Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Izu.” … “Izu?” …

“Izuku!”

Izuku woke with a gasp, wildly looking around. Only to find Kacchan hitting his forehead with their tail. Izuku looked all around the room for any sign of danger. Everything seemed okay? No guards, lights were on again and oh. There was a tray of food by the door. He noticed the old tray they had was missing. 

Izuku looked at Kacchan and pointed to the food, “Want me to go get that?”

Kacchan responded by flicking a wing in the direction of the food and pushing him with a clawed hand.

Izuku snorted and nodded. He walked over and picked up the tray, still amazed with how low the gravity was for him. If he wasn't in a life or death situation he might just have some fun moon hopping around. He did check each end of the hall for any guards, but none were there. Despite not being in immediate danger like last time, Izuku was still on edge.

Izuku checked the food on the tray, same as before and still only one serving. That’s alright! We’ll just share again.

Izuku moved back to the corner and set the tray between them; splitting the kibble again and passing the lavender liquid to Kacchan first. They both ate their barely edible food in silence, Izuku would turn every few minutes to check the door. He knew something bad would happen. It was only a matter of what and when. Izuku has to focus to keep his hands from shaking and the food in his stomach. Throwing up due to anxiety would only make everything worse.

With the food eaten the two shared the lavender liquid, Kacchan drinking their half first and Izuku finishing the rest. The two each kept an eye on the cell door and the sliding door at the end of the hall. They kept their ears open for footsteps or talking. Izuku could swear he heard a clock ticking. Maybe the sound really was there, maybe he was hallucinating it, but it made him feel worse. Like the world was counting down to his death, he hoped he was just being dramatic or overly paranoid.

Izuku shuddered and put away the food tray and cup in his old corner and returned to Kacchan’s corner. The two waited tensely, Kacchan quite literally licking their wounds as the two waited. There was no way Izuku would be able to sleep.

He turned to Kacchan, it seemed that Izuku’s overwhelming anxiety and worry was obvious enough for even the dragon to notice. They pointed at Izuku and tilted their head, with their eyes squinted. Izuku laughed nervously, still making sure to cover his mouth as he smiled.

“I’m okay! Don't worry!” Izuku gave a thumbs up and Kacchan interpreted the gesture as a positive one, albeit hesitantly. Heh, Guess they don't quite believe me.. Not sure if i believe myself either to be honest..

The two stared solemnly at their prison bars, they'd have to wait and see if they were going to be punished for fighting.

It was another few hours when more guards arrived. Around 14 this time and all armed with electrified batons. Izuku reached for his own and gripped it tightly. Should we even fight this time? We’re outnumbered by 12… I’m not sure we can get out of this one.

Two of the guards walked in and quickly grabbed Kacchan’s arm, they thrashed, pulling their arm back and trying to stand. With that simple action all hell broke loose. 

The rest of the guards hurried over all attempting to hold down the dragons flailing limbs. A couple of guards walked towards Izuku as well, grabbing his wrists and attempting to drag him towards the door. Four of the guards had left the room for whatever reason, leaving ten to try and get Izuku and Kacchan under control.

Izuku turned his attention to the guards grabbing him. Should I fight back?? I don't know! I don't.. He looked towards Kacchan, their mouth was already covered in one of the guards thick viscous blood. Guess we’re fighting then!

Izuku closed his eyes and bit the guard holding his arm, the warm thick blood flowed into his mouth, a trail of it ran down his chin and dripped onto the floor. Izuku quickly spat out as much as he could. It tasted vaguely like black licorice. Izuku regretted having taste buds.

The guards, of course, retaliated; tackling Izuku to the ground and pushing his arms behind his back. Izuku’s head hit the ground with a thud, the weapon he held so tightly fell to the ground with a barely audible clunk. It didn't stop him though, he still attempted to kick at the remaining guards, he thought he heard a crack but it was hard to tell with the overwhelming sound of screaming and fighting from everyone in the room.

