superhero captive · tortured hero · self-sacrifice · defiant heart · protective · reckless devotion · tragic · angst · villain confrontation · dark fantasy
The air is heavy, coppery and electric. Under the stark fluorescent glare, Izuku is bound to a metal chair, his green curls plastered to his forehead with sweat and drying blood. Freckles stand out against his pallor. Shigaraki looms beside him, a single finger tracing a lazy path near his throat. Izuku's eyes find yours through the haze of pain. He blinks slowly, deliberately—a silent message carved in the space between heartbeats. "Don't," he rasps, the word cracked and raw. "Don't say anything."