Chapter 12

I'll be Your Hero

Izuku laid at his bed, he had so much in his mind. It had been 5 days after the mission, Izuku was conflicted and felt stuck.

'What is it that's bothering me, why do I feel like there's something I need to do,' Izuku thought. He laid there as he stared at the ceiling, remembering the fight against Zank. The words he said to him but also the words that Akame said when she was under his illusion.

Something about those words bothered him. He couldn't figure it out, as he stormed through his thoughts, he felt a hand on his right arm. He looked at the person who was cuddling with his arm and found Eri peacefully sleeping.

When he looked at her he was reminded that he needed to get himself and her back home soon. But not without saving the people of this world, if he could. He felt his eyes start to get heavy, he then drifted into sleep.

While Izuku drifted into sleep, in another room another was awake. She was also going through what happened five days ago. Akame thought about what Izuku said, how Izuku was inspired to save others just like his mentor. But she knew that people who are driven by corruption cannot be saved, the only way to do that is ending their lives but Izuku seems like to find another way.

Akame shook off the thought as she decided to get some sleep. She closed her eyes as she drifted off into her slumber.

The next day Izuku felt someone shaking him as he opened his eyes to see Tatsumi standing over him, "Hey wake up, we got training to do," Tatsumi stated. Izuku rubbed his eyes as got up and gently laid Eri on the bed. "So who's training us today," Izuku asked, "Sheele is training us today,"

Izuku nodded and wondered how training was going to be since Sheele is an airhead. He had an idea but he didn't expect to be swimming in a lake with a full suit of armor.

Tatsumi and Izuku struggled to fully use the motions as the suit of armor was weighing them down. 'This must be to increase our endurance, I can feel my whole body screaming at me,' Izuku thought.

They both swam out of the water as they were heavily breathing and drenched. "Good job you're able to swim with a suit of armor, congratulations to you both," Sheele complimented.

"Uh yeah thanks," Tatsumi replied, "Sorry I'm usually in charge of training the recruits since I'm not useful around the base," Sheele apologized. Izuku then waved his hands, "Hey it's fine, nothing to worry about," Izuku reassured her. Sheele then bowed her head towards them but her glasses dropped.

"Aw! My glasses!" Sheele frantically stated as she tried to find her glasses. 'She's really clumsy,' Tatsumi and Izuku both thought, "So why don't you do chores around the base," Tatsumi asked as Sheele finally found her glasses as put them on.

"Hm, well I tried cooking but I burnt the meat and Akame got really mad at me, I tried sweeping and mopping but I ended up making a huge mess so Bulat had to do it. Then Leone told me to go by salt but instead I bought sugar instead but with a large amount of them, and then I tried to help with laundry but I ended up almost drowning Mein," Sheele explained. Tatsumi and Izuku imagined all the scenarios that Sheele told then.

"Ah, well don't feel too bad about drowning Mein," Tatsumi reassured her, 'Yes!' Tatsumi exclaimed in his mind. Then out of nowhere Izuku smacked him behind his head. "Ow! What was that for!" Tatsumi shouted. "What if Mein hears you," Izuku warned as Tatsumi just waved his hands, "It's not like she's camping out somewhere and pointing her sniper at me," Tatsumi brushed it off.

"But she could," Sheele stated as Tatsumi jumped and shivered. Izuku sweatdropped and sighed. "Oh by the way Sheele," Tatsumi called out, "Hm?" Sheele hummed. "Out of everyone you seem to be normal for the most part," Tatsumi stated, "Well, I'm not really normal," Sheele interjected.

"You see when I wasn't recruited into the Revolutionary Army I was a part timer but I ended up getting fired because of my clumsiness, but one day I met this girl, she was really nice to me but one day her ex-boyfriend stormed into her house when we were chatting, he grabbed her neck and threatened to kill her, I was in shocked and horrified, I looked at the knife that was next to me and plunged it into his neck," Sheele stated as Izuku and Tatsumi listened intently.

