Chapter 2: Revelation and Determination

Midnight

After the funeral there was a small catering service provided for the gathered mourners inside the Church. For two hours Nemuri and Aizawa listened as best they could as everyone swapped stories about the good times with the deceased. She tried her best to keep up and mostly succeeded and managed to tell a few stories of her own. It turned out that Joseph had been talking about her recently, but no one seemed to want to tell her why that was remarkable. Before he left though, the lizard man, Harry, spoke with her. "Miss Kayama, there's no easy way to put this, but, until recently, Joseph thought you were dead," Harry explained to her. "NANI!?" Nemuri was so shocked she reverted to her native tongue and Harry nodded. "Yes. He didn't tell me the circumstances, but I can guess a few things now," Harry told her before licking his eyes with his long lizard tongue. "What is this?" she asked the lizard man. "Can you not tell? Marie is your daughter," Harry nervously said.

Aizawa was close by listening, and nearly choked on his drink when he heard this. "What!? When!? HOW!?" he yelled in Japanese, drawing everyone's attention, while Nemuri remained quiet as Harry motioned for her to come with him. They stepped outside, Nemuri feeling numb as she felt like her stomach was twisting in knots. "Joseph never told me anything directly, but I've managed to put the pieces together. Simple math tells us that Marie wasn't Mysa's child, they didn't meet until Marie was six. A lot of people who didn't know her couldn't tell because you and Mysa share a number of features, however, looking at you, I can say with certainty that you are her biological mother," Harry said as he showed Nemuri a picture of Marie from before the attack that claimed her parents.

Nemuri looked, and she saw it now. Marie looked just like her, only with a darker skin tone, and instead of human ears on the sides of her head, Marie had wolf ears on the top of her head and had a wolf tail that Nemuri had missed earlier. Marie seemed to enjoy wearing her hair in cornrows judging by the picture, although for the funeral she wore it down, straightened down slightly past her shoulders. Nemuri swallowed, and remembered a terrible day sixteen years ago…

Sixteen Years Ago

The teenager woke up in the Hospital. When the labor started the pain had been unbearable for her, she begged the doctors to make it go away. She remembered being told to push, and hearing a baby crying, but it was all a blur. She had never had anything stronger than coffee before, her system not used to the drugs given, and she had passed out. Her parents were waiting in the room with her, both looking at her sadly. "My baby…where is it?" she finally asked. "Nemuri…" her Father said, looking at her with his dark brown eyes, "The baby…it was stillborn." Nemuri looked at him and whispered, "…no…"

Her Mother said, "It's true, it was-" "NO!" Nemuri screamed, "NO NO NO! I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT!" Nemuri screamed as tears poured down her face, "IT'S NOT FAIR! I DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING! I DIDN'T DRINK OR SMOKE! NO!" She finally collapsed, too tired to say more, only bury her face in her pillow and hold her now empty stomach. "I did everything right…"

Present Day

"They lied to me…" Nemuri quietly said. "I'm afraid you were both lied to," Harry said, before licking his eyeballs again. "Does she know?" Nemuri asked. "She knows that her Mother was named Nemuri, it's also her middle name. I know that when he talked about Nemuri…you… he said you were confident, passionate, and dedicated to helping others," Harry explained. "I see," she said, hiding her face by looking down, thinking about Marie. My daughter… Nemuri had to stop herself from rubbing her lower abdomen, remembering how despite her parent's protests she had sworn to raise her baby back then. They tried to force her to abort, saying that her Hero Career would end before it could even begin, but she refused to listen, saying she would find a way to be a Mother and Hero. Everything clicked in her head then.

"Thank you," Nemuri told Harry. The lizard man swallowed before saying, "Do you want me to get Marie? Let you tell her?" Nemuri shook her head, "No, not now. I'll wait until we're somewhere private." Harry started to go back inside before stopping, "You realize what this means, don't you?" Nemuri silently nodded, and Harry went back inside, leaving her alone.

Three Hours Later

Nemuri and Aizawa took a taxi to the Freeman's home, that was where Mrs. Bowers said the video will of the late Freeman's would be shown to all beneficiaries. Nemuri and Aizawa stepped out of the taxi to see that Harry the lizardman, the tall man with turquoise hair and scar, their children of course, and three other people, a short man with red hair who seemed to be of Chinese descent, a woman whose head resembled a Pomeranian dog, and a beautiful woman of Indian descent with all white eyes were also there. Nemuri saw the Freeman Home, it was a simple two-story house painted sky blue with a white roof that appeared well maintained, with a backyard that was about four hundred square meters and a garage large enough for two cars, but two cars were in the driveway.

