Chapter Text
Kacchan's words ran in Izuku's ears as he climbed the stairs, the burn on his shoulder sending waves and waves of pain smashing over him, each worse than the last.
"Just pray for a Q uirk in your next life, and take a swan-dive off the roof of the building!"
Why did no one ever help? Why did the teachers not intervene? Was he that useless? Was he not worth caring about? Is that why they all despised him? Izuku was plagued by these thoughts as he reached the roof. School was finishing, and the remaining students were streaming out of the building. There had been just enough people so that Izuku could get access to the roof without a teacher noticing. If a teacher found him now, he would probably have detention for two weeks. The roof was out of bounds, and for good reason. Even though there were stairs to the roof, the school board never bothered to install any sort of fence to assist in stopping people from falling off the edge.
Despite all this, Izuku stepped closer to the edge. He could see Kacchan and his goons down by the fountain, where the journal had landed, disturbing the fish. Kacchan had taken the burnt and now drenched journal and was gleefully shredding it into soggy paper strips. The two boys with him were smoking.
In a moment of retaliation, Izuku took out his phone and used the camera to zoom in. Making sure to get a few clear shots of them and the cigarrette packet being shared between two of them, Izuku logged into the school's communications app. Teachers could put up reminders about homework and such, while students could comment on the posts.
I'm sick of it. I'm not leaving them to frolick about as though they are model students. I'm sick of laying down and letting Kacchan walk all over me. If I'm going out, you're going out with me.
Izuku clicked on the 'new post' icon and uploaded the pictures. Within a few seconds, multiple teachers and students had seen it. Surely that was enough to get Kacchan and his goons in trouble for quite a long time.
It wasn't the revenge he wanted. He wanted them to truly understand what he himself had gone through, but this would do. Not only would they get suspended, they would also get in trouble with the police, completely ruining Kacchan's chances at getting into UA.
Turning to his phone once again, Izuku hesitated. He couldn't leave his mother without closer. With a quickly typed 'I love you so much Mom. Please dont forget that', he turned off his phone and watched the scene unfolding beneath him. The boy with the black hair had taken out his phone and was frantic, showing his two companions, terrifying them both. Izuku smiled as he heard Kacchan's enraged yelling, deciding that this was his time to shine.
Sliding his phone into his bag, ignoring the incoming call from his mother, he set the bag down by the edge of the roof. The bullies on the ground had spotted him, yelling threats up at him, before their rage shifted into concern. They knew what has happening, and were powerless to stop it.
Izuku blinked, the movement sending the tears that had built up on his bottom lashes cascading down his cheeks. The boys's yelling was tuned out as Izuku's ears picked up the sounds of the population of his home. Trucks driving along, little children screaming as they ran around, car horns honking admist traffic. The sky was clear, with a plane in the distance. He was going to miss this.
It was strange, really, how much you take for granted up until the moments before death. Izuku took a step forward, standing with only one foot remaining on the roof. The pain in his shoulder only seemed to worsen.
"I just want the pain to stop." He whispered tearfully. "Please, just make it stop."
The ground below him promised an end to it all. A numb oblivion. Izuku desperately wished for a chance to be free. The ground promised that too, and beckoned.
Izuku fell calmly, not a sound escaping his mouth, a stark contrast to the terrified screams from below. He smiled as he met the ground, finally being enveloped in the darkness and silence that he had wished for for so long.
"That's so cool, Kacchan!" Izuku exclaimed. Kacchan smirked. "I know, I'm the best. When you get your Quirk, Izuku, you can help me start my Hero Agency. I'll be Number 1 Hero, of course, but you can be Number 2!" "Yeah! I'll definetly try to be as awesome as you." Izuku grabbed Kacchan's hand as they toddled along.
"What do you think my Quirk will be, Kacchan?" Izuku asked, his anxiety displayed on his freckled face. "Something cool. Not as cool as my one, but nearly as good. Then we can be Heroes together!" Kacchan declared, waving his stick. "You really think so?" "I know so." Kacchan confirmed confidently, marching along the trail, Izuku jogging alongside him as he struggled to keep up.
What was that sound? Are those sirens?
Izuku opened his eyes to see that chaos had errupted across the school yard. There was an ambulance and several police cars. Kacchan and his friends were there, crying, being questioned. What happened to Kacchan? Izuku wondered, walking closer to where the tape marked the scene.
It seemed as though someone had died, going be the amount of blood and the dark expressions of the officers. There was a Pro here too! It must have been important, then. Izuku frowned, the Pro's name on the tip of his tongue. It was the Underground Hero who could erase Quirks. What was his name . . ? Izuku's head felt like it was full of cotton-wool.
Wandering away, Izuku walked over to the ambulance. That's he spotted the bed thing that they used to lift people. There was a woman standing beside it, sobbing loudly. Izuku approached, wishing to give the woman his condolences. Was the victim related to them? "Excuse me--" Izuku started, his voice dying away. Inko sobbed into her hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. A medic offered her sympathetic words and a sit-down. "Mom?" Izuku whispered, extremely confused. "Mom, who died?" He turned to the bed to seek answers.
He was lying on the bed. There wasn't much left of his face, but it was him. His head had caved in. Izuku fought back a retch at the sight.
Izuku swayed on his feet, struggling to stay standing. No. Nonononono-- I'm dead? It can't be, it can't, did I die? B-but how? How am I here but dead?!
Izuku felt a gentle hand on the small of his back, steadying him. "Quite the shock seeing your corpse, isn't it." Izuku whirled around. The guy offered him a mournful smile. "You look like you've seen a ghost." he chuckled. Izuku couldn't speak. Putting an arm around his shoulders, the guy led him away from the body, stopping under a tree, away from all the madness.
Izuku felt as if he was going to have a panic-attack. "What the fuck?!" he asked, repeating the question over and over again to himself, running his hands through his curls. He met the strangers gaze. "Boo-lieve or not kid, but you're dead." He paused before hanging his head and letting out a groan. "I really need to stop with the ghost puns." He grumbled under his breath.
"Dead?" Izuku questioned weakly. "Yep. You're a ghost now, kid. I won't get into an argument on whether or not ghosts exist. You'd lose anyway."
Izuku was silent. "Oh." He mumbled eventually. The stranger smiled at him again. "Don't look so down in the dumps, kid! Being dead ain't so bad. We'll have you in high spirits in no time!" "That was terrible." Izuku stated, unable to stop a smile twitching across his face. "Yeah, it was. What's your name?"
"Midoriya Izuku." "Shio Botan. Nice to meet you, Izuku. How are you feeling after that? It can kinda get to you."
Izuku pondered the question for a moment, still feeling quite rattled. "Dead as a doornail." Smirking, Botan gripped Izuku's shoulder. "I already know we're going to get along."