A Fallen Hero

A Hero

The night was still and silence reigned over the property of Yuuei. Although the moon was shrouded behind a blanket of clouds the stars still shone despite the veil of obscurity. It was refreshing to Bakugou, who had snuck out for a change in ambiance. The dorms were too chaotic and loud, and he needed the time to process what had transpired since he was rescued from the league of villains. Although he had learnt from an early age to mask his anxieties, it was hard for him to fall back into routine this time around.

The villain Dabi was on his mind. Everywhere he looked he caught a glimpse of him. In the trees, in the shadows, and on every reflective surface, there he was. There was nowhere to hide, the man forever ingrained in his mind.

Ever present was a great disquiet in his heart and those feelings continued to drown him in sorrow. There was the need to reflect, and so he strayed from the paved path onto the grass and rounded a raised garden bed. There he sat along the brick structure taking in the landscape. The greenery was calming, but the wind was harsh and it rustled through his hair. Tilting his head, he looked up at the night sky inhaling all the wonders of the worlds. The night was beautiful and the breeze cleared his mind from all those insecurities. And with a deep inhale, he let his lids fall shut and the fresh air filled his lungs.

The darkness allowed his mind to fall blank and encouraged his muscle to relax. Although the bruises were no longer visible he still held the internal scars that were seared into the fiber of his being. The teen wondered what the years ahead would look like at Yuuei. As he sunk into a trance of peacefulness there was a shift in the atmosphere.

The iciness of the air alarmed him and raised the fuzz along the nape of his neck. A chill surged through his spin, causing all his muscle to become taut. It was a response to a detected presence, but before he could react a hand slithered across his neck. Those crimson eyes grew wide with panic, and just like the night of the test of courage he went stiff.

The menacing voice that plagued his dreams broke through the silence. "Shouldn't leave your throat," the chilled hand traced the grooves along the his neck "so exposed." Dabi squeezed down on his esophagus forcing Bakugou to jerk back into his chest. The man pinched his thumb and forefinger underneath his throat and maneuvered his chin so that their eyes would meet.

Bakugou stared into those artic blue eyes, and observed the fire ignite within them. The chilled touch triggered the memories he was desperate to forget. Memories of those cold hands wrapped around his neck, pinning him still. These memories made his stomach churn, the nausea threatening to bubble over.

Dabi recognized the expression softening his brows. The staples lined along his mouth tugged against his skin, as the ends of his lips pulled upward into a grin. The teen felt the familiar hot and cold sensation like the chemical menthol against his skin. There was no time to spare before Dabi would ignite his flames.

Bakugou propelled his head forward so that his forehead collided with Dabi's chin forcing him to release him and stumble back.

The feral blonde roared and curled his fingers in preparation for an explosion, "how did you get pass the barrier?" For a second Bakugou questioned if this was real? Was this his mind twisting his sense of reality?

"I would advise against that," Dabi warned. There was something in his hand amid the blue flames. It was metal and the man was twirling it around his index. When its rotation slowed it revealed itself to be a collar. "You do remember how that played out last time, don't you?"

Bakugou froze at the sight of the device, and in a moment of remembrance he reached for his neck, imagining the collar along it. Images of that night projected into his mind and he soon became anxious.