Chapter Text
Izuku crept along the edges of the room, his fingertips brushing against the wall and guiding him through the expansive darkness. Though his eyes were quite well adjusted, he still preferred the reassurance the smooth side provided him with, and it was a welcome reminder that he wasn’t completely out in the open. With that thought, he picked up his pace to the bookshelf that loomed ahead of him, clambering up over the lip of the bottom shelf. It went up to almost his knees, so it was just a bit high to comfortably consider as a step. The left side of the shelf was made up of neatly stacked papers, the far edge pressed into the back corner to help guarantee the precision. Heading towards the right, Izuku surveyed the more miscellaneous objects: pens, stapler, pencil case, etc. It was slim pickings as usual in this room, but he found himself in it once again regardless, drawn by an uneasy confidence in the tenant’s early sleeping schedule.
He meandered between a few items, picking his way over to the back of the shelf before peering up at the adequate gap in between the end of the shelf above and the frame of the structure. It was easily above double his height, almost a foot up in the air. Izuku took another glance around, grinning when he noticed the stapler was right against the edge to his left. He climbed up onto it on the shorter end before taking a running leap, springing himself up to the shelf above, fingers grasping at the gentle grooves in the edge before he heaved himself up.
This shelf was much the same in terms of neatness, folders aligned against one another on one side with a mug pressed to them to keep it all from toppling over. On its other side was a row of novels and textbooks, arranged neatly but innocuously enough so as to not seem to have been managed obsessively. Izuku walked over to the middle and pressed his palm against the cold surface of the porcelain mug. He doubted it had ever left the room since it was brought in, even if he was just going by the thin outline of dust surrounding the mug’s edge and coating its figure. The teen certainly didn’t use it for coffee, that was for sure. Izuku gave a small grin at the thought, recalling the rant the tenant had given to the others who tried to coerce him into taking a swig of their esteemed drink.
His smile faded into a tiny yawn as his eyes drooped. Sighing frustratedly, he ran a hand over his face and scolded himself internally. He knew it was late and that there was hardly a chance anything would be found out of place in this room, but he couldn’t bring himself to just not check if he had gone through the others nearby anyway. Turning back to the broad room, he let out a soft groan at the red, glowing digits on the nightstand’s clock. 4:17AM , they read. What was he thinking ? No wonder he was exhausted - he’d been up for nearly 24 hours running around the whole building and with little fruits to bear for his endeavors. Even so, he’d come this far. He refused to leave when he was so close to finishing his routine. He was in the final room for the day, and he would check all the spots he thought he should check before leaving.
His green eyes sparkling with a newfound determination, Izuku pumped his fists and went over to the back again. This time, with nothing available leaning against the edge and there being a drop down below as well, he grabbed the fishhook from where it’d been securely clasped to his back behind his rucksack. It was a relatively small hook, still a bit large for his liking, though, but it was sharpened well for his purposes. With a practiced hand, he reeled back his arm and swung up the hook, the tip falling back and catching expertly on the lip of the level above. After a couple of experimental tugs on the string connected to it, Izuku climbed the short distance up. This shelf still remained empty, and Izuku was quick to pull his hook out and swing it up to the level above, uncomfortable with how open he was without any clutter to blend in with.
Finally at the top level, Izuku left his hook in place as he glanced around, his eyes catching on a faint outline shoved up on the left side. Upon further inspection, it seemed to like a thimble of sorts, though rubbery except for one side that was made up of a small screen. Izuku’s eyes alighted with excitement. He didn’t often have the opportunity to study such things closely, with most taking their gadgets with them or locking them up securely. His hands fluttered around it while his thoughts raced, the pounding of his head momentarily fading into the background. He wished he could take it back with him so he had more time to study it, and he briefly contemplated the thought. Compared to how well placed everything else was, this device seemed to be set aside so haphazardly. Maybe it won't be missed… ‘No ,’ he exclaimed inwardly, jumping up, only to regret the motion a moment later. Dark spots danced in front of him and his legs wobbled before giving out, sending him plummeting to his side. He tried desperately to fight the encroaching darkness, but it was useless. Black encompassed him, his eyes slipping shut with the first glimmer of colors over the horizon.
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A blaring alarm sent him shooting back up what felt like only a moment later, his arm darting forward to steady his overcompensated movement. His hand met a smooth glass surface as the alarm cut off with a thwack , and he glanced down to see his palm flat against the screen of the human finger-sized device. Barely a moment later, it flashed red, a loud beep seeming to echo across the room before the words, “ access denied ,” filtered through the air. His head snapped up towards the bed, heart stuttering at seeing the figure sitting upright. His gaze flicked up to be met with glaring red eyes boring into his own green.