My eyes wide as my heart pounded, I stared at the now empty alleyway. Not even fifteen minutes ago, we were happy go lucky, living life. We finally had the happy friends and family we longed for! Now, I was alone as footsteps grew louder as they approached, closing me into the alley. Cornered and alone, I put my hands up. Erasure Head stiffened, erasing my quirk. He was ready for me to attack, but I just lowered my head in surrender. Even if I had any fight left in me, it wouldn't be the same without them.
As the hero came closer skeptically, I put my facade up once more," Aww, what's little Erasure doing our by himself? Get ditched?" He growled,"I could ask you the same thing, Dabi." I flinched at the thought. I knew they wouldn't have forgotten me, but I still hoped. He paused,"Where are they?" I raised my head confused,"Who?" He growled," You know who I'm talking about, villain!" My ears twitched at his sudden change of tone. "If you're talking about the league, I don't know!" I cried out, shaking. My legs gave out and I fell to my knees, unable to keep up my act. At my quick movement, Erasure wrapped my body up with his scarf. I forced my tears away as I lowered my head to look at the camp concrete below my body. Leaning back against the wall of a building, I watched the hero inch closer out of the corner of my vision. My arms were held to my side as I began to struggle against the grey fabric, attempting to prevent him from touching me. His rough fingers brushed my cheek, before I growled at him. It was a nervous tick I had picked up as a child, and it had stuck with me as a young adult.
The hero jumped back, his quirk activated. I met his stare coldly," I'm not going to attack you. Just don't touch me!" He didn't say anything else as he used his scarf to pull me to my feet, and walked away. I was frozen to the spot, lost in my own thoughts momentarily, before he tugged on his scarf. Suddenly hit by reality, I snapped out of my daze. I followed behind him obediently like a dog on a leash. It was about time to turn myself in anyways.
Around twenty minutes of walking later, we were stopped by a man's sudden voice from above our heads," Hey Erasure!". I looked up to find the winged hero known as Hawks. I tensed immediately, burning Erasure's scarf too quickly for him to erase my flame in time. I grabbed at the hood of my cloak, pulling it over my head as an attempt to hide my face. Erasure restrained my arms again. Hawks landed in front of me, a bright red feather pointed at my throat," What was that about, Dabi?" i looked down, "My-My ears got cold." Erasure spoke up," You could asked for help instead of burning my scarf." I growled," Keep your hands away from me!" He tightened the grey restraints instinctively, and I fell silent. Hawks seemed to notice my discomfort but didn't say anything about it. Erasure stepped closer to us, causing me to step back. Not paying attention, I bumped into Hawks. I turned sightly," Sorry!" He stared at me," No, you're okay. It was an accident." He turned to the other hero confused," Anyways... I came by because Nezu was concerned with how long you were taking." Thebscarffed hero replied," Well, usually is be back by now, but I can't carry another person with my scarf. Obviously, taking public transportation isn't an option." Hawks pursed his lips, glancing over at me. My eyes widened as realization hit me," No. No! Hawks!" He smirked, moving closer before picking me up.
The air blew through my hair as it hit my cheeks roughly. My eyes were squeezed shut tightly, as I smacked and kicked aimlessly at him. I hoped that by making it harder to fly, he would land and allow Erasure to escort me to prison instead. I'd much rather have my arms restrained so tightly that they were sore, than to be at the hands of Hawks' reckless flight. Eventually, he said something that made me rethink my idea,"If you don't stop that nonsense, I'll end up dropping you!" I froze suddenly, clutching to his tan jacket tightly with my eyes still closed.
As soon as I felt us land, I reopened my eyes and jumped from his arms. I immediately sat on the ground, thankful to be alive. Once my head stopped spinning and my ears popped again, I looked up at the prison only to find it was UA instead. Lost, I turned to the hero who had been watching me intently," Why-why are we at U-UA?!" He blinked, before grinning, " You'll be attending UA from now on as a student! " He did jazz hands before turning towards the pristine school to admire it, " With a few extra precautions obviously, you being you and all. " I stood slowly, before taking the opportunity to escape. I sprinted away, entering the wood that surrounded the school, hoping the treetops would conceal me from Hawks' sight when he realized I was gone. I knew that he would most likely be in trouble for letting me escape, but I refuse to go back to the past. Pausing to allow myself to catch my breath, I heard water rushing over the sound of my heart pounding loudly. Gathering myself a bit more, I followed the sound. I dipped my hands in the cool liquid and splashed it on my face, hoping to wake myself up. I went on a little farther, knowing that if I stuck by the water I wouldn't be able to hear them if the heroes approached. The brook was a kind of landmark that they were sure to find quickly, so they most likely wouldn't expect me to be so close to it.
