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Three days. That’s how long Kastuki had been locked in this place. That’s how long it had been since he’d seen Izuku.
The two of them had been doing a more or less normal patrol. It was a little counterproductive to have two of the top heroes in the same place, but ever since leaving school, and not seeing each other every day, the two of them had been trying to meet up as much as they could. And if that meant hanging out while on the clock then so be it. Besides, fighting alongside Izuku was always entertaining in a way that just didn’t come through with other heroes. Not to mention the press loved it.
Kastuki and Izuku were pretty much Japan’s biggest will-they-won't-they. It would have been pretty funny, if it wasn’t for the little fact that Kastuki made the mistake of catching feelings. Not that it mattered thought. He was an adult. And Izuku was his oldest friend. He wasn’t going to mess that up over some little crush.
But now, it might be messed up over something far more insidious.
The two of them had met up for a patrol just like they did every Tuesday. After that…things got a little blurry. There was a car maybe, some kind of sleeping gas and then…
The same shity basement room. For three days Katsuki had existed inside of a cartoon villain’s version of a holding area. An off white mattress had been thrown in one corner. One wall was made of thick metal bars, the others a cold dark cinder block. A naked yellowish light bulb hovered above him, painting the whole room and sickly color.
None of this would have been a problem if it wasn’t for the goddamn quirk suppressors. Kastuki didn’t know they were in the walls, or some side effect of a quirk or what- but it fucking sucked. He could hold out his hands and summon explosions all he wanted, but not even a spark came out.
The first time this had happened Kastuki had been afraid that he’d lost his quirk for good. But after having nothing but time to think, he realized that the feeling was similar to when Aizawa Sensei used his quirk.
He wondered if Izuku had figured that out by now.
He wondered about Izuku a lot.
All things considered, the accommodations weren't that bad. He was free to move around the cell, he could sleep when he wanted. Meals showed up twice a day. Little bowls of oatmeal or water soup slid through the door by someone with their head covered in a full face mask, leaving their face an expressionless back oval. Every time they came, Kastuki screamed at them, but once they were gone he ate the food anyway.
Other than that, nothing happened. And that was the part that worried him most. Usually when someone took a captive, it was for one of two reasons, ransom money, or information. Both he and Izuku were doing well for themselves, but if all they wanted was a little cash, abducting a pro hero was a pretty big leap. So that left information. Between the two of them Kastuki and Izuku had plenty of knowledge that could cause real damage in the wrong hands. The first that came to mind was the origins of Izuku’s quirk of course, but there was other stuff too.
And if they wanted information, but no one had so much as bothered to talk to Kastuki for three days… What were they doing to Izuku?
On the third day, when the faceless figure came to Katsuki’s cell, he wasn’t holding a lunch tray. It had been a long time since the Kamino incentent and all that led up to it, but Kastuki immediately recognised the type of restraints the villain was holding. Two triangles of quirk suppressing material, with little holes to place his hands in, then straps all the way up to bind them together. His heart fell at the sight of them, but it wasn’t enough to overpower the nerves that were zinging through him. Even without a quirk, even in the cuffs, if Katsuki could get out of this cell then there was a chance to overpower his captors. Then he could find Deku and get the hell out of there.
“Are we going on a trip?” Kastuki asked. It was a good sign that his captors were stupid enough to let him out of his cage, but he didn’t want to seem too eager.
“Step up to the bars.” The voice sounded masculine and cold. Distant. And also different from the one that Kasuki remembered. How many people were involved in this?
“Not until you tell me where we’re going.” Katsuki growled.
“To visit your friend.”
“Deku?” The name slipped out of him before he could stop it. All this time he had been desperate to know where Izuku was, trying to work out ways to find him. And now they were going to take him right there?
“Step up to the bars.” the man repeated, and this time Katsuki did. He hardly even felt the retrains as they were fastened around him. All he could think about was Izuku. He was going to see Izuku.
He was going to see what they had done to him.
“Don’t get any funny ideas about overpowering me.” The man said, which was exactly what Katsuki was planning on doing. “One toe out of line, and Deku dies.” he didn’t give Katsuki any time to respond before opening the door. He decided to at least wait until he knew where Izuku was and before doing anything crazy. Breaking their way out of here together would be one thing, but if Izuku was injured, Kastuki wasn’t sure if he’d be able to fight an indeterminate number of villains and protect him at the same time.
The door opened and Kastuki stepped out. The man poked that felt like a night stick into his back, and he started walking. This was his first real look at where they were being held. It smelled like some kind of basement, and definitely looked deary enough. But what concerned him most was the size. It took a lot of guts to abduct not one but two pro heroes. Whoever this was had deep pockets and a lot of manpower. There were a few groups that Katuki had been assuming were the culprit. But as far as he could tell this place was too small for any of that. Which meant that it would be even harder for their friends on the outside to find them.
The man led him through a series of sound proof doors, each one made Katsuki’s heart beat a little faster. No matter what happened, no matter what state Izuku was in, at least Katsuki would know how bad it was. They rounded a corner, and for a moment Kaski thought they had gone in a circle, because the cell in front of them looked identical to his own. But then he saw him.
