Chapter Text
Dumbwaiter, Lift, Trolley, Aerial Tramway, Passenger Elevator, Freight Elevator, and Elevator; All things people call those devil machines, spawns of satan, death boxes? Ah, all names fit the bill.
Izuku just wanted to see the new… he doesn't even remember what he wanted to see! All he does remember is getting up, watching random youtube videos, getting in the shower, and… and…-fuck it!
But somehow, he ended up in an elevator with a teen who has uncanny half white, and half red hair. Izuku didn't even acknowledge the guy until the elevator just decided to say, ‘Hey, I know you want to get home but I simply can’t allow that!’ and screwed him over by stopping.
It’s so damn stupid. Unprofessional. Unethical. Unfriendly. Untruthful. Unexceptional. He can’t just-
‘Take a deep breath, Izuku. You’re here alone, that’s good right-’
“Hello.”
Izuku freezes and turns to the teen, “Great,” He sighs, “I’m stuck on an elevator with a complete stranger.”
“You don’t seem too happy.”
Izuku deadpans, “Of course not. I want to go home and sleep in my big comfy bed and wake up to make some oh-so-good ramen. But apparently-” Izuku waves his hands, gesturing to the elevator, “The universe has other plans.”
“Apparently.”
“Apparently.”
“Seemingly.”
“Evidently.”
“Clearly.”
“Openly.”
“I can’t think of any more words. I’ve lost.” Izuku looks at him questioningly, “Lost what?” Peppermint sighs as he sits on the elevator floor, “The game.”
“We were playing a game?”
“I suppose,” His eyes trail Izuku as the greenette sits across from him. “I’m bored.”
Izuku snorts, “We’ve only been here thirty seconds.” Peppermint nods, “I know.” Izuku doesn’t even respond, he just stares .
Peppermint does the same.
Izuku concludes that Peppermint must be doing it because he’s doing it. Which is true, and says a lot about the guy. He lacks social awareness. Many note Izuku with that exact thing but to be honest, Izuku just doesn’t care about such things.
“My eyes hurt.” Izuku blinks, “Of course they do. You’ve been looking at me without closing them once.” Peppermint nods, “Oh. That makes sense.” Izuku nods, “Yes it does.” He notes that Peppermint still hasn't blinked, “Do they still hurt?”
He nods, “Yes. But I don’t want to lose the game again.”
Izuku hums, “Game?”
“Yes. Fuyumi calls this the Staring Contest. She’s really good at it, and I want to beat her so this is practice.”
“Why do you want to be her? This game is, in the end, pointless.” He blows a gust of wind with his mouth, making Peppermint blink. Peppermint sulks as he rubs his eyes. “Because… I have to be the best… for mother.”
Izuku nods, “Is she dead?”
Peppermint shakes his head, “No, she isn’t.” He sighs, “But I’m not going to share my life story. Sorry,” Izuku hums in acknowledgment. “Well, if you’re not gonna do that then...what are we going to do to pass time?”
Peppermint shrugs, “I don’t know… I don’t have any ideas.”
The greenette sighs, “Ok then…what other games do you and your sister play?” Peppermint rubs his chin thoughtfully, “Well… she introduced me to this one game. But I never got how to play it.”
“What’s it called?”
“It was named after a number…”
“Oh, you mean-”
---
“Uno!”
“No, you can’t call ‘Uno’ when you have three cards left, Peppermint!”
“But that doesn’t make any sense.”
“But it does! I’m telling you this every round and you still don’t get it??”
He shakes his head, “No. I don’t.”
Izuku sighs and tosses his cards in the air, “Fuck it. You win.” Peppermint actually smiles a bit “I can’t wait to tell Fuyumi. Maybe next time, I’ll beat her.” Izuku grumbles, “Good luck, mate.”
Peppermint gathers the cards and begins putting them into a pile, “No, I won’t need it.” Izuku deadpans, “Trust me. You will.” Peppermint also restores his normally deadpan expression, “No. I’ve beaten you six times now. I think I got it.”
“But you don’t. I let you win, Peppermint.”
His nose scrunches, “You just don’t want to admit defeat. It’s okay I understand. Natsuo does the same thing when he plays.”
Izuku rolls his eyes, “‘Admit Defeat’? You literally suck at this game. You don’t even understand the rules.”
“I do now, thanks to you.”
“No, you don’t. You’re not supposed to put a draw two card over a normal two card (When it’s a totally different color), or draw four after I put out a normal four. You don’t get the game, I don’t want you to embarrass yourself.”
“I don’t need your concern. I’ve learned enough.”
“But you didn’t.”
“But I did.”
“But you didn’t.”
“But I-” His stomach growls, he flushes red, “Oh.”
