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Shouta stood still and looked around from on top of a roof. He used all his senses, well maybe not taste, but all the others to notice any villains or people in need. He was more alarmed than usual, there hadn’t happened much yet. A quiet night was very unusual and therefore it spooked him. He was about to leave the roof and jump over to the next one when he saw someone in his side view. Someone standing in a place they shouldn't. On a balcony railing. High up.
He changed his direction fast and leaped for the boy using his capture weapon to fly through the air to get closer to save the kid. He jumped on top of the balcony beside the one the kid was on and wrapped the boy in his capture weapon to make sure he didn't fall from either shock or jumping. He jumped from the balcony and onto the railing the kid previously stood on.
He had set the kid down on the floor on the balcony and was ready for the kid to get mad at him for stopping the, probably, attempt, that was his reaction when the same- not now.
He unwrapped the kid and got ready for him to get angry- or have any other reaction, and crouched down to seem less superior from on top of the railing he was on. The reason was on the railing instead of the floor was that this neighborhood was poor and didn't have big balconies, so only one person fit on there. The kid which Shouta could finally see clearly had green eyes and hair, and freckles. His nose is a bit red and sore and the same with his cheeks. The kid, unwrapped, looked confused when sitting until he looked at him. After they got eye contact the kid looked away immediately, wiped his nose, and stood up.
The small boy, that Shouta guessed was maybe ten, opened his mouth, but closed it before saying anything. Shouta thought he should speak up then but got cut off before he could formulate a sentence.
"I'm so sorry, I'll go back inside. Hope you have a good night Eraserhead." Wait what, the kid knew who he was? That's new. He was an underground hero and a new one at that. Only a few years in, though some people don't even make it this far, like Obor- no, not now. The kid turned around to the door and put his hand on the handle.
"It's okay." Shouta said. He understood that this kid must've gone through something really terrible to attempt suicide at such a young age and a 'it's okay' would either mean nothing or everything to the kid. He hoped for the latter as that could make the kid trust him easier and therefore helping him easier. "It's okay, I'm here for you alright? You can talk to me, I'll listen." He could see the kid trembling. His words meant something to the kid then.
The boy let go of the door handle and sniffled. He tried to hold it together but sniffled again and had to wipe a bit of snot clogging his nose. He kept his body and head stil, turned towards the door in an attempt to hide from the hero. It was useless as it was a glass door, and Shouta had gotten used to the dark a long time ago and could see his face. Could see that the next words leaving his mouth was a lie. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. Just liked the view."
"The view of another building in front?... Or the view of the ground far down?" Shouta asked blunt, but softly, he was talking to a kid after all. Shouta knew the answer and so did the kid. The boy knew the hero wasn't fooled and gave up the act. He cried but managed to speak.
"Please, leave me alone, and save someone valuable instead. From a villain attack or something." Izuku said then opened the door and walked in. Shouta followed and stood in the entrance with the door still open.
"I'm already saving someone valuable. And I'm not leaving before he's saved." Shouta said. The kid's knees weakened, and he fell forward. Shouta noticed and caught him before falling to the ground. Shouta sat down on the floor, and the kid sat down in his lap. He sniffled into Shouta's costume leaving a few wet spots there.
"No, I- I'm not. I'm worthless." He mumbled. "I'm a waste of space, food, water. Just a useless Deku, so go save someone important, please." Izuku said, a bit louder.
"That's not true, You-" Shouta began, but got cut off by the kid.
"I am what? valuable, important? My life has no purpose. How would you even know that? You don't even know me! Not even my name." Izuku said, his eyes tearing up.
"Then, what's your name, kid?" Shouta asked softly, showing he cared and waned to get to know the little boy.
"Uhm, Izuku Midoriya."
"Midoriya huh, you can call me Aizawa." Shouta said and noted the name down in his mind.
Izuku looked up at Shouta then a bit to the side of his head. Izuku's eyes widened in fear and Shouta turned his head to see what it was.
A clock. It was just a clock. He turned his head back and looked at the scrawny boy.
