Chapter 2:
All Might didn't waste time leaping back and using Texas Smash again. The wind pressure hit Uncle Sam at full force, but the old man was undeterred. Without losing his smile, he pointed at the Symbol of Peace.
"I. Want. You."
An invisible force suddenly pulled All Might towards Uncle Sam, who followed up with a devastating clothesline. "The People's Clothesline!"
The hit was so strong it made the hero do five backflips on hit. He landed on his feet and guffawed in admiration at Uncle Sam's strength. Even then, All Might was unfazed by the clothesline. "That tickles!"
"Don't get cocky on me now, son." He turned around just in time to meet with Uncle Sam's knee, sending him to the wall of the arena. He spat out a bit of blood, but his smile remained. "I. Want. You."
All Might is ready this time. He could already feel the invisible force pulling him towards the old man again. He turned backwards and jumped in the air. All Might punched the air to propel himself backwards, hitting Uncle Sam with his entire body with the added momentum of the old man's pull. "NEW HAMPSHIRE SMASH!"
The hit launched Uncle Sam towards the wall at the other end of the arena. This time, the old man was the one bleeding from the mouth. He wiped off the blood and glanced at it. He pointed at All Might again. "America could've used an inspirational hero like you."
Once upon a time in America, Uncle Sam was born. His story, however, did not start at his birth but during the Revolutionary War against the British. The old man was both a soldier and a supplier, delivering supplies across the dangerous battlefield. As of right now, he is walking towards George Washington with an angry look.
"Washington!" He didn't give the would-be president time to react as he pulled him off his horse. Sam also took the saddle and gear off the horse and let it run free. "You burnt down a village?!"
"What is the matter with my actions, Mr. Wilson? They're just Indians." Washington tried to explain himself. Sam feigned a smile and helped Washington get up and dusted him off. After doing so, he slapped the young general again at full force this time. "Oh, you're standing up for them now? They did not agree to share their lands."
"And genocide is your tool for negotiations? This isn't right. You said this would be the land of the free, and yet, your actions say the opposite." Sam Wilson removed his coat and threw away his rifle. "I will not fight for you."
"So be it." Washington whispered as he watched the old man walk away. It was unfortunate. He was the best soldier in Washington's army. "If you won't fight, then I'll use your image."
A long time had passed and Sam wondered how he had not died yet. It was already the 1800s and yet he outlived everyone he knew. A knock on the door disturbed the silence of his private home. He opened it and saw three soldiers waiting outside. "Is this your home, Mister?"
The man had a southern accent. Sam figured they were simply on patrol and stumbled into his humble abode. "Of course. Are you tired? Do you need a place to rest?"
"As a matter o' fact, we do, Mister…"
"Please, just call me Sam." He lead them to his dining room and offered them bread and beer. "I hope this would help replenish your energy."
"This is some nice beer you got, Sam. You made it yourself?" The three soldiers drank the beer delightfully.
"I did, my friend."
"I see. How d'you instruct your slaves to make it? In fact, where are your slaves?" One soldier began looking around for any other people in the house. Sam had to make them repeat what they said.
"Apologies. My old age is weakening my hearing. What did you say again?"
"Your slaves, Sam. Don't you have any?" The soldier asked again. This time, Sam knew for sure what he heard.
"I'm sorry, but I haven't had slaves ever since my father died. I let them go free and joined the army back in my youth. For the record, I believed Washington's word that this should be the land of the free." He suddenly felt guns being aimed at him while he was turned around. He sighed as he slowly reached for his top hat. "What is it now, friends?"
"Now, I reckon you were just joking. Land of the free, sure, I agree with ya. Except, it already is the land of the free. We're free and we get to own subhumans. The science of phrenology has already-" A punch from Sam interrupted the soldier. They started shooting at him, but he was fast. Too fast for even a human to move. "The hell are you waiting for? Shoot that slavelover son of a-"
The bullets didn't even affect Sam Wilson when it hit him. "These people you call slaves already earned their freedom from the moment they were born. No, not even that. They earned it the moment they appeared in their mother's womb. America is the land of the free, damn it!"
A flash of light enveloped him when he said those lines. That's when he instinctively knew he had become a god, and it was not by choice. His clothes reformed themselves into the very clothes he wore on the posters. The Confederate Soldiers immediately knew who they ran into. "Uncle Sam?! You're- You're real?"
Before he could say anymore, the light surrounded him and he found himself in Heaven. From then on, he could only helplessly watch America's progress with its ups and downs.
Back at the present, All Might didn't hesitate to spin around to create a tornado. He then directed it towards Uncle Sam. "Nebraska Smash!"