"When I killed him my friend was horrified that she didn't talk to me ever again, the next day his friends came to avenge their fallen comrade, but in the end I killed them all, and that's when I figured out killing scum in this country is what I'm good at, if I can erase the scum from this society then everything will be fine. So that's how I was recruited here," Sheele finished her story.

"That's…" Tatsumi couldn't think of anything to say but Sheele smiled, "It's fine, because either way I met people who actually care for me now," Sheele reassured him. Izuku was listening to their conversation, 'Everyone's had it rough, these people were just victims to this cruel society,' Izuku thought.

"Seems you guys are doing great, Tatsumi, Izuku!" A voice called out in the river as Izuku and Tatsumi both turned towards the voice.

Bukat busted out of the water as he flexed his muscles. It went silent as Tatsumi and Izuku sweatdropped at the scene in front of them.

Night Raid Base

As the team was grouped up in the conference room Najenda held out the Teigu that Akame retrieved from Zank. "Thanks to all of you, we've helped the Revolutionary Army progress further," Najenda thanked them. "Here Tatsumi try it on," Najenda suggested, "Really I can!" Tatsumi asked as Bulat stepped beside him, "Why not, you improved since the last time so this might help you in battle," Bulat stated.

Tatsumi looked at the Teigu as he grabbed it from Najenda and put it on his forehead. "Zank used it to read his opponent's mind, try using it on me," Akame suggested as Tatsumi and Akame stared at each other, "You want to.." Tatsumi gulped, "You want to eat meat tonight!" Tatsumi declared. Akame was surprised, "It works!" Akame confirmed.

Eri then looked confused, "But Akame-san you always want to eat meat," Eri stated as she looked at her. "That's because it hasn't activated yet," Leone pointed out. "It has other abilities, just use those," Mein stated. Tatsumi then pouted, "Alright, Alright," he then sat down and concentrated. It took a while but then the eye on the forehead opened as he looked at the girl's in front of him. Izuku was waiting for a response but instead Tatsumi was blushing and tried to cover his eyes.

Izuku raised an eyebrow, "Well does it work," Mein asked as she was close to Tatsumi. Tatsumi was about to speak but then he felt immense pain on his head as he clenched it. "What..the.." Tatsumi groaned, "It's not compatible," Lubbock stated. "I'll take it off," Akame stated as she took the Teigu off of Tatsumi.

"What was that," Tatsumi asked. "It's not compatible, looks like I'll have to take it to the Revolutionary Army," Najenda stated. "You probably thought it didn't go well with your outfit," Mein stated. "First impressions impact the user and the Teigu, so that's probably why it rejected you," Lubbock explained. "Oh…" Tatsumi sighed, "Ah don't worry we'll find you a Teigu that's compatible," Bulat reassured.

"We may do assassinations but our sub-mission is to retrieve other Teigus or to destroy it," Akame informed him. "You're going to need to be informed about them so here's a book about them," Najenda stated as she handed Tatsumi a book. He then looked through the pages, "Wow, there so many,"

"Each one has their own unique abilities so make sure you're well informed," Najenda informed him. Tatsumi nodded, he then felt like he had hope, "Is there a teigu that revives the dead," Tatsumi exclaimed as he looked at Najenda. Everyone in the room went quiet as Najenda sighed, "No, there isn't one," Najenda answered, "But you said that there were some Teigus that were lost so-" Tatsumi was desperately trying to find it but, "The dead stay dead Tatsumi, there's nothing we can do about it," Akame stated.

Izuku was in thought as he felt Eri clench his pants as she hated that word because of her father died. Tatsumi then looked down as he felt hopeless, Izuku solemnly looked at him.

After the meeting was over Izuku placed Eri to bed as he went to get fresh air. He then spotted Tatsumi and Sheele outside as Sheele was hugging him. Izuku stopped as he didn't want to interrupt so he went to another place to calm his mind. He went to where there was another cliff but with a tree. He went towards it but when he got closer someone was already there. As he looked closer, he spotted Akame leaning against the tree, looking at the sky.