There was a nasty shriveled segmented hand near Izuku’s face and without thinking about it, he bit down. The snap that rang out was painfully audible, ringing in Izuku’s ears. His bite was powerful enough to sever the three fingers it had on its hand.

Izuku gagged and frantically shook his head to get the severed fingers out of his mouth. Izuku nearly threw up at the sight of the chewed appendages on the floor.

Izuku’s head was pushed to the ground again, he could feel blood pooling near his temple. Someone grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, someone else slapped a contraption over his mouth, locking his jaw in place. Izuku tried to scream and yell but it came out muffled, barely audible even to the guards beside him.

His arms were similarly restrained, painfully stretched behind his back with straps not only wrapping around his hands and arm but also his entire torso.

Izuku figured this is what straitjackets felt like and immediately felt sorry for anyone who'd been in one. The guards wrapped their clawed hands around his arms again and hoisted him up. Izuku being smaller than the aliens made that task embarrassingly easy.

Izuku felt light-headed. He wasn't sure if it was because of the concussion he probably had or because he shifted from head on the ground to a couple feet off the ground within a matter of seconds; either way he was now incredibly dizzy and the room spun around him. Don't throw up, don't throw up, don't throw up!

He looked towards Kacchan, they too were restrained like Izuku. A muzzle around their snout and straps lining their arms and torso. From the look of it, they were teetering on unconsciousness. If simply walking tires them to the point of short breath he can't imagine what all this fighting feels like for them.

Kacchan mumbled words through their muzzle and the guards spoke with them for a few minutes. Kacchan huffed air from their nose and growled. They looked at Izuku, their expression looked so.. defeated. Izuku couldn't help but give a similar look to them as well, his head and arms ached with pain. With Izuku and Kacchan now properly restrained the guards laughed smugly. Izuku’s face contorted into a snarl without him realizing. They're actually laughing at us? Really?

Izuku didn't feel angry often but right now he could confidently say he felt pissed. He glared at the guards through his hair. It wouldn't do anything, but he'd like to make his anger known. Pathetic fucks.

The guards ordered Kacchan around. Making them stand and follow the guards out, Izuku instead was lifted off the ground. They’re going to separate us…

The guards carried Izuku through the cell door, Izuku could see Kacchan heading down the left end of the hall, unfortunately Izuku was being led down the right.

He sighed internally, I hope we both make it back alive.. Please be okay, Kacchan.

Izuku kept his eyes peeled as they carried him, trying to memorize the path they were going down. It'd come in handy for any future escape attempts. Although with how frantic his mind was he wasn't sure if he was actually taking in the area around him.

They'd gone down multiple halls and through many doors making it difficult to keep track of directions. Still, Izuku thought he had a pretty good memory. He may not be able to remember it step for step but he should be able to get the general direction right.

The guards stopped at a door and held a keycard to a screen beside the door. The heavy metal pulled apart with a low hiss and the guards carried him inside. Izuku could hear his heartbeat in his ears, he couldn't get a full breath in and the muzzle only made the suffocating feeling worse.

The room was a dark grey color overall, from the walls to the floor to the ceiling. It felt like an abandoned hospital. There was a metal operating table in the center of the room with what looked like a furnace, or a more high tech version of it, on the left side. An orange-yellow flame flickered from inside giving the room an eerie glow. There were a multitude of tools and coils of metal wire near the machine.

Izuku wasn't sure if his heart actually stopped but it felt like it. Horrible ideas flooded his brain. Torture. I-i'm gonna get tortured! They’re gonna kill me here. A metal slab is my deathbed…oh god…

Izuku’s breath was so quickened he could hardly get any air at all, even when he did it was cold, it stung his throat and lungs with every inhale.

The guards dragged him closer to the operating table.

Izuku sobbed and wailed and did everything he could to stay away from it. He dug his heels into the floor, made himself go limp, flailed his body in any way he could to try and wiggle out of the guards grasp.

