Chapter Text
Six-year-old Izuku Midoriya looked around, eyes wide, drinking in the movie set. It was so much larger than anything he’d seen before. He’d worked as a child actor for about a year now, since age five. But so far, he’d only had small roles: a TV show extra, a few magazine ads, and one commercial. This would be his very first movie. Holding his mother’s hand, he gazed up at the spotlights hanging down from a high ceiling. They centered around a normal-appearing living room that had been constructed inside the warehouse. Workers added a fresh vase of flowers and filled the bookshelf. Half a dozen cameras had been set up at different angles.
Imagining all those cameras on him, Izuku clutched his mother’s hand more tightly. His first time acting in a movie, and he’d been cast in a leading role. Not only that, but his favorite actor, Toshinori Yagi, played the villain! Izuku idolized Mr. Yagi. Not only was Toshinori Yagi a national icon, he was also well-known for his charitable work and political activism. Watching him in the children’s TV show All Might had led Izuku to decide to become an actor.
Izuku couldn’t possibly let his hero down. He would give it his best and make this movie a success.
Inko pointed. “Look, Mr. Yagi has arrived.” The tall, blond man talked to a worker. He wore a suit and tie like the salaryman he would be playing.
Suddenly, Izuku was not ready at all. He hid behind his mother. Mr. Yagi was walking closer! He was coming in their direction! Izuku felt like he might faint.
Kneeling down, Toshinori smiled. “You must be the actor who will be playing Yoichi.”
“Gah,” Izuku said. He flushed. He hadn’t even started acting yet, and he was already tripping over his words.
“Izuku Midoriya, isn’t it?” Toshinori held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“That’s right.” Inko gave her son a small push forward. “He’s a big fan of yours.”
Izuku shook his idol’s hand. He was never washing his right hand ever again.
“You flatter me,” Toshinori said with a gentle smile.
“No, I’m serious,” Inko said. “He’s watched everything age-appropriate with you in it, and I caught him wearing a fake moustache trying to sneak into one of your R-rated films twice. He even stole my car keys. I don’t know how he thought his feet would reach the pedals.”
“Mom!” Izuku whimpered.
Inko continued, “His favorite TV show is ‘All Might.’ I swear he’s watched every episode a dozen times.”
“That’s my favorite role, too.” Toshinori smiled.
Inko said, “He’d love to get your autograph. Here, I have a notepad.”
Flushing, Izuku nodded frantically.
“It would be my pleasure.” Toshinori signed.
“Thank you,” Izuku whispered, accepting with trembling hands. The note read: To Izuku Midoriya, a future hero and star actor, from All Might.
Toshinori took a closer look at Izuku. “Pardon me, but do I know you from somewhere?”
Izuku hadn’t expected Mr. Yagi to remember. He whispered, “A year ago, I used to be sick a lot. You visited me in the hospital.”
Toshinori snapped his fingers. “Yes, I remember, the little boy who asked me all those questions about All Might’s powers! You found ten plot holes in the show. I was impressed. You’re very smart for your age.”
Izuku wanted to sink into the ground. At the time, he’d asked his idol because he’d been convinced all the plot inconsistences must have logical explanations, and surely All Might would know them. Afterward, a nurse had told him he’d been very rude. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
Toshinori laughed. “It didn’t bother me in the slightest. I’m not the one who wrote the script, I just acted it. Besides, it takes a true fan to put so much thought into a show. I was flattered.”
Inko said, “My Izuku decided to become an actor because he admired you so much.”
Toshinori’s eyes widened. “What an honor. I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations in this film.”
“N-no, I…I’m the one who…” Izuku couldn’t speak again. He buried his face in his mother’s skirt.
“Excuse me, I believe you’re scaring him.” Hisashi Shigaraki strode forward. He was internationally renowned as an actor and director, and he played the lead role in this film as Izuku’s older brother. Izuku had met him once before, at the auditions for the role, where the man had glared so hard Izuku had forgotten his lines twice. It was still a mystery to Izuku how he’d gotten the role.
Flushing bright red, Izuku hopped up and down. “No! It’s fine! He didn’t do anything, I’m just nervous.”
Hisashi picked Izuku up completely off the ground and hugged him. “Aw, you look adorable.” His hand stroked the back of Izuku’s old-fashioned Japanese kindergarten uniform, navy blue with silver buttons. “I knew you’d be perfect for the role.” He tugged on a lock of Izuku’s hair, which had been dyed white.
Izuku squirmed. He didn’t like being touched by strangers. Especially, he didn’t like being picked up and jerked around. “I…I…” He tried to tell the man to put him down, but something in those red eyes had pinned him like a mouse by a snake.
Gently, Inko said, “Please put my son down. He looks upset.”