Izuku was here. Izuku was alive.
Izuku looked up when he heard them approaching, and Kastuki watched his eyes widen as he saw him.
“Kachan?!” His voice echoed off the dark walls as he lurched forward, pulling his hands around the bars. Izuku looked just as happy to see him as Kastuki felt. And…he was also unharmed?
The man that had taken him here pulled Kastuki forward by a loop in his cuffs, then pulled them upward and attached something to the bars of Izuku’s cell. When he stepped away, Kasuki’s arms were pinned above his head, forcing him to glower down at Izuku. The door that Kastuki had entered thought opened, and two other figures stopped in, both wearing the same nondescript black masks as the other. That probably wasn’t good.
“Here’s how this is going to work,” the man who had taken Katsuki in said, “One of my friends is going to enter your cell and give you a pair of these.” He patted Kastuki’s restraints. “You’re going to let him or…” there was a clicking sound, and then Kastuki felt something cold rest against his temple. The way Izuku immediately stepped back made him realize it was a gun. “Do you understand?”
Izuku nodded, avoiding Katsuki’s eyes.
“Good.”
The door to Izuku’s cell opened, and one of the other villains gave him the same kind of cuffs that Kasuki had, then dragged him over to the wall, attaching him in the same way. The villain stepped back, and the two of them were face to face, enclosed hands bumping against each other. Both of their faces were framed by the insertion of bars, so close that Kastuki could feel Izuku’s breath on his face.
The villain left Izuku’s cell, and Kastuki felt the gun pull away from him. But that didn’t mean that it wasn’t still pointed in his direction. Or Izuku’s.
“You two have had some time to think these last few days,” the man behind Kasuki said, “and I’m sure you’ve been wondering what it is that we need from you. Here it is; villain activity has been a little complicated after you brats helped disband the League of Villains. But the word on the street is that you only could do it because of a special weapon. Something as old as All for One himself. We wanna know what it is, and then we want you to give it to us.”
Kastuki met Izuku’s eyes, there wasn’t really any way to avoid them. Were they talking about One for All? Even under normal circumstances that wasn’t something that they would ever disclose. But here? When both of them were effectively quirkless and under constant guard? It would be a disaster.
“But we know that you’ve probably been missing each other these last few days, so we’ll give you a little alone time. Let's say… ten minutes. You can work out what you want to tell us and then we’ll reconvene. How does that sound?”
“What happens if we don’t feel like talking?” Kastuki asked, knowing he wasn’t going to like the answer.
The man laughed behind him, and Kastuki’s heart fell. “Then I guess we'll have to come up with a way to change your mind.'' He made his way to the door. The other two followed close behind. “Time starts now,” he said, “See you in a few.”
Katsuki let out a deep breath when he heard the door close behind him. “What a load of bull, they probably have this place bugged to all hell.”
“Probably,” Izuku agreed. He tried to roll his shoulders, but only managed to rattle the cuffs a bit. “Where are they keeping you?”
“Pretty much the same as you,” Kastuki said, “They have some kind of quirk suppressor.”
“I guess that’s why they bothered to do this in the first place.”
There was nowhere to look but Izuku’s face. Katsuki didn’t think he’d ever been this close to him before. Close enough to kiss.
“I thought that they were hurting you,” Izuku confessed, “Since they weren’t hurting me.”
Katsuki swallowed, “Me too.” The words came out a little softer than he wanted them to.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” Izuku said, “but I think we’re in for it now.”
Katsuki grit his teeth, because he knew that it was probably true.
“Did you see how he attached the chain?” Kastuki asked, nodding up to where their arms were attached to the bars.
“Looped it around,” Izuku said, “If I had my quirk I could bake it, easy but…” he closed his eyes, concentrating, but nothing happened. Katsuki jumped and then pressed himself down, pulling his whole body weight against the bars. He grunted as he felt his shoulders bare the brunt of it, but when he regained his balance nothing had changed.
“Damn it.”
“There’s some good news.” Izuku said.
“And what’s that?”
“Whoever these guys are, if they are willing to take you and me just for information then they can’t be that obscure.”
Katuski nodded, because he had been thinking the same thing. “So what? We just wait for rescue?”
“People are going to notice if we disappear right?”
“Yeah I guess.” Kastuki shrugged, then remembered the ache in his shoulders.
“We just gotta hold out till then.”
That was probably easier said than done. But three days had passed. Katsuki had seen missions much more complicated than this arranged in much less time. Now it was just a race against the clock. Except this time they couldn't do anything to make it move faster.
They both jumped as the door opened behind him. It definitely had not been ten minutes yet. “Have you come to a decision?” the same man from before asked.
Kastuki grit his teeth, remembering the gun. Was that why they had both been taken? Katsuki would sooner die than reveal Izuku’s secret. But would he let Izuku die for it?
“Sorry,” Katsuki said, “Still don’t feel like talking.”
“Pity.” The voice was so cold it sent shivers down Katsuki’s back. “Maybe a little game will help break the ice.”
