Another Kind of Hero

9

It was only a few days till the start of the new school year, and I was in a fog of nervousness.

Sure, I was excited to start my internship with Tsukauchi and go to my dream school, but it was nerve-warckingly close. The anticipation was just short of actually killing me.

I said as much to Shinso, who just said he was more worried about dealing with hero course kids and his dads. Apparently the two hero's got pretty grumpy the first week of term.

I had spent the last few weeks making absolutely certain I was ready for school. Unfortunately, this meant I had nothing left to do but pick my electives for the year. Gen Ed was the only group who had to pick electives and was bitter. I had put it off till last for a reason. It was my least favorite part of school, since they never had classes on topics I was interested in. Still, it was UA, so they were bound to have something cool.

The list was longer than expected, with 14 things to choose from, I scanned it for something interesting.
Band... Creative writing... Advanced quirk history... Ethics- Wait! I doubled back on the list, and quickly marked Advanced quirk history as my number one choice. The other 3 were pretty easy, the same ones I'd taken in middle school. Study hall, Orchestra, and Ethics. I was glad I was able to take something new instead of another year of Vietnamese. I had been fluent since grade six for crying out loud!

. . .

I streatched out on the beach, on top of an old car that had been there since I was a kid. Dagobah beach was always where I came to think an relax when I could. The trash on it may have seemed ugly to anyone else, but it was perfect for me. I used to come here mostly when I'd wanted to cry alone, over things I couldn't or wouldn't bother mom with.

Sora purred as she moved from my lap to my chest, kneading her claws into my faded old Allmight hoodie. We listened to the waves crash against the towers of trash, a sound not dissimilar to a thunderclap. It pounded a soothing rhythm to match my heartbeat. Everything felt perfect, for the first time in a while.

Of course, nothing ever stays perfect in my life.

I froze as the distinctive smell caramel floated towards me and I heard a series popping sounds, life firecrackers. The only problem with having visited this place since I was a kid; He knew exactly where to find me.

"Deku..."

My heart sunk as the reality of the situation set in. Why am I so dumb! Why did I think my luck would hold for the whole summer! Stupid stupid stupid! I looked around, praying for somewhere to hide, and found nothing. My heart was racing and my breath was unsteady. Sora licked my face as I managed to slip her into the broken car before He saw her. I slid off the car and swallowed my fear. My hands shook, so I clenched them into fists. I refused to let him see how afraid of him I was. I couldn't let him win like that.

"Well, well look what I found! Another piece of trash in the heap! You finally figured out your place Deku? Finally given up?"

I tried to glare at him, but he punched me in the face before I could. Blood poured from my newly busted lip and filled my mouth. Sand flew in my mouth as get pushed me too the ground, but all I could taste was the tang of iron.

"G-go away Kachaan." My voice shook even harder than the rest if me. He just grinned down at me.

"Why, its not like you have anything better to do than let me beat you to shit. Why even bother anymore? Its not like anyone will care."

His hands flashed with light, as he punched me again, and again, and again until I vomited and nearly blacked out. He kicked me in the face and I heard my nose break.

Finally I heard him stomp off and I could breathe again.

Staggering to my feet, reached to the car again to retrieve a frightened Sora. I sat down on the sand and closed my eyes, feeling the tickle of her sandpapery tounge as she groomed my bruised face.

"At least he didn't burn me this time..." I muttered as I fell uselessly into sleep.

. . .

Shoto's POV

I steped onto the beach breathing in the cool night air. The old man wasn't home, away for work, so I wanted to visit the beach to clear my thoughts before school started. I wouldn't get another chance. I the air smelled like an odd mixture of salt, mildew and caramel, but its strangeness was comforting and familiar, just like the crashing of the waves. A small white cat with one bluish eye -the other was missing- scampered up to me and wound around my left ankle.

I was reaching down to pet it, when it grabbed the cuff of my jeans and pulled as hard as it could. I pushed it off, and I meowed loudly at me, as if it had something it was trying to show me.

It ran a little ways ahead, then looked back to make sure I was following. We went on like this for a little while until we passed an old, barnacle- crusted car and it scampered into the shadows. No-one was around, so I lit a small fire in my hand so I could see.

There, propped against a wall of trash, was the boy from the store! His hair was the same, but his face... Oh god his face. It was a bloody patchwork of bruises and burns, only interrupted by the occasional patch where the cat had licked at the blood. It was awful to see someone else the way I looked after training. I shook myself out of my stupor. I have to help him, like a real hero.

After checking his pulse and breathing, I lifted him onto my back, stopping for only a moment to put the cat on my shoulders before heading home. I had to help him.

No one should have to hurt like this but me.