“Nonsense, he’s fine.” Hisashi still set Izuku down, to his relief. “Are you ready to start filming?”
Izuku felt sick, his stomach rolling and a cough building in the back of his throat, but he couldn’t say no with his hero watching. He nodded.
Hisashi played the part of a young man fighting a legal battle to obtain custody of his younger brother from their abusive father. Toshinori played the father, and Izuku the younger brother. In today’s scene, Hisashi visited his home, but his father turned him away without letting him see his younger brother. Then Hisashi snuck in through the window.
Rehearsing his lines in his head, Izuku waited slightly off-set for his entrance.
In the fake living room, Hisashi and Toshinori screamed at each other. They were both gifted actors. But the hatred in Hisashi’s eyes seemed a little too real. Izuku told himself that he must be imagining it. But when Hisashi drew back his fist, Izuku flinched, convinced he was about to actually punch Toshinori.
Several seconds too early, Izuku ran into the fake living room. “Big brother, don’t!” he cried.
Hisashi lowered his fist. He cast Izuku a look full of burning possessiveness. “I’m coming back for you, Yoichi. I promise.”
Instinctively, Izuku thought, Please don’t.
Someone bellowed, “Cut!”
Izuku’s legs sagged. He grabbed an armchair to steady himself. That had been…intense. Scary. Maybe this was what it was like to work with famous actors, all more mature and skilled than him.
Inko rushed forward. “Are you okay? Are you feeling sick? Do you need your inhaler?”
Izuku shook his head. “I’m fine.” This was his first ever movie with Mr. Yagi. He couldn’t possibly let his hero down.
Inko hovered over him. “Are you sure? You look nervous. Should I ask for a break before your next scene?”
Izuku stuck out his lower lip. “I’m not nervous! I’m not!” He forced a smile onto his face, one he’d practiced for the cameras. “I’m fine, Mom. Pinky-promise.” He held out his pinky.
Although Inko shook, she didn’t look entirely convinced. She knew his fake smile when she saw it. She stroked his hair. “You did very well. If you need a rest, there’s no shame in it.”
Of course she’d say that—she was his mother. Izuku had been early for his entrance. His voice had shaken on his first line. He hadn’t done well. He had to be better next time. No more scaredy-cat. He’d prove he could handle such a big, important role.
The staff fussed over Izuku’s makeup, then took him to a fake bedroom. He sat on the bed, pretending to read a comic book. Carefully, he didn’t look at the window where Hisashi would sneak through. He wondered how long it would take. He hadn’t yet heard the sound of the window opening. Had there been some delay? He turned a page.
A hand fastened on his shoulder from behind.
Throwing the comic book in the air, Izuku screamed, “AHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Hisashi pulled him into a hug. “It’s okay, little brother. I’m here.”
The embrace felt smothering. With his face pressed tightly against Hisashi’s chest, Izuku could barely breathe. He tried to struggle, but he might as well have been trying to move a mountain. He coughed. A tickle stuck in the back of his throat. He coughed harder. But the tickle wouldn’t go away. It felt like he might vomit.
“Excuse me! Coming through!” Inko rushed forward and pulled Izuku into her arms. She placed his inhaler over his mouth. “Breathe deeply, sweetie.”
In a concerned tone, Hisashi said, “I read about his illness in his file. Should we call a doctor?”
Running forward, Toshinori pulled out his phone. “Yes, I’ll do that.”
“No! I’m fine!” Izuku croaked. Except for dying of humiliation.
Inko said, “I think you just scared him a little, and that triggered an attack.”
“I wasn’t scared!” Izuku cried. He was a big boy, far too old to get scared because someone snuck up behind him. Especially when it had been in the script! “I’m fine.” Another cough betrayed him.
Addressing Toshinori, Inko said, “No need for an ambulance just yet. I’ll take him back to his dressing room to rest.”
Izuku’s eyes stung with tears. This was his big break, and he was already failing. But he refused to cry in front of his idol. He breathed deeply, forcing the tears back.
Hisashi said, “Of course, take all the time you need.” He stood up. “Let’s switch scenes. Katsuki Bakugo, are you ready?”
“Of course!” The blond boy leapt up, setting aside his homework. As he passed Izuku, Katsuki muttered, “If you’re too wimpy, then you should have let me have the role.”
Katsuki had competed against Izuku for the little brother part. Izuku knew Kacchan must be bitter about losing to a less prestigious and experienced child actor. They had both wanted the role especially badly because they were both big Toshinori Yagi fans. Katsuki had gotten the less desirable role of Yoichi’s childhood friend. He still seemed bitter about it.
Izuku definitely didn’t want to cry in front of Kacchan. He bit his lip hard.