As I searched for a suitable hiding place in a tree or something, I found a sewer entrance that had been barred up. I wondered around it, searching for a way in before finding an extra wide gap in the metal bar farthest to the left. Squeezing through the gap was easier than expected. Running through the dark sewage tunnel was a breeze with my flames as a light source. I found a wide space to sit in until the heroes forgot about me. Suddenly, my bright idea wasn't as bright. It could be months before I can go about my daily life. Then I remembered that the league had abandoned me. I slid against the damp wall to the floor, resting my head on my knees as I help them to my chest. The tears I had been fighting back for the past hour finally fell. I had accepted it long ago, I was all right with being alone. That was when I had met him. Back in the dark alley, sleeping next to a dumpster covered in 5th degree burns. He had woken me with such gentleness, offered me a new life. Then, once I had accepted his offer, I met Shigaraki and Toga. More tears streamed down my face as heat surrounded my body. My flames had gotten out of control, surrounding my resting place in blue fire. Backing up against the wall, I heard something cutting through the air and blaze. I recognized it as Erasure's scarf as it shriveled to ashes. That meant the heroes could see my untamed fire from outside, and were most likely searching for a way in. My suspicions were confirmed when a loud banging sound echoed through the tunnel, spiking my anxiety. My ears rang as I thought of going back to hero training with /him/. My fire strengthened as I panicked, sweat dripping down my neck.
Something in the distance broke, clanging on the ground. My mind racing, I stared towards the sound of footsteps approaching. I was unable to actually see anyone through the intense kindle, but I couldn't help but try. Dread built up when I heard a familiar voice, "Erasure, there's no use trying your quirk on him. His flames are too thick to see him! " I flinched, snapping out of my trance. " I know, I know! It was worth a shot though, what else can we do? No one at UA has a water quirk, but even if that weren't the case, I'm not sure water would put this out. " My thoughts spiraled, the blaze strengthening again. I broke out into a coughing fit, unable to breathe fresh air inside the blue confinement. " Well at least we know he's in there now. Progress, right Endeavor? " Erasure mused. Endeavor growled, " Villain, you obviously can't handle inhaling the fumes! " I continued coughing, my vision clouded completely by smoke. A few moments of silence - besides my coughing - and Erasure spoke up again. " Fumes, that's it! " Oh, Midnight!" Endeavor shouted. I gasped, caught off guard by the noise, inhaling more gray smoke that was slowly, but effectively, turning black inside my lungs. Footsteps echoed, fading away. Not sure who left, I stayed against the wall. A small gasp sounded from the other side, before Erasure spoke, " You can't let your flames down, can you? " Against my better judgment, I tried to answer him, but all that came out were pathetic excuses for wheezes. My throat and nostrils burned as I fell into yet another fit of coughing, that soon turned into choking. " Okay, stomp twice if I'm correct. " he said calmly. I did, before falling to the ground, desperate for fresh air that didn't exist. I heard him mutter, " All right. We're going to get you out of there. Villain or not, you're still a person in trouble. " Tears stream down my face as he said this. I hated being in this situation. It's either die from my own quirk, or return to UA with Endeavor and Shoto. At this point, I would rather die.
