What Makes A Hero

8

        Izuku fought desperately against the slime monster's grip despite a voice inside screaming at him that this wasn't right. Why wasn't it? He wanted to live. He had to live. He was going to become a hero, after all; he had someone who believed in him!  Who...?

        With a close mouthed scream, Izuku succeeded in pulling himself up enough to gasp out another breath of air allowing him to continue his struggle. The slime wriggled and writhed against his skin attempting to suck him down again, but he would not go. He could do this. He had to. He was going to live. He...

Brillant flames danced in his vision just behind his eyes as a tiny barely there smile slipped into place on a familiar face and then disappeared, all the same, fondness echoed in his voice as he spoke, "I rather think I'll call you Friday Child, you care far too much more than is good for you sometimes; don't worry about me."

         Izuku almost faltered at the sudden shift, but he didn't back down and took up his fight just as quickly as the sudden image disappeared, once more his mind, sight, throat filling with the gooey slime.

        "Remember, they won't care you aren't ready, so you can't either- fight with everything you have: and that means use those brains of yours too!"

        A flash of clarity followed the words again, but this time he was ready for it. Izuku (Izumi) used the wall beside him and shoved, the momentum it granted him pulled him nearly free from the slime monster's grasp, but escaping wasn't enough. Izuku was strong. He was smart. And he could and, more importantly, he would stand up for himself.

Glaring red eyes so different from the comforting red that reminded him of flaming hair stared him down this time causing him to falter as he stumbled up from the ground.

      "That wasn't very nice Kacchan! You shouldn't use your quirk to scare or hurt others!" The words had left him before they had formed despite not fitting any context other than his old childhood friend's general existence.

"What would you know you useless Deku, you don't even have one!"

"Still!"

He recognized his own voice, squeakily raised in a fit of hopeless defiance that only happened around one person. Sharp, ashy hair and an uncomfortable heat, five fingers shoving his head down harshly despite his resistance, pressing down on him like the world on Atlas's shoulders. An all too familiar sense of futility washed over him.

But he would not give up.

His hands scooped at the slime that still cling to him, and his chin pressed it down from above and as he slid over the side of the pathway from his momentum he dragged the slime monster with him as it moved its lower part to stay attached and continue its assault. Together they fell over the edge into the mucky, gutter water.

Cl-lang- ang!

With a resonating crash the sewer drain separated and shot upward, crashing into the ceiling.

"I am here!"

But he wasn't.

All Might stood posing valiantly as Izuku continued to fight for breath. To fight for the right to live. The water made it difficult for the slime creature to pull together and soon they both fought desperately against its raging currents. All Might dressed brightly as ever, but his face hidden by shadow, somehow was always there, just in the corner of his sight,  as they struggled on the ground, standing over the scuffle proudly, heroically. Above it all. Quiet laughter filled the air around the three of them. The hero, the villain, and... and what was he?