My Hero Academia: Unsaved

Chapter 8: Maybe It's Time

"So what?! Life sucks, it's painful! Suck it up!" His words bounced around in my skull. As he stormed out of the room, and that familiar man left too, my eyes started to sting.

It was happening again. My hope was leaving me. Run faster! Run farther!

"You said you wanted to be stronger,"

I do! I do want to be stronger!

I clenched my fist.

Ever since he started to visit, my mind became slightly clearer. Sure, it was still broken. My words never seemed to come out right, and sometimes it took me longer to remember things than it should. But it slowly became slightly easier.

Even still, there was a box of memories that I still refused to touch. There was an aura of darkness around it. Almost as if I even got too close to it, it would consume me, bit by bit, until I was just a shell again.

"You're just gonna let them win?!"

I shut my eyes. It was time. It was now or never. As he left me, taking all of my courage with him, I knew that if I didn't open the box now, I would never be able to.

Tears streaked my face. As I opened the box, nausea overcame me. Each memory a dagger cutting a piece of my soul.

The flickering fluorescent light. The needles. The pain. And two men. Two men.

I forced myself off the bed, immediately collapsing on the ground, my legs not used to the weight.

My whole body shook as I made my way to the door they had left. Please still be there. Please. Hear me out.

I slid the door open, holding the frame for support as I felt like my legs would give out any moment. A relief filled me as I saw them standing there.

Tears poured from my eyes. I don't know if they were from pain, exhaustion or relief.

Get the words out. Say it.

"Two....were two." The words tasted like metal in my mouth. "Two men in that room."

Priority helped bring me back to the bed which I was thankful for, as I felt every ounce of strength leave me.

And so, bit by bit I unwrapped the memories that had been locked within me for so long. I gave as much description of the men as I could, but even then I wasn't sure if it was adequate or accurate.

I know now that the only reason I was able to do it. To open the box. To move forward. Was because he was there showing me how. A personification of everything I lacked. Courage, drive, the will to fight.

I think I forgot what it was like to be moving forward. I had been trapped in glue for so long. Frozen in place and time. But after that day, it truly felt that I was becoming more. Becoming human. Becoming... alive.

The doctor had me start physical therapy as well as speech therapy. I started going on walks, sometimes with Priority or Bakugou, or both, to strengthen my legs, and I was given a bright yellow whistle to strengthen the muscles in my mouth. I was surprised when they both kept visiting me. It made me happy, but I also knew I didn't have anything left for them. No more information. It was just me now.

There was a slight warm breeze as we walked the perimeter of the hospital building. Bakugou had his hands stuffed into his pockets as the silence widened between us.

"I want you to know..." he was the first to breach the distance. "I remembered... the day we met."

He looked down at the ground, as if he was ashamed.

I stared at him. "Is that a bad thing?"

He looked up at me, his fiery red eyes flickering in agitation. "What? No. Of course not!"

I couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

He stopped mid-stride. A deep stare bored into me.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" I looked around in a frenzy. I was always saying stupid stuff since I still couldn't really process things correctly.

"No... it's just..." He paused, as if he was still in shock. "You laughed."

I looked down. I guess I did. I couldn't remember the last time I had truly felt happy. Happy enough to smile, let alone laugh. But in that moment. It just seemed natural.

I lifted my head up with as big of a smile as I could manage. "Guess I got stronger after all!"

He scoffed and then started walking faster along the path. I jogged a little to keep up with him.

"Oh by the way..." I put my hands behind my back as I caught up to him. "Thank you."

He clenched up and tsked. "What the hell for?"

"For remembering."

The words settled between us, and I saw a shadow pass over him.

"You should hate me." His voice was low, and almost impossible to hear over the wind.

I looked at him in confusion. "Hate you? But why?"

There was a distinct clack on the ground as our shoes hit the concrete in each step. "I... I didn't..."

I stopped him. "You noticed." I said flatly. I put my steps in stride with his. "And also... you fought for me. Even if it was only a moment."

I looked up into his eyes, maintaining the smile. "So thanks."

We didn't say much the rest of the afternoon, but I could tell that something in him felt lighter. And I did too.

"Maybe..." The wind kicked up my brown hair, throwing it behind me. "It's time to leave the hospital."