Something Different

5: Dwindling Hatred

[1622 words]

"You're kidding me!!" Dabi slammed his hands on the bar counter, along with a PlayStation controller. His cerulean eyes glowered at the screen, which displayed a ranking. At the very top, there was a name—'Izuwu'. "How are you so good at Mario Kart?!"

     Izuku leaned back in his seat and crossed one leg over the other. One could say the expression on his face was smug. "I can play Bowser very well."

     "…"

     "BULLSHIT!" Suddenly, Tomura stormed into the room and kicked over a chair. He looked at Izuku with contempt and slight awe. "You're good when you play Baby Peach, too!"

     "Ehe…"

     "What do you mean, ehe?!" Both Tomura and Dabi yelled at him simultaneously.

     Izuku couldn't help but burst into laughter. But when he stopped laughing, his friends were nowhere to be seen. His smile instantly dropped.

     "Tomura? Dabi?" Izuku blinked in confusion, getting up from his seat. He didn't even notice the fading out of the chair he was sitting on, along with his surroundings.

     Then the world quickly turned into an empty, satirical black. Izuku's breaths became more panicked the longer he glanced around—nothing but an empty space. No… where was he? He didn't like this place. He wanted to leave.

     Izuku kneeled on what seemed to be a floor—like his surroundings, it was just pure darkness. He felt as if he could start falling at any time. Tears trickled down his freckled cheeks—and as they dripped into nothingness, their calm transparency faded into a dark red.

     Like… Like when he died in Jaku City. His blood mixing with the rain, the clear puddles turning murky.

     Izuku's trembling fingers grasped his hair and dug into his scalp, his eyes squeezing shut. His voice stuttered as he whimpered, "Get me out… please…"

     However, even with his plead, the world around him whirled—even with his eyes closed, it didn't make a difference. Bile rose to his throat, nausea hitting him fiercely. All the blood, all the gore that he used to love… Everything made him sick.

     "…ake u…"

     The familiar voice sounded so distant that Izuku nearly missed it. He couldn't even make out the words being said.

     "Wake…"

     Who was…

     "Wake up."

     The abrupt sound of Eraserhead's discrete voice startled Izuku awake. His eyes snapped open, only to wince as the room's light drowned his vision.

     Izuku's body felt numb and sore—he could barely move his fingers. He looked over to Eraserhead and tried to summon his voice, but the only thing he let out was a painful croak.

     "Don't try to speak, kid. You've been out for a while without hydration. I've already told someone to get you some water, so don't worry."

     Was it just Izuku, or did Eraserhead's voice get softer? He spoke to him as though he would run away if he got too loud.

     Izuku cleared his throat and sat up on the bed—which he had just noticed. He ignored the way his bones creaked and his muscles ached. "Y…you don't have… to be nice to me."

     He sounded like a zombie, but whatever. He probably got his point across. Izuku looked at Eraserhead attentively, awaiting his response.

     Eraserhead sighed, "You're a future student at UA and already well-respected among your peers. It's only fair that I treat you with respect."