“I suppose I won the game this time?” Peppermint pouts, “I suppose so.”
---
“What’s your quirk?”
Izuku stops eating his rice ball and looks up at the teen. “I call it ‘Murphy’s Law’. What’s yours?” The adult watches as the teen's eyes quickly flash a few emotions, he only figures out one, which showed resignation. “Half-Cold, Half-Hot. I can produce fire with my left side and ice with my right.”
Izuku continues to eat, “Okay.”
“Okay? You’re not gonna say like, how strong it is or how great a hero I’d be?” Izuku shakes his head as he takes another bite and soon swallows, “No, I’m not. Just because your quirk is essentially ‘strong’ or whatever, doesn’t mean you are destined to be a hero.” Peppermint’s eyes widen, “Sure, you can have super strength, telekinesis, super speed, and even mind control, but that doesn’t mean you have to use those powers for...hero things.”
“What else would I use them for?”
Izuku sighs, “Let me rephrase that. Ok, say you were born with Super Strength, like All Might.” ‘Supposedly.’ Peppermint nods, “The most common thing people think you should do is be a hero because you have a quirk that’s good for heroics, correct?”
He nods again, but slowly. “But you don’t have to do that.”
His mouth widens as if he’s just realized something big. What Izuku said is true, though. It should be common sense. “You can do many other things like spot people in gyms for a living, lift logs for woodwork, you can even be a fruit picker; shaking trees instead of having people climb up and pick them their selves- so many other things and people mainly focus on heroics.”
Izuku closes his eyes, letting his head thump against the elevator wall. They were still there and Izuku’s quirk summoned Uno cards for them to play. Peppermint was luckily carrying a bag of rice balls.
“It sucks that you have to do something big like saving lives to make a living in today's society. People even went as far as doing quirk marriages just for their child or even selfishly, themselves to have some income and such in their lives.
“People also quirk discriminate against people with a ‘weak’ or ‘ villainous’ ones. Even worse for people who are so-called ‘diagnosed’ quirkless.” He sighs, “People who lack quirks have the highest suicide rates. Then, it’s people who were claimed to have a villainous quirk, after that it’s people who were claimed to possess a weak quirk.”
Izuku straightens himself looking in the teens’ eyes, “But let’s not forget people who have strong quirks like yours.” His expression fills with intensity, he continues, “Many people who have strong quirks are filled with pressure from people wanting them to become a ‘great’ hero. I don’t think many people who are in the top 20 are fucking mentally stable.
“People make it look as if being a hero is an easy job but no… you are at risk 24/7. While you sleep, eat, train. People will always be out to get you. You’re a living target.”
Izuku shakes his head and leans back once again, “Point is, you don’t have to be the hero everyone wants you to be. In fact, you don’t have to be a hero at all, but just know.” A brief moment of silence,
“You need to take your mental health as your first priority. That’s a rule many forget. It’s also the first.”
---
Soon after, the elevators were working again, the teen and adult split ways after that. The teen watched as the greenette walked in the opposite direction from him with his hands shoved in his pockets.
“Rule number two and three? Well, that’d have to be taking care of your physical health, then make sure to have days you can relax. You see All Might jumping all around Japan, day in day out. That’s why, one day, he’s gonna tire. Then it's gonna be this generation to take responsibility and step up.
“But that doesn’t mean what All Might is doing is okay. Like I said, one day he is gonna tire. Then, people will probably feel uneasy, crime rates will go up, and such. While… I guess putting hope into today’s heroes is great, people don’t feel the need to learn to protect themselves until after they get mugged, hurt or even severely injured.”
Izuku shrugs, “Though, the fact that they think they don’t need to at least learn the basics of martial arts and such, sucks. And if they easily get robbed because of that, it’s damn near their fault, I believe. People rely on today’s heroes too much. And one day...that’s going to change.”
The teen, also known as Peppermint, who is also known as Todoroki Shoto, has had a change in his view of society.
(
“Here, take my number.” Shoto numbly got his phone from his pocket as they were walking out the doors, “Even though… nine times out of ten, I won’t answer, call me when you’re in trouble. Or better yet,” He typed in another set of numbers, “Call this guy.” Shoto takes his phone back as it was handed to him.
“Just say, ‘Izuku told me to call you in case it’s an emergency.’ After that, just try to stay calm or whatever and he’ll help. He has black hair and wears a scarf. You want someone to help you… call Caterpillar. Tell him I said Hi as well.”
Izuku puts his hand in his pockets as he spins on his hill and begins walking away, ‘Damn, I’m tired. I don’t feel like cooking so I’ll ask Daddy Issues if he’s cooked anything.’
‘Lazy ass.’
‘Shut up.’)