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Prologue I: Shinchu Sakuso: Origins
Sakuso leaned back in his chair, his school bag resting comfortably on his lap. He flipped a five yen coin between his fingers, his fingers matching the same smooth ridges. Streamers and confetti littered the hallways, the cultural festival in full swing.
"Eiji," Sakuso said, turning to his dark haired friend. "We've been sitting here for the past… twenty minutes? Isn't there something else you want to do aside from eat `Russian Takoyaki`?"
"No," came his swift reply. "From what I've heard, being able to handle the extremely spicy one is the ultimate challenge of bravery! If I can eat that without faltering, I could surely stand up to a villain, couldn't I?"
"Those two things have exactly no correlation to each other," Sakuso mumbled, flicking the coin forward to hit his friend in the forehead. Kirishima yelped in pain, rubbing his forehead. "Besides, what if the odds become stacked against you one day?"
"Well, you'd be there too, wouldn't you?" Kirishima said. He turned to the pink-skinned girl in the maid costume, nodding towards here. "Thank you Miss."
"No need for Miss," she said, cheerily. "It makes me sound old!"
"What should I call you then?" Kirishima said, a toothpick biting into the takoyaki.
"Ashido-kun is fine," she said, smiling. "Though, you probably won't make much use of it. You're in 3-D, yeah?"
"Mhm," Kirishima mumbled.
She turned to Sakuso, "And you're in…?"
"I don't go to school here," he said, holding a takoyaki above the plate. "Eijirou is a neighbor and friend. I've known him since preschool."
"How'd you meet-"
"Mina!" a girl shouted, swinging the classroom door open. "We need you back in here! You can talk to those losers later!"
"Well," she said, nodding. "That's my cue. I'm in 3-E by the way."
"Not that I'll make much use of it," Sakuso mumbled.
"What was that?" she said.
"I said you look great in a maid uniform!"
She stuck her tongue out. "Perv."
"Racoon-eyes."
"What was that?"
"Nothing," he said, giving a shrug. "I said this takoyaki is bursting with love."
"Well of course it is," Mina said, a smirk on her face. She placed a hand on her heart, "I served it after-"
"Mina!"
"Coming!"
"Wow Eiji," Sakuso said, turning to his friend. "You have some interesting schoolmates. Makes me-"
His face was red, sweat beading down his brow and dripping from his hair. "H… elp me."
Sakuso reached into his bag, grabbing a bottle of Pocari Sweat. "What the hell? Are you having an allergic reaction to squid?"
"Spi...cy," he mumbled, clutching his stomach.
This is why no one eats `Russian Takoyaki` you brave dolt.
"I thought you wouldn't crack under the pressure, Kirishima," Sakuso said, uncapping the bottle. He placed it on the table, in the middle between him and Kirishima. "You're supposed to be the kind of hero that doesn't crack under pressure, right?"
"This is-"
"No. That's an excuse," Sakuso said, his fist crashing down on the table. "Eat another takoyaki to take your mind off the spice, and endure what you inflicted on yourself. I refuse to allow someone who lets spice become their end become a hero."
Kirishima grinned, his teeth becoming jagged as he tore into another takoyaki. "Endure and survive," he muttered, gulping down air. "Ultimate bravery."
I love you man, but goddamn are you impressionable. "Yeah," Sakuso said, pumping his fist. "A super cool hero that doesn't waver under pressure. The ultimate shield and spear."
"You're singin' my praise, but not your own," Kirishima said, taking a sip of Pocari Sweat. "I mean, aren't you going to be a hero too? Follow in your dad's footsteps kinda thing?"
"I didn't plan on it. I don't want to become the kind of man my father is."
"Come on," Kirishima said, nudging my shoulder. "You can't be mad at him for saving people."
"And I'm not," Sakuso defended, his hands turning to brass. His knuckles and elbows were capped with silver, allowing him to spew air from out of them as if he were an instrument. "I'm upset because he's never around. Selfish as it may be, I'm upset because he's never around."
Kirishima's elbow landed on the table, his head resting on his hand. "And what would you do if he was here right now?"
"Are you even listening?" Sakuso said, sighing. "I'd just say that I'd rather have him around for me than doing this or that in America. I understand that mom's from there and he wanted to keep an eye on her but California is safe right now… I think. I just want him around. I hate being alone."
"Just call me," his dad said, a hand resting on Sakuso's shoulder. "I always have time for you."
"Detective Sax!" Kirishima said.
The detective brought Sakuso into a hug, rubbing circles on his son's back. "If you wanted me around, all you had to do was ask. I've been busy in America sure, but it happens. I had a hand in stopping the creation of some super mutant hell-bent on destruction. With help, of course."
"By the way," Detective Dad said, pulling away from his son. "I packed your things from that apartment. I think I got everything important. We're moving after today. I'll explain everything else in the car. I'll leave you to it for now."
"A-Alright?" Sakuso said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh, and Kirishima!" Detective Sax said, smiling.
"Yes, Detective?" Kirishima asked.
"Oh, no need for that," Detective Sax said. "Shinchu-san is fine. I just wanted to thank you for being my son's friend through all these years."
The older man tipped his hat, his large brass arm gleaming in the light. "There's two more hours for the festival. Enjoy them. I'll be waiting in the car."
Sakuso's neck snapped towards Kirishima with frightening speed. "I've gotta go!" he turned back towards his dad, lunging towards him, "Dad, wait!"
- /KN/ -
Somehow, his father's hulking form fitting into a tiny car didn't make sense.
