BNHA || white lie

18

"They don't hold funerals for villains," you tell Midoriya, after everything has been said and almost unwillingly admitted. "There's no need. To most, turning to evil is death in and of itself, and villainy is their funeral."

---------

"I believe that no one is born evil," you say. Midoriya is quiet beside you, preferring only to listen. "And I also believe that no one is evil, either. Everyone has their own sense of justice, no matter how warped the intentions may be."

"So you believe that villains are not born, but created."

The two of you simply walk together, enjoying the unusually cool air of the morning.

"I don't believe that there are villains at all, Midoriya. At least, not in people."

---------

"You're strangely optimistic, [L/Name]. You really believe in others."

You laugh, softly. "Do you think so?"

He smiles at your laugh. "I do. Which is why I'm confused, about why you dislike heroes so much. Is it because you don't believe in villains, so you think heroes are useless?"

Your eyes widen slightly, in both interest and mild surprise.

"Oh, no. I don't think heroes are useless at all--at least, not the concept of them. Modern-day heroes, unfortunately, don't live up to that expectation, I think. True heroes are rare and very difficult to find."

"True heroes?" asks Midoriya, eyes big and shining with childish curiosity. You nod. "What makes a true hero?"

"Someone who understands who the real villains are," you respond. "Someone who knows that the worst villains live inside of us. They are not us. And that's what makes the fight so difficult."

All is quiet, for a moment, and your mind is just beginning to drift off into the rhythm of your steps when your curly-haired companion speaks again.

"Have you found a true hero yet?"

You smile wistfully. "No. Not yet. But, Midoriya, I always had a feeling that you could change that."

This time, the silence stays long enough for you to drift into a haze of scattered thoughts, of memories both good and bad, of times when everything wasn't so complicated and clouded and when you were still young.

---------

"An iced hazelnut macchiato, please," you tell Katie. You turn to the shy green-haired boy standing slightly behind you. "Midoriya, how about you?"

"O-oh, I didn't bring my wallet. . ." he stammers out, surprised. "Sorry--"

"An iced black tea, then," you interrupt, taking out your wallet. You hand your card to Katie after she tells you your total, and find she is grinning at you teasingly. "What?"

"You got a date with a UA kid!" she squeals, swiping your card and waiting for the receipt to print out. "I thought you hated them too! Oh, but just a quick word of advice--sorry, honey, but Dunkin' Donuts is not a good place for a date."

You snatch your card away from her hand. "Good thing then, 'cause we're not on a date." You march away with a huff. Katie sends Midoriya a sly wink, and he bows quickly, flushing red, before hurrying after you and joining you at a small at a small table near the counter.

You rest your chin in your hand, tapping the plastic table rhythmically. Midoriya looks up at you shyly.

"Um, [L/Name]. . .I was wondering, um, your brother is a vigilante, right?"

You inhale sharply.

Your brother. Did a day pass where you did not think of him?

"Yes, he is. Where did you hear that?"

"I-it was on the article I showed you earlier! I'm really sorry! That was insensitive of me, really, sorry--"

"He's in jail, in Japan," you say easily. He flinches.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"

"It's fine, Midoriya," you reassure him, sighing. Your eyes droop. "My mother was much more upset about it than me, and it was bound to happen, anyways. Vigilantes aren't taken lightly in Japan, after all."

You let your eyes drift shut.

"Though it wasn't his arrest that hurt my mother the most."

"Order number 53, your drinks are ready!"

---------

"What do you think heroes are supposed to do, Midoriya?" you ask him, sipping your sweetened coffee. He responds without missing a beat.

"Keep the people safe by fighting villains, of course."

You hum. "See, that's where our beliefs differ."

He listens closely.

"Well, you're not wrong; heroes are meant to fight villains, but not in the way you think. Heroes are heroes because they encourage and inspire. They arrest villains, they protect society, they save lives, but what is more important is that they touch the hearts of the people. Through acts of bravery or through acts of kindness, they fight the most important battle: preventing the birth of villains," you begin, and take another long, languid sip, relishing in the cold drink.

"A hero's purpose is not to fight villains themselves, but what causes the creation of them. Poverty, abuse, neglect, it is up to us to stand up to them, and stop them from harming the people. Those and the suffering they cause are the true villains. Heroes are here to show the world that there is good, and that we must do what we can to preserve it.

"But. . .there is always someone who slips through. Someone so lost in this poor excuse for a free society that they decide they have to fix it, but not in the way of the heroes, who have failed them, but in the way of the villain. And every day those heroes have to wake up, get ready, and face their failures. To a real hero, villains aren't enemies to conquer, they're victims that we've failed to save. They're reminders that, even with the sheer potential of these Quirks, we still do nothing to stop this inhuman cycle; that we are the failures, us heroes, and yet we are praised and idolized for it."

With a shake of your head, you turn to face the freckled boy, the both of you having stopped in the middle of the mostly empty sidewalk. The breeze ruffles the leaves of the trees overhead, and the light that shines through dapples the skin of both the hero and the hero-in-training.

"Midoriya, that is the truth of the heroes you so admire. Heroics aren't something to take pride in, at all. Not all heroes will smile, not all heroes can smile. It's a daunting race, one with not just the lives of the people, but also the futures of potential villains, at stake. A miserable task like that--can someone like you, who only wishes to smile, really work in those conditions?"

His answer is confident.

"I'm going to save everyone with a smile, just like All Might. And, [L/Name], I'll save you too, so just wait a little longer."

Your smile is so big it crinkles the corners of your eyes. You raise a fist.

"Sure thing, Deku."

He taps it gently, with his own, and you both continue on your way, adorned with smiles.