Everything was black, the air was polluted and smokey. Then, right as I was about to give up my life to my own creation, the air cleared little bits at a time. Something sweet and fruity filled my lungs, and my eyes drifted shut. The last thing I saw was pink dust, before darkness. Then, I open my eyes again. My vision was still blurry from the smoke, but the site before me was unmistakable. Shoto was in his hero costume that I had only seen once in battle, clutching his right side. I could clearly see his marred skin through his missing bit of clothing. Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he stood wobbly in front of me. Seeing his body covered in blood, I froze. He spoke loudly, clearly, " Touya! We were brothers, why did you leave us?! Why did you leave me? " I reached out to him, but he slapped my hand away in a grunt of pain. " I know I look like him! I know I'm heartless, just like him. You don't need to remind me of it! You're just like mom, and worse than dad! " he shouted. I shook my head fiercely as he faded away and I fell to the ground. When I looked up, AFO was in front of me looking down on me. I stared up at him, before he kicked me and the gut. I fell back against a familiar dumpster, and even familiar burning sensation spread across my body. I tried looking up again, but as soon as I moved everything hurt. I cried out, looking down at my hands despite the pain, only to find my burnt teenage body. Thundering footsteps approached, before a hand pulled me to my feet roughly. Punches were thrown towards me that I desperately tried dodging, but my father's fists flew too fast. I met his red glare, before it faded to the brightest golden hazel orbs. I relaxed instantly, before I red feather flew towards me. I ran from the feathers, my burns not yet tended to. Eventually everything faded and I fell back to my knees, my burns replaced with the purple material once more. I shook, on my hands and knees like a kid pretending to be a dog. Hot tears streamed from my eyes.
I shot up immediately, clutching my purple arm to my chest. I was still shaking in my skin, as I met the gazes of a small woman and Erasure. My breath picked up a notch, as I remembered where I was and who I was with. Everything that had happened from the moment AFO found me in the alley replayed in my mind, including the events from later on today. My mind spiraled to scenarios that were both possible and terrifying. A soft hand pressed against my forehead, snapping me back to earth. I growled at the lady who had gotten too close for my comfort, and she gasped softly before chuckling, " Well now, in all my years I've never gotten growled at while doing my job. I think I might like this new program already, Erasure." I stared at him confused. He caught my gaze, " I thought Hawks told you already. You'll be attending UA as a hero course student. It's part of our new villain rehabilitation program. " I brought my knees to my chest. It wasn't a nightmare. I rocked back and forth muttering, " No, no, no, no, no, no, no. This isn't happening, this isn't real. It isn't real, it can't be real! " I looked around frantically as my father's voice filled my brain, " You have to work harder, Touya! You have to surpass All Might!" I shook my head fiercely, " I can't-can't. no, I- I can't. "
The door opened and I heard footsteps approaching quickly. My icy blue orbs shot to the entrance. In front of me was the former hero, All Might. A heavyweight on my chest kept me frozen in place. I was barely able to keep myself grounded, by grasping a sheet below me tightly. Someone reached towards me, anxiety and panic threw me into a frenzy. I tried lifting my hands to smack the other way, but my arms were too heavy to lift. My vision blurred with angry tears, " This is your-your fault. No, my fault, I wasn't strong enough! I wasn't enough, not for him. He got hurt, because I wasn't enough to replace him! " I regained the strength to lift my hands to my head, clawing at my scalp. Fire spread across my arm. Immediately, I worried I would burn myself more. Then I was reminded of Erasure's presence when the flames dissipated. I looked up warily, expecting him to restrain me once more. When he didn't, I mentally thanked him. That thought was broken when he stepped up to me with a needle. I squirmed away from it, not wanting to know what was in it.
He had the upper hand, being a hero. He had the nurse lady and All Might hold me still as the needle was injected into my arm. I struggled until my body felt heavy again, but they didn't let go until my eyelids fluttered, fighting to stay awake. I glared at All Might with tears forming in my eyes, refusing to let them spill as I fell asleep, dreading another nightmare. Faced with darkness, it never came. For what seemed like an eternity, I faced a disturbing nothingness. Time had seemed to slow down as I set crisscrossed in the pitch black. I felt something inside of me snap, as I waited to wake up restlessly. my mind was a place I never wanted to be left alone in. My thoughts are more dangerous than a game of roulette. Still, my current situation could never amount to the treacherous years of my father's idea of training. It was especially better than the heartbreak of hearing Shoto's screams of frustration and pain. Better than seeing his right eye for the first time. Tears poured down my cheeks as I put my hand up to my own right eye, wishing it had been me instead. " Shoto. I'm sorry. " I whispered to the darkness, before being blinded by a glare of sunlight through a window.
