What Makes a Hero

63

The next day, news came that All for One had lost the battle between him and All Might. Shigaraki threw an (expected) temper tantrum. No one tried to stop the man as he yelled and destroyed everything around him. Izuku eventually had to stop him from completely ruining Twice's warehouse and getting the cops called on him. No one came to Izuku's aid when Shigaraki's anger became directed at him.

In the end, Shigaraki only destroyed a few boxes and Izuku now supported a new handprint around his neck surrounded by a dark bruise. His collar was once again broken beyond repair.

Izuku wished he never taught Shigaraki how to control his quirk. He wished the villain would go too far one day and decay him entirely.

____

The following weeks were uneventful as the group tried to figure out what exactly to do next. Tensions were high, the league was missing their main boss, and everyone but Izuku and Shigaraki split up around the city to keep cops and heroes off their trail.  That meant Izuku was passed around to follow each member for a week before being handed to the next.

That's why Izuku was standing in a dingy alley that reeked of burnt flesh and blood. He stared down at the bodies before him. Those who weren't burnt beyond recognition all held the same look of terror frozen in a silent scream, their throats ripped apart.

"Impressive," Izuku took his eyes away from his victims to look at Dabi. "I thought being stuck with you was going to be a boring week, but looks like you're more useful than you look."

Izuku barely moved as Dabi punched his shoulder. Instead, he opted to look back down at the people he's killed. He hadn't killed innocent civilians since he became Shigaraki's bodyguard and now five innocent people were laid before him. There was also a trail of burnt people that led straight toward them. Sure they were thugs, but low-level ones at most.

"Not many people can handle blue flames as well as you can. Hell, even I burn if I hold my flames too long"

Oh, yea. Izuku thickly swallowed, wincing as the burns in his throat made themselves known. Dabi had forced him to keep pushing his fire quirk until he was able to make and control the same blue flames as him.

"My old man would kill to have you in his hands" Dabi stared at Izuku before giving a small hum. "Or he'd probably kill you."

Izuku wished the flame user would shut up already. He was tired of hearing the guy talk about his shitty family or how he wants to kill everyone.

"What, no snarky comment? Don't tell me you feel bad for these people." Dabi laughed, shoving Izuku hard enough to make the boy stumble and trip over a body.

Izuku couldn't help but grimace as the person's chest cavity crumbled under his foot as he fell. Cursing everything that led him to this point in life, Izuku pushed himself into a sitting position and glared at Dabi. "I'm just thinking about how much I wish I could've helped your dad beat your ass."

"Oh, you think you're funny huh?" Dabi snarled bending down to pull Izuku by his hair and harshly grab his face.

Instead of trying to get away from him, Izuku settled on spitting blood on his face.

Dabi gave him an empty laugh and stood back up. He easily burned the blood away with his quirk before kicking Izuku back to the ground. "I don't know why Shigaraki lets you talk to him the way you do, but I will not let a freak talk back to me."

Izuku stayed on the ground wheezing and holding his side in pain. He flinched when his metal mask landed in front of his face.

"Put your mask back on and let's go. I like you better when I could barely hear you."