None of it stopped the guards of course.

They picked him up and dropped him on the operating table, His hands behind his back twisted with the pressure. He tried to roll off the table but he was caught and placed back on it before he could even blink.

He writhed as the guards strapped him down to the table, they'd taken his arms out of his restraints to place them at his sides. 

The short relief he felt didn't last as his feet, legs, and throat were strapped down right after.

They held his head down and turned it so his right cheek was flush with the metal, it was cold and harsh against his skin. With his head restrained they took the muzzle off. Red lines from where the metal dug until his skin were visible.

The guards were careful to avoid his mouth, as they tightened and checked his restraints.

Izuku whispered out pleas that fell on deaf ears. Every ‘Sorry.’ every ‘Please.’ every ‘Help me.’ went unheard.

Izuku’s chest heaved up and down, his clothes chafing against the leather straps around his body. His gaze flicked around the room, the aliens all stood around the furnace. Metal clanking together was the only sound other than Izuku's increasingly panicked breaths.

The next few minutes were hazy, Izuku could see the guards work near the furnace eventually they turned around. A thin piece of metal had been shaped into a symbol Izuku couldn't decipher. It was a circle with a line through the middle, a triangle in each half of the circle. The end of the metal was glowing yellow, heat radiating off of it.

***

Izuku squirmed and writhed in his bindings as the guard walked closer. Izuku's heartbeat reverberated in his ears. The sound of his breaths felt far away and muffled. He strained against his binding, twisting his body in any direction possible as the heat of the metal grew closer and closer. He tried, and tried, and tried, to no avail. He nearly went limp.

Realizing that he wouldn't be able to get out of this, Izuku closed his eyes, clenched his jaw, and balled his fists until he could feel his nails dig into his palms. His nails teared into his skin. The heat was closer.

The guard brought the glowing hot metal to his face, pressing it into his left cheek.

His flesh burned and sizzled with pain, the shape of the metal being permanently ingrained into his skin. Izuku couldn't keep down the scream that erupted from his throat. He desperately tried to move his head away but more segmented alien hands held him in place.

The metal felt too hot and at the same time too cold against his flesh. He swore he could feel the heat from the inside of his cheek. The scent of burned flesh wafted through the room as smoke rose from his injury. Izuku gagged at the smell. He felt like throwing up. His chest heaved up and down against the restraints. His vision was dizzy, it was hard to breathe, he could only feel the pain in his cheek as blood slid down the curves of his face and dripped down the cold metal slab. The rhythmic drip, drip, drip, overwhelmed Izuku's ears.

Izuku’s vision started to fade, he could feel blood in his hands from where he’d dug his nails in them. He tried desperately to keep himself awake and present, but he couldn't. With his concussion and the various bruises from his fight he lost himself sleep. His eyes drooped close and he fell into a fitful sleep.

Izuku groaned. What happened? Where am I again..? He slowly opened an eye, the room he was in was dark. Izuku’s brain felt foggy, like his mind was somewhere else entirely.

His mind slurred, begging to go back to sleep but he felt something poking his shoulder. Izuku shifted away from it when pain shot over his entire body. 

Izuku shot up, one hand to his cheek (which strangely felt like metal) and one hand to his chest. His face scrunched with pain as he remembered exactly what happened.

Izuku slowly opened his eyes, worried he'd still be surrounded by guards only to meet the face of Kacchan in the dim cell room. Izuku gasped and went to say their name but his voice was muffled.

Izuku brought a hand to his face, the muzzle was on again. That explained why he felt metal then. Izuku sighed. He didn't remember where the pain on his chest came from though..

Izuku looked down, the top of his gakuran was gone, both the under and over shirt, instead his chest was wrapped in bandages. Izuku didn't have the guts to peel the bandages away and find out what happened. He could only assume it was a second branding. Izuku focused on his breathing. Don't panic... don't panic. It's okay, Kacchan's fine. I'm fine... breathe. Breathe.