"Oh! the time, dad's coming… cou-could you go? My dad's coming in a few minutes so..."
"If you promise me one thing." Shouta said and clearly intruiged the nervous boy.
"What?" He asked.
"That you're still alive at the same time tomorrow, wait one hour earlier." He corrected himself so that they would get more time for talk tomorrow than today. "I'll come and check, so meet me on the balcony. On the floor, not railing. Got it?"
The hero analyzed the kid's expressions. What the kid answered wasn't too important, but what his eyes said. His eyes lit up, a little sparkle in them. Alright, the kid wouldn't do anything. His job was done for today. He left and waited for the next night. Next time seeing Izuku.
He noticed a lot about the boy. Both about his physical and mental health. Both were awful. The kid looked scrawny, sure it was normal for children to be thin, but that thin? No. His mental health was obviously not great. There was a lot to take care of, but Shouta would do it. He would do it even though this wasn't his usual work, because this was just as important as taking down villains.
The next day came and went on as usual. Lots of naps and two of his prior classmates bugging him as usual, then the night came, and Shouta jumped across roofs to get there and finally when he got there hopped on top the balcony. Izuku wasn't there. He checked the time, he was there two minutes early, so he waited a bit. The two minutes passed and there was still no green-haired boy in sight. He waited a bit more, maybe the kid wasn't punctual. Five minutes passed and something was wrong. Five minutes usually wouldn't be a lot but this gut wrenching feeling he had yesterday came back, and worse.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. And out. He opened his eyes. No Izuku. The door was locked. Think, think, think, c'mon, think! He kicked the door, again, and again. And again. He picked up the speed as he was afraid there wasn't much time left. The door creaked. More and more, and more. Until the door opened with a bang.
He searched for the kid. Green. He searched for green. There was no one in the living room where the balcony door opened to. Next, he checked the bathroom and there he was.
Laying on the floor in a pool of blood was Izuku Midoriya. Beside him was a, bloodied, notebook. There was a written letter there, but he didn’t read it. He was only interested in reading the kid's pulse. He checked his neck for pulse fast, moved his fingers a bit. He felt tears ready to fall but then, the kid had pulse. There was a pulse! Then he checked his breathing, which was also there, weak but he was breathing! Izuku was still alive. He still had some time left.
He called the ambulance for back up and bandaged up the arm that was cut deeply, both newly and in the past. There were many many cuts, 36 from tonight to be exact and who knows how many old ones.
When the kid was bandadged up, Shouta checked his pulse and breathing.
His chest didn't go up and down. No heartbeats. No air escaping or entering his nose or mouth. In a few seconds, not much air left or came through Shouta's nose either as it clogged. Warm tears ran down his cheeks and he sobbed. He started CPR. He wouldn't give up on this boy. This wasn't the kid's time, Shouta didn't accept that this was the fate of Izuku. He wasn't sure why he cared so much about him. He had only met the kid yesterday, but he did..
The ambulance came and they declared him dead. Shouta knew that already; he was a hero. It wasn't the first time seeing a dead body, checking if they're actually dead. No, he'd done it before, but this was just a ten-year-old. It felt wrong that such a young kid would take his own life. After the ambulance took the kid, he was left alone to take care of the rest. File reports and all. He looked at the notebook, at the letter inside.
Dear Aizawa
I hope I didn't disappoint you too much when I wasn't at the balcony today and I hope wish I didn't ruin your night, but I know I did so I'm sorry. I really am, but you were wrong. I am worthless. I have nothing to contribute with in this world. I only take up space and waste food that others could've eaten. That's all I do. Even now that I am dead, I bet I gave you tons of work. So, I'm sorry, but it's better that my life ended now than later, so that I don't use any more resources others could have used instead of me.
I mean the greatest tradgedy in life isn't really death but a life without a purpose anyways. Which describes my life perfectly, purposeless, so it's better this way. And since it's better this way, you should just forget about me, like everyone else will. It'll be best for you to not dwell on this, so just burn the note and forget about me.
Sorry for breaking the promise.
Good bye, Aizawa
Sincerely, Izuku