Uncle Sam stood up again and countered the tornado by spinning in the opposite direction. This gave All Might the opening and hitting Uncle Sam with his own clothesline. He spun around again, creating a whirlwind to strengthen his momentum and throw the old man in the air. "Oklahoma Smash!"
All Might leapt after him and grabbed Uncle Sam in the air from behind the waist. With the force of him kicking the air upwards, they plummet down into the arena at blinding speeds.
"Florida Smash!" The Symbol of Peace suplexed Uncle Sam into the ground, creating a crater in the middle of the arena. Hurt, but uninjured, Uncle Sam is enjoying his fight with the number one hero.
"All right, you had your chance to show off, son. My turn." Uncle Sam broke out of All Might's grasp and kicked the Symbol of Peace. All Might skidded on the ground, but Uncle Sam did not let up. He grappled All Might from the ground and powerbombed him three times in a row.
"From the looks of it, folks, this match is far from over. Man, I didn't know humans in the other dimensions were this strong." Hermes said through his microphone. Lady Liberty and Mother Russia cheered for their old friend. Nana, Torino, Izuku, and the other users of One for All cheered for Toshinori. Nighteye watched silently from a seat further from the others.
"Tell me, son, why'd you become a hero? Fame? Money? Glory?" Uncle Sam asked as All Might blocked his punch.
"You are mistaken, Uncle Sam. Before I was a hero, I was a nobody. As a nobody, I saw how helpless I was to deal with the injustices of the world." All Might parried a kick from the old man and kicked low, sweeping Uncle Sam off his feet. He jumped in the air and hit him with a leg drop known as the Oregon Smash. "The world needed a pillar, and I decided I want to become the ray of hope for the next generation!"
Uncle Sam laughed. Not because he thought All Might was foolish, but because the hero reminded him of his old self. "Get popular enough and you'll get deified. It's a miserable life as a god when you used to be human, son. Still…"
Uncle Sam stood up and grabbed All Might's fist mid-punch. He grabbed the other fist that also went in for a punch. "I have to say, it has some benefits that I can only use here. I am still weakened."
"Weakened, you say?" Even when Uncle Sam grabbed both his fists, All Might still hit him with a dropkick. "Arizona Smash!"
"Well, ya see, as Patriotism Personified, I draw power from the aura of my beloved country, the United States of America. Well… it has weakened over the years."
"Even then, you're chosen to be a fighter here." All Might stopped his attack and so did Uncle Sam. "You were never at full power?"
"Oh no, I still am. I always give it my all. America's aura only adds to my power." The old man shook his head in frustration.
"Uncle Sam, you can lay your frustrations on me." All Might sat down.
"What's this? The Symbol of Peace sat down?! Is this an act of surrender? Wait, no, I'm receiving word that it's not an act of surrender." Hermes said through the microphone from the podium box. The action confused all except Nana, Torino, and Izuku.
"Wahaha! That isn't like Toshinori. He used to be punch first ask later." The entire situation amused Nana. She turned to face Izuku Midoriya. "I bet he learned that from you, kid."
"People rarely want to hear this old man out. Fine, then." Uncle Sam also sat down in front of All Might. The gods jeered, but both fighters ignored them. The situation, however, sparked the Primordial Void's interest. "Why do you even want to hear me out?"
"A bitter lesson I learned in life. My student was the first to teach me of it, but by then it was already too late." All Might could still remember his death clearly. He wished he could've done more for Tenko.
"I'm very sorry to hear that. It's unfortunate that we have to kill each other. Alas, I'm thankful that you're willing to listen to my ramblings. I must be going senile." Uncle Sam chuckled lightly. "I never should have ditched the fight simply because of Washington's actions. America today has been rotten to its core."
"The America in my world remained relatively peaceful, maintained by capable hands." All Might thought of America's number one, Star and Stripes. "America's Number One did a good job continuing what I've started in her country. A true heroic inspiration!"
"She sounds impressive." Uncle Sam paused for a moment. "She's doing the best she can as well. Me? I'm just… oh no. After all this time, I've been half-assing. America isn't doing well because I've been inactive. The American people need a second wind. I need a second wind."
Uncle Sam stood up with All Might and reached for the sky. His arms stretched as a bright light enveloped the Patriotism Personified. "I LOVE AMERICA!"
"What the hell just happened?" Hermes asked through the microphone. Everyone but All Might was asking the same. When the bright light finally disappeared, two men were standing in front of All Might. One was young and wearing the uniform of a Civil War soldier fighting for the North. The other was middle-aged and wearing the uniform fighting for the South. All Might knew both of them instantly.
"Billy Yank and Johnny Reb. It's a pleasure to meet one of you."
{-To Be Continued...
One More Chapter and the Fight reaches its conclusion. Who do you think is taking the L?