He looked back at Kacchan. They had a muzzle and bandages covering them too. Seeing Izuku awake seemed to have calmed Kacchan, they huffed smoke through their muzzle slowly and leaned against Izuku. Gently, as to not irritate Izuku’s wounds.

Izuku brought his knees to his chest and leaned into Kacchan. Izuku finally had time to think, time to breathe. He took a few deep breaths in. His hands were still a little shaky.

He put a hand to his injured cheek, he couldn't feel the wound through the muzzle but he still felt the pain under his skin.

He looked towards Kacchan's bandages. Their bandages were around the same area as Izuku’s. The two likely got similar.. brandings. The word felt heavy in his mind. They’d been branded.

He put a hand to his chest. He wasn't awake for this one, but he could almost imagine the pain. The intrusive image of his chest being burned flooded his brain. 

He kept his palm on his chest and closed his eyes. His body ached with every breath.

He buried his head into Kacchan’s side. Izuku needed to prepare himself for whatever would happen next. It'd be bad but.. he’d survive. He had to, for his mom, to get back home. 

Izuku cried silently as he fell asleep leaning against Kacchan that night.

A clang at the door woke Izuku from a nightmare. He and Kacchan looked at the cell door where guards loitered around waiting for them. Izuku snapped to lucidity. What?? Why are they back already? The lights were still off so Izuku couldn't see anything other than the guards' vague figures.

Kacchan growled and stood, Izuku followed. The two walked towards the door, this time accepting what was to come instead of fighting. If they did fight they'd likely just be electrocuted or drugged into compliance. The guards were quick to grab their arms again. Like last time, the two were led down opposite ends of the hall.

Izuku tried to calm his breaths. Why were they taking us again? Was branding us not enough? Izuku dragged his feet as he walked, encircled by the guards on all sides. They were leading him down a different path than last time, they weren't going to the branding room again.

They walked for a while, through the occasional locked door. Eventually the smooth light grey metal walls and floors changed to a grungy, worn down concrete. The harsh texture scraped at Izuku’s bare feet. The hallway was dark, a few overhead lights flickered as they walked. Now this feels like a walk of death…

They arrived at large metal doors, they creaked open and the guards shoved him inside. Two guards followed him in while the rest stood outside. The two guards removed his muzzle and pushed him farther into the room. The room was completely empty with only a set of double doors on the opposite wall. The guards dragged him and opened the double doors. Izuku struggled of course but the guards simply threw him into the next room.

Izuku rolled across sand, he quickly stood nearly tripping over the sand beneath his feet. He stood, the area he was in was circular, walls spanned high above his head. 

Izuku hadn't realized it over the ringing of his ears but there was shouting all around. He looked up, there were what looked like hundreds of aliens of all shapes and sizes sitting in stands above the arena. They were all shouting and cheering as Izuku spun to look at all the beings looming above him.

There was a booth above the rows of aliens, something that resembled a bipedal octopus made of glass sat in it, a microphone-like device in front of its face. It was speaking quickly and the aliens sitting in rows lowered their voices to allow it to speak. It was clearly announcing something.

Izuku took a deep breath and closed his eyes, pushing his palms into his eyes.

Oh god… This— This is a fighting ring!

He opened his eyes and looked across from where he stood. There was a quadrupedal creature standing near the opposite door. It looked like a mix between a wolf and a deer, its long shaggy fur being a vibrant red with gradients of bright yellow mixed into it. Long sharp tusks poked from the rest of its shark-sharp teeth. It had large round eyes with slit pupils and blood red irises. Incredibly long ears sat atop its head, and a long tail that swished side to side behind it.

It looked starved and ready to kill.

It held its body low to the ground ready to pounce. Izuku held a hand over his mouth. 

I-I have to fight t-that thing?!

The creature lunged towards Izuku as the crowds cheered…