Izuku wanted to stop, but something told him to keep moving, he didn't know why but he felt he needed to. He then approached Akame as she turned her head and spotted him. "You can't sleep either?" Akame asked as Izuku just shook his head, "No, I just thought I'd get some fresh air," Izuku answered her. She nodded, she then scooted to the right and patted to the free space on her left, gesturing for him to sit.

Izuku nodded as he sat down next to her. They both looked at the moon as it was a crescent. They sat there in silence for a while until Izuku decided to speak, "Um Akame?" He called out, "Hm?" She hummed, "What made you into who you are today," Izuku asked. Akame froze as it became silent. Izuku then panicked, "Gah! SorryIshouldn'thaveaskedthatImreallysorr-" Izuku was then interrupted by Akame with a finger flick to the nose.

"It's fine, I'll only tell you one thing though," Akame stated as Izuku nodded. Akame then sighed as she looked at him, "My parents sold me and my sister to the Empire," Akame informed him. Izuku widened his eyes in shock as he absorbed the information. Izuku was about to ask more but then decided not to as it would be an invasion of personal privacy.

"I...I'm sorry that happened to you," Izuku solemnly stated. Akame shook her head, "What happened, happened, there was nothing that could've been done," Akame reassured him but Izuku wasn't satisfied as matter of fact he was pissed. How could parents just sell their children, he looked at Akame as she had her usual expression. Her stoic one, Izuku knew that someone took her smile away from her, there was darkness in the path she took but he didn't care, something inside of him screamed to help her, to restore that smile, to save her. But not just her, it was the rest of Night Raid.

Everyone had their stories, the path of darkness they took, even Tatsumi took this path. Izuku clenched his fist, he then abruptly got up, Akame was startled by his sudden movement. "Akame," Izuku called out, she looked at him curiously "From this moment onward, I'll do whatever I can to help you guys," Izuku declared as Akame was confused on what he meant.

"What do you mean," Akame asked, but then her face turned into a surprised one as Izuku faced her as the moonlight was shining on his face, he had shone a smile that was bright, bright enough to wipe away the darkness, "I promise, to wipe the darkness not just from this Empire, not just Night Raid, but as well as yours, whatever it takes," Izuku stated.

Akame was staring into his eyes as she never saw such brightness in one's eyes before, Akame couldn't comprehend what he was saying until, "Akame...I'll be your Hero," Izuku stated and smiled.

Akame widened her eyes, she felt her heartbeat quicken as she felt her something spark up inside. "Well look at you prince charming," a voice called out as Izuku jumped and looked at who it was. Leone stood there but not just her it was the rest of Night Raid including Eri. "W-W-What is everyone doing here?!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Oh don't worry we totally didn't hear you just saying your marriage vows to Akame," Tatsumi teased. Izuku then became a blushing mess, "I-I-It's not like that I swear!" Izuku interjected. "Oh come on just think about it, you and Akame with little Eri in your little cottage. Ah, what a family," Lubbock sighed.

"Huh?! What's that supposed to mean," Izuku shouted, "Izuku you're so manly as expected of a man," Bulat complimented. Izuku was frantically trying to explain to them until Eri walked up to him, "Deku-san," Eri called out, "Huh, what's up Eri," Izuku asked as Eri looked at him, "Is Akame-san your girlfriend?" Eri asked.

Izuku then choked on his spit as he heard that as everyone started to laugh, "Eri! When did you learn that," Izuku asked. "Lemillion-san said that when a boy and girl talk about important stuff and when a boy wants to protect a girl then they are boyfriend and girlfriend," Eri explained as Izuku sweatdropped. "I think Mirio-senpai is teaching you something that is somewhat correct but incorrect," Izuku sighed.

"I can see it, the wedding bells," Leone dreamly sighed, Izuku's face was now completely red, "I told you It's not like that!" Izuku exclaimed, the group kept teasing the poor boy. Akame on the other hand was too focused on what Izuku said, that was the first person ever that said something like that to her. She then smiled gently as she held her hand against her chest, feeling her heartbeat. She looked at the group then at Izuku. She smiled, 'Thank you, Izuku,'

End