Licensed Villains

Visit

[A/N: Little bit of a Content Warning for manipulation, dependency on drugs and alcohol and hinting at abuse. All of this is in reference to the commission's treatment of kids like Hawks but if you don't want to read that, feel free to skip the chapter. Leave a comment if you did skip, and I'll explain all that happened in the replies. Thanks!]

"Watch where you're going!"

Dabi snarled as a pedestrian barked at him for 'brushing' shoulders with him. He continued walking past the person, only flipping them the bird in acknowledgment. People could be so annoying at this time of day. Everyone was hangry for lunch and it was ticking him off. It didn't help that the whole city seemed to be abuzz from Revite's newest article. 

The night before, Izuku had gotten home and went straight to Dabi and his shared room without much more than a hello to him and Hawks. He'd known there was something important he'd wanted to do from their facetime earlier but it didn't dampen his want to talk to him about the day. It was stupid, wanting to do such a thing. He was hoping maybe Izuku had found some information that could help then take down Endeavor. Apparently not. 

An hour or two after Izuku had gotten home and Hawks had left, Dabi received a notification on his phone, saying Revite had posted another article. He'd expected the boy to exit the room then, bright and proud grin on his face like every other time he posts an article. When a few minutes past and that still hadn't happened, Dabi had gotten up and went to check on him only to find the kid sitting on the floor with his computer on his lap and hands clenched into tight balls. 

He'd sat down next to him and the moment he tried to open his mouth and say something, Izuku had collapsed into him, arms wrapping around his waist and holding him close. Dabi had stiffened, the hug catching him off guard. They'd stayed like that for a few minutes, Dabi slowing easing into the embrace before they broke apart and Izuku murmured a thank you. That had been all and the boy had headed off to bed without another word. 

When Dabi checked what the article he posted was about, he understood more why Izuku needed that bit of awkward comfort. 

That's how he ended up here now, walking towards some ex-heroes apartment in attempt to cheer up the kid. He knew Izuku had been meaning to look into the commissions hero project lately but was too busy and figured interrogating one of the commissions guinea pigs would be appreciated. 

Fuck. Disgusting soft shit. He is not soft. It's just important that Izuku feels better so they can get back to destroying Endeavor. 

He'd get to this ladies apartment a whole lot faster though if people weren't crowding the streets. The protests from Revite's article were good and all, but fuck, some people have places to be. There were so many crowds hanging outsides buildings with their signs for or against quirkless people raised high. Dabi was getting a headache between the constant yelling of 'Revite is right!' and 'They are not equals!'.  He doesn't remember there being this much controversy over Revite since when he first made an appearance, tarnishing Shudder's name. 

Idly, he wonders how Izuku felt the day after that first article. There had been so many debates over the media and a lot of hate shoved in Revite's direction. It's hard to imagine being a kid and seeing people get so worked up over him. Back then, Revite didn't have anyone to understand him. No one knew Izuku was the boy writing articles. Who did Izuku hug when his articles hit too close to home back then?

Dabi shook his head, clearing his thoughts as he arrived at the building he was looking for. He stepped through the entrance doors into a small mail room. He glanced around and made note of the cigarette butts on the floor and questionable stains across the walls. How welcoming, he thought and moved towards the panel on the wall lined with buttons and room numbers.