Reposts of my additions to another Chaos thread of doom.
Prompt: Courage
Character(s): Coby
Coby was not brave.
As a child he had quavered under his blankets at the sound of thunder. He shuddered and clenched his eyes shut which did nothing to stem the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. He was afraid.
When he decided to go fishing and ended up on a pirate ship he had thrown himself on the ground and begged for mercy shamelessly. He was terrified.
While under Alvida he had bowed and scraped bobbing his head obsequiously to every word directed at him. Obeying and slaving even as his body shook in fear.
He despised himself and wept because he had no courage and was the worst of all cowards.
Then Luffy came and gave him a push.
Coby ranted and raved. He fought with all of his strength. He vomited blood and passed out more times than he could mention but he kept getting up.
He shouted abuse at Alvida, struggled to untie Roronoa Zoro, threw himself in front of a cannon and turned pistols on his commanding officers for his friends. He bowed down on the ground and begged for training, pursued heinous criminals and fought his greatest heroes. Coby stood up to injustices and begged them to end a pointless war.
He did each of these things with a fear that hinged on madness.
If you asked the Vice-admiral where he got his courage from he would laugh at you and say what he always claimed from the beginning, that he was not brave but rather that he was a coward that was taught the true meaning of dreams by an outrageous man.
If you asked anyone else they'd call him the bravest man they know.