My eyes fluttered open slowly. Soon after, sharp pain shot through my arm. I set up and looked down at my arm to find a small bandage. I peeled it off, turning to hide my face in the soft cushion of the couch I had been placed on. I most likely fell asleep while Toga did my hair or something stupid. Kurogiri usually put me on the couch instead of my room, in case I needed something or fell into a random attack. Someone must have noticed my movement, because I felt someone tap my shoulder. (A/N okay, I have a feeling no one actually reads my stories, so if you've made it this far, can you comment a rose and purple heart please? just to make me feel a little bit better. also, there's one hidden emoticon somewhere before this point. it was hidden in the text. First one to comment where and what it is, I will follow! )
I groaned, cursing the sun's existence. A girl's giigle rang out, and I turned to look at her. A small girl in a red dress and blue hair stared back at me, laughing giddily. I narrowed my eyes in confusion, before it all came back to me. She paused, struggling to stay serious, before bursting out laughing again. I glared at her," What's so funny, kid?" She glared back mockingly," You!" I was astounded," I'm not funny, I'm evil!" She shook her head," Are to!" I growled at her playfully,"Am not!" She giggled again," Daddy and Papa told me not to wake you because your bad. Brother told me you were too scary for me, but you're fun!" I attacked her stomach, tickling her until she was on the floor screaming playfully," No I amn't!" She caved," Okay, stop! Stop! You're scary, okay?" I stopped, freeing her momentarily," I win." She yelled," Don't!" as I went to tickle her again. Before I could put two and two together, a door swung open, and I was wrapped in restraints, then thrown against a nearby wall. I heard my shoulder crack as it was dislocated. Screaming out in pain, I fell back to the ground. Erasure approached, lifting me up by the neck roughly. I choked, looking around frantically for an escape. The girl was frozen to the floor, her eyes wide. Erasure seemed to be angry with something, and I feared he would attack the girl, despite them seeming to be related. I tried to speak, " Ru-" I was cut off as a man with blonde hair swept her away while Erasure wasn't looking. He reappeared, walking up to us. "What did you do to Eri?!" I struggled against Erasure's grip. The blonde stepped forward as I was released. He yelled louder as I recognised him as the yelling hero that goes by the name of Prensent Mic," Answer me!!!"
Gasping for breathe, my heart raced. I panicked as someone else entered the room yelling," Dad, Papa! Stop! They were playing!" Everything went silent around me as my thoughts raced. It was just like when I would play with Fuyumi. Father would scream at me. Tears gathered at my eyes as the memories faded. I had been staring at my feet, so when I looked up everyone was watching me. Present Much and Erasure looked scared almost, although I couldn't figure out why. The purple haired boy who had recently appeared looked sad. He moved a step closer, but I couldn't scoot back, as I was already against the wall, trapped. I trembled as he walked over to me, my ears still ringing. He enveloped me into a hug, slowly. Oddly enough, I didn't find my body revolting against the touvpch, but instead leaning into it. I curled against his body, despite being older than him. I looked smaller for my age, and it usually made me feel self-conscious, but at the moment all that mattered was that someone was choosing to hug me. I was afraid I'd never get hugged again.
Pulling away from each other's arms, the boy stood again, holding out his hand. Taking it, I rose onto my wobbly feet. I wiped at my eyes, attempting to gather myself again. "Don't." I looked at him confused, before he continued," You're pushing people away, and ignoring your emotions." I shook my head," They just drag me down. Get in the way of plans." He disagreed," They make you human." I froze, anger suddenly building up," What if I don't want to be human? What if I really am the villain everyone sees me as?!" He glared at me," Don't listen to them, ignore them! I e been there too, you know." I smiled crookedly," No. We're complete opposites. You knew you were a hero. You knew that deep down, you weren't what they called you. I am." Staring blankly, tears pricked at his eyes," Let it out, Dabi. Please?" My false smile faded," No. What if I don't want to? What if I did? What if I started crying and wasn't able to stop?!" Forcing back my tears, I heard gasps from across the room. My head shot towards the heroes. Instead if just Present Mic and Erasure, I saw them joined by All Might, Midnight, Vlad King, and Hawks. My breathing picked up once more. I hadn't realized they had come in. After the two keft, I thought it was just me and the student. I stood in pure shock, all their eyes watched me sadly. Reading their faces, I could see their pity. I lowered myself to the floor, mumbling, " Stop. " The purple haired boy sat in front of me, " What? Stop what? " I stared him in the eye, "The pity! I can't stand it!"

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