But the detective managed to work with it.
"So… you're done being a hero?" Sakuso asked, leaning back in his chair. "You don't have to quit doing something that makes you happy for my sake. I'm not that selfish."
"I'm not done," Shinchu-san said, rubbing Sakuso's head with a large brass hand. "I'm taking a break. What I did in America would be called emotionally and physically exhausted. Besides, I've gotten two new jobs here, so let's enjoy them to the fullest."
"Oh? Wouldn't two jobs mean I see you just as less, though?"
"No," Shinchu-san said, smiling. "I'm dropping you off back home to pick up whatever I missed. Afterwards, we're taking the car to Jugen-Jaya. I'm starting my own cafe."
"Do you even know the first thing about starting a cafe?"
"Nope."
Sakuso stared at his father in bewilderment. The man could be obtuse, and largely playing an idiot was part of his skill as a detective. His true personality was methodical, calculating. Someone that could pick you apart with words and then blow you away before you could realize it.
His form belied his speed.
His facade hid the truth.
There was a reason why he was the best of the best detectives.
"But, that doesn't mean I can't try, no? Cafe Lupin has a nice name to it, don't you think? I'll have you there too, to run it with me. It'll be neat."
Sakuso could picture the smell of coffee, and it made him feel more at ease than he thought it would. His home didn't smell like it himself, but with his dad around he could suddenly picture that.
"And what's the second one?"
"I'll be a hero-on-call for U.A. Academy. Impressive, huh?"
"I… guess?"
"Sakuso," Shinchu-san said, his eyes focused on the quiet street. "What do you want to do when you're older?"
"I… I don't know."
"Y'know, there's a phrase my dad taught me. He was in the American Navy, on standby here. He's the reason for your darker skin, and your curly hair. He told me, `You miss ninety-percent of the shots you don't take`. It might not appeal to you now, but now that I'm back, is there anything stopping you from being a hero? You and Kaminari discussed it frequently, but hearing you say you didn't want to be like me really broke my heart."
"It's… not like that."
"Oh, I'm not trying to guilt you, silly. It broke my heart, but… dead men are a lot harder to carry than broken hearts. So, hearing you say that made me realize that I honestly hope you don't follow the path I chose. Being like me doesn't entail you make the same decisions I do. I want you to be the kind of man your grandfather is, someone with a pure and undisputable sense of justice. Someone that believes in their own sense of justice and virtue. I want you to be you, and I think you can do it without pursuing law enforcement and police-work. It's boring, so much so that becoming a hero and a detective was the best decision of my life. I got to save people, keep them safe, and became a name that left villains and evildoers quaking in their boots."
"But that's in America, dad. It's different here. Don't you think Japan would need you too?"
"Japan's top ten heroes are strong, and the heroes that complete graduation every year only bolsters their ranks. Japan could do without Detective Sax. I need to be a good house husband for Suzy, and more importantly," he flicked Sakuso's nose lightly, the boy rubbing it in mock pain. "A good father figure for my kid."
"Well, do I even have time to learn? I know the applications of my quirk, but aren't we vastly too different for you to train me? I mean, your quirk and combat style all compliment your arsenal of jazzy and brass weapons. I can take on the properties of metals and manipulate what I change the properties of, but could I even learn in that time?"
"Well, it's October 23rd, right now. Applications for U.A are due January, and the Entrance Exam begins the last week of March. Sure, my manipulation of solely brass is different than you taking on properties and manipulating them, but I think I can work around that. Most people call me outdated, but my father always said-"
"With age comes experience?"
"Yeah. See, you're learning already!"
"So… I'll be a hero. The kind of hero that sticks to his own justice. Someone that follows my own sense of justice. A pillar for the people."
"That's the spirit. A popular term heroes use for this moment, from when their mind is set, is called a `Starting Line.` What do you think?"
"No."
"No?"
"This is far from my starting line. This is the beginning of Seigi, the Shining Fist of Justice. The crushing blow from heaven that rains down thunderous strikes upon villains and evildoers. A paragon of justice. The embodiment of sticking to one's guns. A hot-blooded hero that saves everyone in an instant, and blows away his enemies within seconds.""
"Really?" Shinchu-san said, a smile hiding behind his collar. "I'm excited to see what he has to offer to the world. I'll be there to see him every step of the way. Though-"
"Though?"
"Maybe Seigi is just enough?"
Author's Note
No words to really explain, other than, after experimenting with my writing and pacing myself and my stories, I think I could do leaps and bounds better than I did with my first two attempts. Taking a much-needed break was all I had to do, and well, I'm enjoying writing far more than I thought I once would.
Meet Shinchu Sakuso (Family Name/First Name). His name translates, albeit roughly, to Brass Sax.
He's the protagonist who can take on the properties of metal, and shape what he takes the properties of. There's a lot of ways it can be applied, but his primary gimmick is brass. There's a plethora of brass, and all the ways it can be shaped, manipulated and used, as well as the kinds of brass, are all exciting thoughts for me.
His father is a reference to Big Band, whom has become one of my favorite characters from Skullgirls recently. He's great, the references he makes are great, and I have a joyous time writing him, or someone like him rather.
Shinchu Sakuso is partially African-American, partially Japanese, and partially Hawaiian. Detective Sax/Shinchu-san provides the African-American and Japanese, with Sakuso's mom, who has not been named yet, providing the Hawaiian.
I hope to write a story you all enjoy.
Thank you for reading.
Until next time.
