Strings (BNHA x OC)

25 || Dabi's Past

Puppets P.O.V.

We walked back towards the hideout in relative silence for the first half-hour. Sadly, Kurogiri was on a separate mission with Shigaraki, we couldn't be warped back.

Dabi and I had an... interesting relationship. We'd both saved each other's asses a few times each. We were considered the most "bottled up" members of the League. No one knew either our names nor our backstories, so our conversations were usually us nagging at each other to spill about our pasts. In a way I respected him, he was powerful and secretive, but still trustworthy.

I decided to break the silence, "So, let's talk. What was your childhood like?"

"Shut it. If anything you'd be telling me about yours first."

"Fine. Blood and betrayal." I said giving him as little information as possible, "Your turn."

Dabi let out a 'tsk' before he answered me, "Abuse and pain."

From what I had gathered from earlier conversations between us, Dabi had suffered in the past because of a hero. At some point I asked him about his family but he just walked away from me and I didn't see him for the rest of the day, not even when Kurogiri made dinner.

—Flashback—
"So Dabi, what about your family?" I asked while making a cats cradle with the looped string in my hands, "Everyone had one at some point."

We were both leaning against a wall of the hideout. We were just talking because we were both equally bored, but I'm sure neither one of us wanted to show it.

"I won't talk about that so drop it." He said. His voice wasn't his usual laid back voice, it was more serious. I looked up at him, his head was tilted down and a shadow was cast over his eyes.

"Fine, but you'll have to talk about it eventually." I turned my focus back to the string in my hands.

"No, I won't." He pushed himself off the wall and walked away.

'What's up with him? It was a simple question.' I asked myself, but I shrugged it off as Dabi just being Dabi.
—End of Flashback—

"There anything you wanna talk about while it's just you and me?" Dabi asked me casually.

That got me thinking, was there anything I wanted to talk about with him? Yes, yes there was. "Come to think of it, there is one thing."

Dabi hummed in response.

"Did Shigaraki send you after me, or did you come on your own?" I asked.

"I wouldn't have come, except you needed the help." He said, giving me his answer.

"So it was your choice to come?"

"I always have a choice."

"Oh stop being so entitled."

He put his hands in his pockets and offered me a shrug.

We stayed in silence for the rest of the walk back.

———

We walked into the bar. Kurogiri greeted us from behind the counter with a simple 'Welcome back'.

"When did you two get back?" I asked.

"Recently." Kurogiri answered me as he took an empty glass from in front of Shigaraki who was sitting at the counter of the bar and started to clean it.

"So you did end up going." Shigaraki spoke to Dabi who was beside me.

"Yeah, so?" He asked back monotonously.

"So you listened for once."

Dabi let out a slight growl at the light blue-haired man.

"What was the result of the confrontation?" Kurogiri asked.

"A dead teenager and a burning theater." I answered.

"And?" Shigaraki pushed.

"'And' what?" Dabi lazily shot back.

"What. happened. to. Eraser Head?" Shigaraki demanded.

"We left him nearly unconscious in the building right before we set it aflame." I gave him my response with a blank expression.

"So he's dead." Shigaraki said.

"Most likely. If not he'll definitely be out of commission for a while." I said back.

"Good. You're free, now leave." Shigaraki spoke now a bit more harshly.

Dabi shrugged his shoulders and just turned around and left. Since it was late I just walked upstairs and to my room, sitting down on my bed. I went to sleep shortly after, tonight had been eventful to say the least.