The Downfall Of Us All (Dabi X OC)

Chapter 8

Astra:

It had been a week since I had gone through the series of exams to determine if I possessed a future predicting quirk. Unfortunately, no such power was detected. The doctors had insisted that my mangas be examined as well for any trace of a quirk, but I was adamant that nothing of the sort was present within them. I was clear with them that my mangas were just regular mangas with no power whatsoever. Regardless, the doctors continued to insist that I submit them for testing, which was beginning to frustrate me.

I was laid out comfortably on the couch playing PlayStation. My legs were over Dabi's lap as he watched intently. Something was racking my brain. I wanted to discuss it with him.

"About the League, fucking shit! I fell! Anyways, something has been bothering me. Twice, Magne and Mr. Compress are all supposed to be dead. Kurogiri and Spinner are still to be incarcerated. I won't give you any specifics of what events were supposed to take place, but why do you think things have been changed?"

"You probably disturbed the timeline thread. Now, different threads are branching off, creating different outcomes. But that seems more of a question for Hawks and the no-good heroes." Dabi was getting testy.

He was correct. In any and all works of fiction regarding jumping to different universes, each different timeline thread has its own unique details and occurrences.

To be honest, the Dabi I knew while reading the manga seemed far too ruthless. I expected him to be much more unhinged and unpredictable in his behavior. However, I must say that this Dabi is quite composed and level-headed. He seems to have a much better grip on his emotions, at least in comparison to what I had previously seen from him.

I hummed in response.

An awkward silence filled the atmosphere.
"So, tell me the backstory about yourself?" Dabi requested.

I put down the controller on the coffee table to display my attention to him, "Yeah, sure. Hmm, what do you want to know first?"

"What are your friends like?"
"Lily and Ethan mean everything to me. They have been with me since childhood. They were always there through the darkest of times. I remember this one time when we were exploring an abandoned hospital. I could swear it was haunted. Anyways, Ethan decided to jump out of the shadows to scare us, and I just left Lily in the dust." I laughed.

A smirk appeared on his face, "You just left your friend there to fend for herself?"

"Yeah, you know, survival of the fittest"

"And what about your family?" he continued.
Talking about my family was a sensitive topic, but it was only fair since I knew his.

"I've always felt like an orphan, even though I lived with Lily's family for a long time. They took me in when I was young. They were the closest thing I felt to having a family. My parents died. I miss them deeply. I wish more than anything I could go back in time and prevent their deaths. I feel so powerless and useless, unable to protect the people closest to me. I wish I had a quirk to protect everyone, but I don't even have that. I feel empty, and I don't know how to move forward."

I was a passionate pianist since I was just a child. Practicing every day, studying, and striving to achieve greatness in my musical journey. But before my talent could be shared with the world, tragedy struck. On the night of my big piano recital, I arrived home to find my parents shot to death in a brazen robbery. Heartbroken, I could only imagine how proud they would have been hearing my musical journey being shared with the world. From a young age, I was robbed of the chance to share my music with the people I loved most in the world.

The tears released streaming down my face. I felt Dabi's hand rest on top of mine.
'I must seem so pathetic right now. There is no reason to be crying over this stupid crap.'

"You are far from worthless. If anyone should feel worthless, it should be me." He took his free hand with his thumb to wipe away a tear.

"But you aren't worthless, Dabi. At least not to me. I don't even care if people think you are some monster. You mean more to me than anything and always have. You are like a golden hour. It all glows differently when you're here."

It was silence for a moment. He gazed into my eyes as if he was searching for something. He reached his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear before resting it on my semi-soaked cheek. Before I knew it, he was leaning in. My heart began to do flips and tumbles. I slowly closed my eyes as I could feel his breath on my lips.

"Ayo!" Hawks announced as he strolled into the living area. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked. I saw a good dress, a young, very beautiful slender, light-skinned blonde. She held in her hands what seemed to be a stack of working paper.

"No, not at all," I responded through gritted teeth. "And who is our guest?"

"Oh, that's Sophie Nguyen," Hawks introduced, gesturing toward the assistant. "She's my youngest assistant."
I nodded at Sophie, taking in her presence. She had a kind look to her, and I could sense a sense of calm and confidence about her. Her eyes seemed to take in everything around her, and she seemed to be a good assistant to Hawks.
"Nice to meet you," I said, smiling at her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Sophie replied with a polite smile of her own.

"I heard so much about you from Hawks," Sophie said with a smile. "I would like to go grab a coffee with you sometime."
"Um, sure. That would be nice," I responded, feeling a little shy. I wasn't used to being the focus of attention, and it made me a little uncomfortable. But I was also curious to get to know Sophie better, and it sounded like it could be a fun outing.

"So, kid, I am going to get straight to the point, and let you know that a few times a week you will be going under training with Aizawa."

"Huh, what for?" I bemused.

"Well, it's only ideal that you learn how to protect yourself in case any villains decide to kidnap you." The Hawks shot daggers over at Dabi.

Dabi slightly laughed, "I can assure you that she is well protected under my care."

"Maybe so, but it's still absolute that she learns some self-defense. I trust Aizawa to keep a close eye on her in their future training."
'Well, I guess it would be fun that I get to spend time with one of my favorite protagonists.'

"Training starts Monday, Astra. It will be on the 16th floor at 8 am. Try not to be late. Aizawa does not like to be kept waiting." Hawks informed me.

"Fine. No promises, though," I responded, rolling my eyes at Hawks' insistent proposal. I picked my controller back up, turning my attention back to the game. I was not skeptical that Aizawa would be a good teacher, considering how abrasive and strict he was. I wasn't looking forward to the training sessions, but I knew that I had to do it if I wanted to be of any help to my friends.