Neon Gravestones

Take the high road

He wonders if he'll ever make headlines or if he'll get any coverage at all; like, "Quirkless kid swan dives off building", "Quirkless kid bullied into suicide", "Quirkless kid found dead last week" or anything of the sort. He probably won't get any, but it was worth a shot even if it was only wishful thinking. Maybe he could just exist for once. He wonders if anyone would miss him. Other than his mum, there was no one. She'll get over it.

    He stepped towards the edge of the roof, slowly taking off his favourite pair of red shoes and tucking a small slip of folded paper underneath. It was such an ironic way to die. He wanted to laugh at himself for that. Guess he deserves it; following down the footsteps of his deceased classmate with the same method, plunging off a roof. A gust of cold wind rushed past, making him shiver. He cursed as he saw the fragile piece of paper underneath his shoe flutter away—guess he didn't think it through very much. Sighing he straightened his jacket before leaning over the ledge, closing his eyes. The only thing keeping him from falling was his weak grip on the icy cold railing. A strange sense of relief washed over him. It was ok. It'll be over soon.

A voice jolted him out of his daze making him whip his head around. "Kid, you're not actually gonna jump are you?"

    It was a man, in his early twenties at most. Izuku couldn't tell, the purple scars probably making him seem older that he really is.

    "Why? It's not like you know me or anything." He scoffed and redirected the conversation "Why are you here anyways, isn't this place supposed to be abandoned?"

    "I live here. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't call any of the authorities here with your corpse. They'll stick around the place like flies around shit."

    "What are you? A wanted man? A vigilante? A villain?" The scarred man sighed and looked at Izuku, exasperated.

    "Kinda? But I really doubt that it's any of your business kid." The man looked bored as he trudged over to where Izuku was standing. He sat himself down on the ledge. "Also, you gotta give me something better to call you than 'kid' right?"

"Why? Again, I don't even know you. Didn't your mum ever teach you about stranger danger or anything? 'Cause mine sure did."

"...Didn't have one."

"A dad?"

He stayed silent; Izuku didn't press on.

"Y'know you still haven't told me your name."

"Izuku."

"No family name?"

This time Izuku was the one who didn't answer.

"I told you mine now how about yours?"

"Fine, if you want it that way. I'm Dabi."

Izuku let out a dry laugh. "Hah! What kind of name is that?"

"Mine, thank you very much." Dabi squinted at The latter, clearly offended.

"Woah calm down there, don't take it personally. My nickname wasn't much better." Izuku snorted. "Back there, they called me 'Deku' which means useless or something. The meanings get thrown around along the way."

"...but it's not like it wasn't true." Dabi raised his eyebrows at the boy as he murmured those last few words. He'd had his fair share of being called useless and getting beaten up anyways.

"Why's that?"

"It's 'cause I'm quirkless. Duh."

"What the hell is wrong with that?" The boy looked at him like he was stupid—he's not stupid.