My Hero Academia: EMTs

What's a Hero- Do They Make it?

Tori:

The festival was amazing! Giving out autographs, taking in autographs -well, that was mostly Henry as I'm only into a select group of heroes (okay, fine, I got All Might's sig, but you would too)- playing games like cap guns and free throwing at basketball hoops. There were amazing smells everywhere, like different roasts, and the smell of melting sugar for candied apples. Then there were the various tastes like cotton candy and fried chicken- I wanted to stay in that wonderful celebration of our... performance... for the rest of the time.

Mr. Perfect, my brother, consistently scored higher than me in games, but honestly, he didn't care to rub it in; he just pushed me to try harder next time. Besides, I had little Yukari with us for most of the evening, so I was too busy teaching her to play different games and roughhousing with her while Henry ran off to show off to his fans and find his idols.

It's so weird that we celebrate heroes like sports icons. Come to think of it, things have been that way for my entire life. I've only heard about when actors and sports stars were what boys and girls fawned over. I hope this is better.

Heroes being so prominent has made people feel safe and driven most criminals underground—that doesn't mean they're gone, of course, a fact to which I can attest. Still... well, why is all this coming up suddenly?

Because as Dad pulls me and Henry together with him under the shade of a tree and Mom takes Yukari home to rest, he asks me a question I'm not ready for. "Hey, kiddos- both of you sit down. We need to have a serious discussion. Sorry, this one took me a while, but things have been going a thousand miles an hour this week for all of us. Regardless," he waits for Henry and me to settle in before he finally asks, "What do you guys think a hero is?"

"I mean- these days, it's like what that Indonesian movie The Raid was all about, right? Ya know, the one with all those cool guns and maneuvers!? I love that movie. But Heroes are like- police special forces and elite rescue all in one."

"Well- I mean, a lot of heroes have specialties like combat or rescue,"

"Or EMT?" I ask.

"It's rarely a primary profession, EMT," our father clarifies. "But yes, most heroes have at least some first aid training. You and your brother will be specialists. That's the plan anyway. But I'm not asking about hero, the profession, you two," our father corrects, "And Henry- who the heck showed you the Raid at twelve? That movie is rated R15- as in no one under the age of..." But Henry just eyes him with raised eyebrows until Hizashi puts it together. "I... right... hope it's not your favorite... The question stands." Dad sits forward, "A hero is also a term or an ideal of sorts. I suspect you, Henry, held onto your heroic dream through horrors that would have left some men bereft of their reason. So tell me, what makes you want to be heroes?"

"Um, no one has asked me what I want to be, hero or not," I interject. Hizashi freezes, and I look away. Crap, I just stepped in it.

"I... oh shoot. I didn't ask, did I? I just assumed... I'm very sorry. That's not right," Hizashi shakes his head. "Well, let's start again- what do you want to be?" he asks me.

"A doctor," I say. "Or something close. EMT should be perfect." Both males are now looking at me, and I feel uncomfortable until Henry waves for me to go on. "What does being a doctor mean to me?" Hizashi nods. "Well... it means helping people see tomorrow. I'm only interested in fighting as much as I need to protect my patients. Still, I really want to say to death... not today. Not this one... This father is going home. This mother will be there when her daughter is old enough to remember her." I bite my lip and nod. "I guess it's kinda personal, but... I want to give people more time."

Hizashis touches my shoulder, "I've never heard a better reason. You keep that in your mind. Hold that purpose in front of you- never forget it, okay? Fight to give someone that extra time."