Kastuki heard the door open again, and saw Izuku’s eyes widen. He heard two sets of footsteps enter, one stopping behind him and the other continuing on. A moment later the door to the cell opened too, and one of the villains he had noticed before appeared behind Izuku. They were holding what first looked like a coil of thick wire attached to a heavy black handle. A whip .
The man’s hidden face appeared over Katsuki’s shoulder. “This is called the quiet game,” he anusated carefully. “The rules are, if one of you makes a sound then you lose, and it’s the other person's turn. We’ll go with thirty to start.”
Katsuki blinked hard, trying to work out what this meant. Behind Izuku, the villain unrolled their wip, revealing a long line of leather. He was about to say something, but then saw Izuku’s eyes widen. He heard the strike before he felt it. A gush of wind and then a smack, like someone had done a belly flop. The pain rushed in, like water seeping into cloth. It overtook him. What else could he do? He cried out.
The man clicked his tongue. “Only one and you’ve already lost. I expected better.” he motioned to the one behind Izuku. “His turn.”
Katsuki watched the whip come up, and then down. Izuku’s eyes fell closed, his teeth clenching, but he stayed silent. The whip pulled away, flicking drops of Izuku’s blood onto the walls and ceiling.
“Good job,” the man called with a laugh. “You’re in the lead.”
Izuku’s eyes opened, but they were looking at something a lot farther away than Kastuki. The rules clicked into place. One of them would get wiped until they screamed, and then the other would go. Of course he had managed to drop the ball in the first round. Not Izuku, though. He was too damn smart.
The whip came down again, and Katsuki flinched away as though he could feel it. The gash on his back hurt like hell, he couldn't imagine it doubled. But Izuku did not cry out.
“Impressive,” the man said, but Izuku hadn't even caught his breath before he added, “again.”
This time there was a sound. Not a loud yell like Kastuki had been expecting, but the smallest whimper that managed to escape through clenched teeth. As soon as it happened Izuku was gasping, openly sobbing. But the words on his lips weren’t for himself.
“Kachan, we don’t have to play.” Kastuki could see the sweat on his face, mixing with tears and plastering his curls to his forehead. “Just make whatever noise you want. We’ll split it.”
Katsuki's eyes narrowed, defiant, but he didn’t have time to see Izuku’s reaction before another blow hit him. It came as a surprise, but by some miracle the only thing that was forced out of him was air.
“Kacchan…” Izuku’s voice was somewhere between warning and pleading, but it was all wrong. Too low. In pain.
The whip came down again. Katsuki bit his lip, and Izuku flinched away. He must have been seeing what Kastuki had only a moment before. The fall of the lash, the blood, the widening of desperate eyes. One more and he would beat Izuku’s score.
Another blow came, and this time it didn’t feel like an individual strike, but as though his entire back had been set on fire. Kastuki didn’t remember making a sound, but the next strike fell on Izuku’s back, this time with no warning, and he gave a little grunt. That didn’t last long.
Katsuki knew that Izuku’s outburst meant it was his turn again, but he hardly cared because as soon as the whip lifted Izuku’s feet went out from under him. The chains rattled above them as he sagged against the bars. He scrambled to regain balance once, twice, then gave up.
Another blow to Kastuki’s back. Another grunt. It was too fast for him to keep track of. Why couldn't he just keep his damn mouth shut and save Izuku the trouble?
Izuku’s body shook as the whip came down, but he didn’t make so much as a peep.
“What happened to taking turns?” Kastuki asked.
Deku lifted his head to look at him, but even that tiny movement seemed like an enormous effort. There was a drop of blood on his face, but there was no way to know if it was his own or Kastuki’s.
The whip fell again, and again Izuku stayed silent.
“Hey!” Katsuki pulled at his restraints again, but just like before, nothing happened. He could feel the wounds on his back open and close every time he moved his arms.
The whip came down on Izuku again.
At some point he had started sobbing, but it didn’t matter. Izuku wasn’t even moving. He couldn't see his face. Kastski threw himself back and forth against the bars so hard the whole wall shook, but the chains stayed secure around them.
Again.
“You can’t even stand up, pass it over.”
Again.
“I swear to god Izuku, if you don’t make a sound right now-”
Again, and this time, finally there was a whimper.
When the whip came down on Kastuki’s back he was ready. He knew now that if he let them move on to Deku again there was no way to stop him from taking the rest of the lashes. The only way to make sure that didn’t happen was to keep his mouth shut.
Easy. right?
The whip came down again, and Kastuki bit his lip so hard it bled.
Again.
Again.
Chains rattled above them as Izuku finally regained his footing. “Kacchan don’t you dare.”
Again.
Katsuki could only look at him. Then the whip came down again, his feet fell out from under him, and he hung there as Izuku had before. This was probably fucking up his shoulders, but at the momment the only thing he could feel was his back.
Again.
“Katsuki!”
If Izuku said anything after that, Kastuki didn’t hear it. He dug his teeth into his lip so hard he thought they might cut right though.
At some point it stopped. The backness took over his vision, a deep inescapable pull. Somewhere, blows fell, and Izuku screamed his name but all that he saw was darkness.