Killua x Mha

~8~

Killua is usually good at understanding what's going to happen next. But this was strange, the guy with purple scars stopped in front of him while he was sitting at the food court, hours before he was supposed to be there. Izuku could get lost in a hero merch store and Uraraka loves looking at sales and comparing prices so it'd probably be a while until anyone actually got there. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, the man lets out a small, "Thank you." I look him in the eyes and tell him that it was no problem, because one thing his parents did tell him about talking to people, was to look them in the eyes. Granted they said that you should only do that if they earned your respect but whatever. The man seemed even more surprised at this and looks around, "You here alone?" I raise my brow at him and he seems to fully process how his words sounded and looks somewhat embarrassed at himself. "I meant that as a way to ask if I could join you, not as a way to kidnap you I swear!" I start chuckling at him and tell him to sit down, "My friends probably aren't gonna be here for a little while anyway. And it was getting kind of boring." He sighs in what I think is a relief. We sit down and start talking about the basics, our names, hobbies, etcetera. However, after a while, he asks a bit of a controversial question, "How do you feel about the hero society.?" That's a new one, everyone automatically assumes that everyone alive loves heroes and would lick their shoes if it meant they'd protect them. "I don't like it." Those four words seem to light Dabi up, as he asks me why. "It's very corrupt, and the corruption has been there forever, I don't understand how people don't notice it." He looks surprised at that and asks me how I know since everyone else seems to be oblivious to it. "It's not as hard to see if you weren't taught that the hero society is... a place that can do no wrong. I know a lot of people now who truly believe that, and a few who don't. Because, honestly, I don't think anyone really thinks everything is perfect, I think they just tell themselves that because they feel insignificant and unimportant when there are heroes who are looked upon as gods." I stop and look at him and he gestures for me to continue. "The way I see it is that what you do is based entirely on your mindset. Who are you? Are you... a drop in the ocean, insignificant and unimportant, or a gear in a machine, one that has a purpose, without it the machine wouldn't work. And I think people nowadays are leaning too far towards the former. But I also don't think it's entirely their fault. They've been taught that they don't matter, they need heroes to save them when they're in trouble, and they can't defend themselves. I think that one of the biggest problems that stop everyone from seeing the corruptness of the society isn't because they're stupid, but because they were taught they shouldn't look into it." I pause for a moment to collect my thoughts, then I take a breath and continue. "I think the main reason the society is corrupt is that it's based primarily on how strong your quirk is when in reality, that's not all it takes. There are strong people with shit personalities and vice versa. I don't think anyone really understands that though." I stop talking and realize I was rambling. "Sorry if I went on a rant there. It's just something I haven't really talked to anyone about." I hear a small chuckle and then he starts to talk, " I feel like you hit the nail right on the head with that one. There are so many people, even in the underground who can't seem to grasp that concept. I feel like the only reason I can is that I grew up with a corrupt hero. Still, it's strange to have someone agree with me. Honestly, I'm not too sure how to feel about it right now." He stops and seems to retrace his words for a second, noticing he said something about whatever his relation with the underground was. He looks at me, seeming terrified for the first time since we've started talking. I shrug at him, "I won't ask." I understand boundaries and that seems like something he genuinely doesn't want to talk about. He sighs again in relief, "Thanks." I smile at him and notice Izuku and Uraraka walking towards the food court, not seeing me just yet. "Hey, this chat has been lovely but my friends are on their way and you don't seem like the type of person to want to be around a bunch of new people." He slightly smiles and nods at me, standing up. "Well, this chat has been nice, hopefully, we see each other at some other time." I nod at him and he swiftly leaves. Just as Izuku and Uraraka get there, Dabi disappears from view

.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few feet away, Dabi lets out a shaky breath. Thinking about how grateful he is that the kid didn't push about the underground. The boy has been the first person to be nice to him in years and he didn't want to have to kill him.