
because there was nothing he could do. Midoriya looked resigned. Like he fucking
knew
who Shouta would save. He looked so sure it wouldn’t be him. Shouta wanted to kill someone. Multiple people. Who ever fucking arranged this was dead. He didn’t care what happened to him afterwards, but these villains would pay.
“Why are you doing this?” Shouta asked, keeping his voice calm and bored.
“You took away my kids. Pick one to live, if you don’t, I’ll kill them both.” His blood ran cold. He finally stopped pulling and twisting his hands and just met the kids' gazes. “The choice is yours,
Hero.”
The speaker crackled and there was nothing else.
“Fuck this shit!” Bakugo thrashed in his chair. Tugging his hand back only for the metal cuff to cut into his skin. Blood quickly pools, before dripping to the floor.
“Bakugo stop!” Shouta yelled. The kid, to his surprise, did.
“It’ll be okay Kacchan.” Izuku smiled and faced Bakugo. That thousand watt thing made him want to tear his own arms off. Anything to just spare the kid for once in his goddamn life.
“Please Sensei.” Those two damning words. Most would hear it as a kid begging to be spared. To live. From Midoriya they were a crushing weight. He had given up. Would play hero one last fucking time. Spare his conscious and spare his friend.
“No. Don’t you fucking dare Deku!” Bakugo screamed.
“It’s the most logical choice. My days as a hero are numbered, but you can still save so many people Kacchan. You’re going to be a great hero!” That stupid fucking smile. That too chipper voice.
“You can still be a hero!” Bakugo guilt was a thing that could move mountains.
Shouta watched as their argument devolved. Bakugo curses and swears, begging Midoriya to just think about himself for once. Midoriya is calm, ready to face death once again, all for the sake of others.
Shouta wanted to spare the kid for once too. Midoriya’s past was well known to him now. After the final war they had spent many nights on roofs. Talking about his previous quirkless statues, how he got to UA, and what the future would hold. It looked grim for Midoriya. He wouldn’t be allowed to continue to be a hero without a quirk. With it slowly fading, he would graduate with the bare remains. Nothing but a flicker.
Shouta remembers the tears. The screaming wails as Midoriya grew upset with his fate. All he wanted was to be a hero. Which he had done. For a brief, shiny moment, Midoriya held that dream in his hands. Now, with it torn away again, Shouta had seen the way doubt crept in. Midoriya’s self worth dropping each day, unable to keep up with his classmates. Depression a heavy weight on his shoulders as his future grew more grim. And what the realities were like for a quirkless person pressed in.
Shouta saw how he was slowly separating from his classmates. Eating lunch on his own, studying by himself. Missed diners and class gatherings. Midoriya felt like he didn’t deserve to stand with them anymore.
They had tried at first, to keep him close, to invite him and drag him along. Eventually the class did give up. Hoping that Midoriya would go to them.
It didn’t happen.
“Enough you two.” Shouta sighed, interrupting their argument.
They must only have minutes left now. Shouta lost in thought as the two argued.
“Sensei please.” Midoriya begged. Shouta just looked at the kid. He realized then how dim the fire had gotten in the kids eyes. It roared to life now. Determined to save his friend.
Shouta just nodded.
“No! You fucking bastard! It’s always Izuku! Spare him for once you piece of shit!” Bakugo screamed. Shouta knew how the war haunted him too. Of constantly watching Midoriya throw himself at the villains, the countless times the kid ruined himself to save others.
“Oh? Have you decided
hero
?” Shouta hated how he spewed the title. He knew he would be a villain after this. Shouta would make damn sure the people behind this paid. He didn’t care what he had to do,
they would die
.
Shouta met Midoriya’s gaze and he nodded. Same bright fucking smile of his face.
“Bakugo. Let Bakugo live.” Shouta felt bile rIse up his throat at the words.
Their cuffs all popped at the same time. The sound of the metal clasps released was drowned out by the gunshot. The noise ricocheted in the small room.
Bakugo screamed while flying towards Midoriya.
Shouta felt numb not moving from his chair. Just like that, he had killed one of his students and ruined another. Two beautiful souls were ruined because of him. His lack of care. It was his fault they were caught unaware. It's his fault that the villains got the jump on him and the kids. It was all his fault as watched Bakugo drop to his knees. Midoriya’s limp body was held close to his chest.
It couldn’t have been long before the door behind them burst open. Present Mics' loud yell echoing around them.
“Raser! We-” The loud blond fell silent as Bakugo screamed again. Rage filled eyes turned to Shouta. Curses and blames falling from his lips. Shouta just listened. Listened to the boy in his grief. Listened as Mic tried to do damage control. Rein in the screaming boy. Try to defend Shouta. It all fell on deaf ears.
“Let’s go hun.” Shouta flinched away from Midnight. His gaze moved to her, taking in the hurt that laid in her eyes.
“It’s my fault.” He whispered.
“We’ll talk later.” She soothed. Shouta failed to notice the room emptied again. Just him, Bakugo, and Midnight remained with Midoriya’s dead body.
Shouta watched as she tore her sleeve. The air filled with her quirk quickly. He let himself go.