Philosophy About Heroism

The sound of an object being inserted inside the ground before uprooted and tossed to the side. A tall pile of dirt mixed in with grass stood tall beside two male figures with shovels in hand.

Everette stretched his back and wiped the sweat from his forehead before briefly glancing at Patrick, who hadn't spoken a word since they started.

Alice told them that the shovels were in some storage room in the building.

Patrick pierced the dirt with the shovel before lifting it and throwing it to the side. After digging a considerably deep pit, they gently lowered Victor's body into the hole.

Everette fell onto his rear and placed two of his arms behind him before leaning against them. Patrick did the same and plotted himself beside Everette on the grass before roaming through his pocket for a familiar box.

CLINK!

He carefully placed a cigarette found inside the box into his mouth before quickly liting it afterwards. "Fuuu... Huuu..."

Patrick inhaled the fumes through his mouth and into his lungs before puffing out a grey cloud, which spreaded out in a wide arc in front of him. "Everette... What do you think makes a hero?"

Everette raised a brow before turning towards Patrick, who was dead focused on the sky. The once blue sky with some patches of clouds here and there has now been dyed orange. The current ambience around them was still and serene.

Everette sighed deeply before watching the sky and seeing a small grey, circular object hanging far into the sky - it was the moon.

"A hero, huh? I'm... Not sure..."

He couldn't think of a reason, even if people saw him as one. At the beginning of the apocalypse, he saved and brought almost everyone from the male dormitory to the Cadel before meeting up with Ada. He saved a bit more than 200 that day, all because he happened to meet them on the way.

However, if he were given the choice of doing that again, especially after going through the pain Mourn inflicted on him, then he probably would. He was still—

"Human... Being human..."

"Hm?" Patrick turned towards Everette, while holding the cigarette that was in his mouth between his index and middle fingers.

"Pardon?"

He was confused by his answer. 'What does being human have to do with anything?' Thoughts like those sprung up inside his mind, and he continued to ponder Everette's answer.

Everette continued to explain his answer. "Humans, as well as some animals, were given the feeling of empathy, right? Soo..."

He tilted his head all the way up and stared past the clouds. His gaze lingered on a lonely star plotted on a black canvas that was now stretching itself across the entire sky.

"I think heroes should be those who can understand the situation of the people around them are in while also making the right decisions to put them back on the right path."

He closed his eyes and began gently placing his back on the soft, green hairs tickling the back of his neck.

"Of course, some decisions are harder than others. But I think anyone aspiring to save others should know when to make even the hardest decisions, even if they aren't morally right at first." Everette then suddenly paused.

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Heroes are always made out to be selfless and always putting themselves in danger for others at the cost of their lives." Everette then shook his head in annoyance.

"Don't they know those kinds of things can inflict trauma and guilt on the person they're saving?"

"What do you suppose they should do?" Patrick asked with a curious and intrigued tone.

Everette took a second to reply, "I think that... Heroes should matter about their health alongside their job in saving people. No one wants to see a hero bloodied and injured coming to save them."

He then pointed at the once lonely star before others like it began to suddenly appear around it.

"They should always arrive in a condition where they aren't half-dead and with a smile on their face to tell those they're saving that it's alright because they're there. A person becomes a true hero when their very presence brings warmth and comfort to others while inspiring them by making choices not even they can imagine doing."

Everette turned his head towards Patrick, who showed a shocked expression. Everette then turned away with a shy expression.

"Cheesy, I know... But—"

"No... It wasn't cheesy at all. It was actually perfect, in fact." Patrick laid down beside Everette, still with the cigarette between his fingers.

"You should've taken philosophy, know. You would've gotten pretty far, I bet."

"You're joking, right?"

Patrick shook his head before staring up at the stars, "A true hero is when their very presence comforts others while inspiring them by making choices not even they can imagine doing, huh...? Not too bad, kid."

Patrick mimicked Everette's words. His eyes shone with a thoughtful expression. 'Can I ever be someone like that?' He was having doubts now.

He was still distraught over not being able to save Victor's life, especially when he told him that he would protect them. Such thoughts continued to ring out inside his mind before he noticed a figure leaning down over him - it was Alice.

Patrick then felt a tug from his ponytail before being dragged. "W-Wha!? Hey! That hurts, kid! Let go!"

He struggled to wrangle himself free before noticing he had dropped his unfinished cigarette. "NOO! I WASN'T DONE WITH THAT!"

He stretched his arm towards it. He was getting farther and farther away from it.

"You need rest, Mr. Patrick!"

"I'm fine! I really am, kid!" Patrick then looked towards the cigarette lying on the ground with tearful eyes.

"Papa will be back. Just wait, Ciggy!"

"You won't."

He made one last cry before being sucked into the Cadel by Alice.

Everette eyes lingered on the door before bursting out laughing, "HAHAHAHA! THAT'S WHAT HE GETS FOR DISOBEYING A HEALER 10 TIMES!" Before they buried Victor, Alice wanted Patrick to rest in case he had any injuries - in which he refused several times.

He held his stomach while rolling around. He then panted with a tired expression. He wiped a tear that threatened to leak out due to how much he laughed.

"Ha... Ha... My stomach hurts..."

"Hm? Why does it hurt, even after checking in on Alice so many times?"

Everette felt an intense glare burrowing into the side of his skull. He slowly turned his head towards the owner of the familiar voice - a creaking sound could be heard as he did this.

"O-Oh! Ada! W-What's with that l-look...?"

Ada stood and stared down at him. Her arms were crossed over one another. Her face was expressionless, and yet he could sense a subtle anger and annoyance behind it.

The air around them seemed to become still and even cold for some reason.

"It's nothing. Now answer me this. Why do you keep on seeing her every chance you get?" She tilted her head, which gave off an ominous feeling.

Gulp...

Everette blanked, "W-Well..."

'What do I even say?!'