Retribution

Like A Copper Rain (Chapter 6)

⚠️WARNING⚠️

This chapter contains depictions of suicide baiting and extreme violence some readers may find triggering or uncomfortable

Read with caution

***

My breath quickens and my palms sweat at the sight.

I quickly duck behind the dumpster, careful to not make any noise. My heart jackhammers in my chest. I'm not sure what they would do to me outside of school. I got incredibly lucky that they don't live in my neighborhood so I wouldn't have to find out. But I'm certain I would if they knew I was following them, even if it was accidental.

"Honestly, dude, Bakugo is getting pretty soft nowadays, isn't he?" Hitoyubi snickers.

At the mention of the blond, I peer around the dumpster corner. All I want to do is get out of there, but I force myself to stay still. I'm not sure what compels me to keep listening despite my fear.

"What do you mean?" Leiko throws his cigarette away and lights another. The still-lit cigarette lays on the dirt, the dim glow quickly extinguished by Leiko's heel grinding into the cigarette butt. Another wave of nausea flips in my stomach.

"I mean, like," Hitoyubi seems to struggle a moment before shrugging. "He used to be so cool, and always put that loser Deku in his place. But recently, it's like he's too scared to even touch him. And he never smokes with us, so we barely hang out anymore."

My muscles tense a little. I'm used to the insults, but thinking of Kacchan as anything but strong and superior is a fatal mistake.

I turn back around to face the street again as I snicker to myself. I'll let them make that mistake around him on their own.

"Well, you know he's trying to keep a good record for UA," Leiko argues.

The other groans. "I knowww, it's literally the only thing he talks about anymore! But he won't even let us have our way with Deku. Like, the worst he does anymore was that little stunt from this afternoon."

I wince at the memory. To them, it was a funny little talk, when in reality, it almost destroyed me.

"I don't know, dude, don't you think that was a little harsh though?"

"That's the point," Hitoyubi insists. "He just doesn't get it. No one wants him here."

My hands go cold, and other noises around me start to disappear. I stay frozen as my hearing laser-focuses on the teen.

"He goes around acting like he's better than everyone, with his grades and perfect, goody-two-shoes attitude," Hitoyubi mocks, raising his voice a pitch.

I feel my teeth grind and my blood boil.

I don't know why I'm reacting this way. Usually, I just tune them out, or focus on something else, like my notebook or hero podcast.

But now, after today, their words just circle in my head, mercilessly ripping open the fragile defenses I put up around my darkest thoughts. They grow louder and louder until they're all I can hear. They fill the hole in my heart, slowly engulfing my soul.

It's not the first time I thought these things, filled with blood and pain, and anger. But heroes don't think things like that, so I've always pushed it down. Always let people walk all over me, let them crush me beneath their boot like a lit cigarette, until I'm reduced to ash. I was so scared of getting in trouble that I doused the fire, let the thoughts die.