But the tears kept threatening to come out. By the time they reached the dressing room, Izuku knew he couldn’t hold back much longer. He asked, “Mom, can I have a moment alone?”
“Are you sure?”
“Please,” Izuku whispered.
Inko nodded and left, casting one last worried look over her shoulder.
As soon as he was alone, Izuku flung himself into his make-up chair and sobbed. He muffled the sound with his hands. His shoulders shook. Maybe he wasn’t good enough. Maybe he should have let Katsuki have the part.
Without knocking, Hisashi opened the door. Through teary eyes, Izuku stared at the absolute last person he wanted to see right now.
Hisashi strode into the room. “I knew you were just pretending not to be upset. My little brother was like that, too. Proud and unwilling to cry in public. That blasted fool Yagi scared you with his shouting, didn’t he?”
Izuku shook his head, not wanting his hero to take the blame. “No, I wasn’t scared.” He stopped there, not willing to tell Hisashi to his face that he’d been the scary one.
With a raised eyebrow, Hisashi said, “He’s playing the villain, after all. It would be understandable for you to feel scared.”
Izuku puffed up with indignation. He was old enough to know fiction from reality. Mr. Yagi often played villains—he’d admitted in an interview that he enjoyed hamming it up and delivering evil monologues. That didn’t make him a bad person in real life. “It’s not Mr. Yagi’s fault. He’s my favorite actor.”
“Really? Why him? Even though he’s playing the villain?” Hisashi sounded indignant.
Solely to appease him, Izuku said, “I really like your acting, too.” In reality, most of the movies Hisashi acted in or directed were too old for Izuku to watch.
Hisashi smiled. “I brought you a gift to make you feel better.” Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a giant chocolate chip cookie. It had M&Ms and peanut butter chips mixed in. Just the sight had Izuku drooling.
“Thank you!” Izuku eagerly took a bite. It tasted fresh and chocolaty. Maybe Hisashi wasn’t so bad. Even when he’d seemed so angry and volatile, he’d just been acting, like Mr. Yagi.
Hisashi asked, “Did you know that I wrote the script for this movie? It’s based on my life.”
“Really?” Izuku looked up with wide eyes, his lips stained from chocolate.
Hisashi sighed. “Perhaps it would be more accurate to call it an idealized version of my life. In reality, my brother was only a few years younger than me. Our father was abusive. He hurt us.” Hisashi pulled up his sleeve, showing a long white scar.
Izuku gasped. “That’s horrible!” He wished a hero would have saved the two brothers.
“I ran away from home as a teenager. I promised Yoichi that I’d make enough money to support us both, then come back for him. But my poor sweet brother always had poor health. After our father locked him in the basement in the winter, he caught pneumonia and died.”
“I’m so sorry!” Izuku’s eyes filled with tears again.
Hisashi said, “I wrote the script to reflect the world as it should have been. I wish I’d been old enough to leave home and make my fortune when my brother had been your age. I wish I could have fought for custody of him and adopted him. If so, he would be still alive.”
“That’s so sad!” Tears streamed down Izuku’s cheeks. His shoulders shook. “I wish you could have saved your brother too.”
“You’re such a kind child.” Hisashi offered him a handkerchief. “That’s how I knew you’d be perfect for this role.”
Izuku said, “I’m going to act that scene flawlessly next time.” He knew he could, now he wasn’t scared of Hisashi any longer. “I won’t let you down. I promise.”
Izuku stood up. But the world rocked under him. His head ached. He felt a pressure to close his eyes. He got his feet mixed up and stumbled.
“Whoa, there.” Hisashi caught him. “You look tired. Why don’t you lie down?”
Something was wrong. Izuku had a funny taste in the back of his throat. He tried to push aside those arms, but he had no strength. His last sight was Hisashi’s smug smile.
Inko stumbled through the building calling, “Excuse me? Has anyone seen my son?” Her hands shook. The first hints of tears formed in her eyes.
Toshinori looked up from the script he was studying. “He’s not in his dressing room?”
“When I went back, he was gone.” Inko swallowed. “He doesn’t seem to be anywhere in the warehouse. I know he was upset about messing up his scene. But it’s not like my Izuku to wander off. He should know better than to go outside without me.”
Katsuki said, “Nah, he’s still here. Look.” He pointed at Izuku’s backpack sitting on a chair. “His autograph from Mr. Yagi is sticking out! He wouldn’t have left without that. He’s probably off in some corner crying like a baby. Stupid nerd, causing everyone trouble.” The muttered insult hid a note of concern.
Inko started to hyperventilate. “If his backpack is still here, then he must still be in the building. Right?”
Toshinori said, “I’ll rally the staff. We’ll find him, I promise.”
Except the star of the show, Izuku Midoriya, had vanished without a trace.