When all the beneficiaries had arrived, Mrs. Bowers led them into the living room, it had a large couch and love seat, while the walls were covered in pictures of the Freeman's and their friends, picnics, graduations, baby photos, and many more adorned the walls. "Now," Mrs. Bowers began, and pulled a hologram projector out of her briefcase, "This Video Will was made only three days before Mr. and Mrs. Freeman's demise. They both appeared before me to make it, saying that they may make a new one at a later date. However, Mr. Freeman had no illusions about his job, and wanted this done just in case. Mr. and Mrs. Freeman left personal messages for some of you, when those begin, I ask that you all leave the room, and retire to the garage. That is all."

Mrs. Bowers placed the hologram projector down on the floor and pushed the button to activate it. A hologram appeared, showing Joseph and Mysa Freeman, Joseph dressed in a black suit with silver tie and Mysa wearing a navy-blue saree with a long-sleeved gold blouse. Joseph spoke, "If you are watching this, then we are both dead. I hope this video is never released, but I know how unpredictable life can be. Mysa and I have talked, and we've agreed to everything we're about to say." Mysa Freeman then spoke, "First, we want you all, Harry, Grace, Frank, Charlie, and Priya to know that we valued your friendship through our lives. You helped make things so much easier for us at times, we can only hope that what we have to give to you is a small way to thank you. Among you I know is someone I have yet to meet in person, Kayama Nemuri. Joseph has told me all about you, and I've learned more about you besides. I hope that if fate allows, we may know one another, and become friends."

"And finally, to our children, Marie and Joey…" Here, Joseph stopped as tears formed in his eyes. Mysa wiped some tears from her own eyes before continuing, "Marie, Joey, mere pyaare bachche, the world can be so cruel, if you are watching this then you know this. But always remember that no act of kindness and love is ever wasted though, and always believe in the good inside of people." Joseph finally collected himself to speak by then, "Life will be hard, and burdens are heavy." Joseph stopped to take Mysa's hand and they looked at each other with a small smile, "But the people you love will make it lighter."

More than a few eyes in the room had to be wiped, Nemuri wasn't afraid to wipe her tears, and swore she saw Aizawa do the same, though he saw her and quietly complained, "Damn dry eye." "Now then, we might as well move on to business," Joseph said after taking a deep breath. "Harry, you were always an ear that would listen, someone I could trust. I leave you with my collection of vintage albums, and $40,000 to you," Joseph said. Mrs. Bowers presented the albums, and Harry held them close, as if with them he could feel Joseph's presence. "Charlie, my man," Joseph said, and the Chinese man with red hair looked up, "I'd have died a lot sooner if it wasn't for what an amazing sparring partner you were. You can have my whole weight set and bag set too and $40,000, hope they help you in your training as much as you helped mine." Charlie went to the garage and Nemuri followed to see an old-fashioned gym inside with a heavy bag, speed bag, dumbbell and weights with a stool to train on. Charlie smiled a little and muttered, "That musclehead, of course he'd leave this to me."

"Frank," Joseph said, and Charlie and Nemuri returned her attention to the hologram to see the tall, scarred man with turquoise hair stand at attention. "You were the best sidekick any hero could ask for. We've saved each other dozens of times, and I want to thank you for that. I leave you with all the books I have about being a hero. They taught me a lot, I hope that you can use them wisely on your own journey, along with $40,000 to help you set up your own Agency," Joseph said. Mrs. Bowers handed Frank a box filled with books, and Frank took one out, a copy of the autobiography of Maid of Steel, one of the First Generation of Heroes. "I hope it does, Joseph," Frank quietly said before putting the book back in the box.

The recording of Mysa then spoke up, "Grace, you helped set us up together, and helped give me the family I love more than anything." The Pomeranian-headed woman sniffed at this as her ears sunk. "I leave you $65,000, and my favorite turquoise necklace, my ruby bracelet and earrings, and finally my entire comb set." Everyone laughed at that last item, even Grace the Pomeranian-headed woman. Mrs. Bowers presented a case with the jewelry and combs to Grace. "To Priya," Mysa said, getting the attention of the beautiful Indian woman, "I leave $40,000 and all of my dresses. I wish I could give them to you, the daughter of my heart, Marie, but you're simply too tall for them." Nemuri noticed how much larger Joseph was sitting next to Mysa, the hologram was roughly life-sized, if Nemuri had to guess, going on her knowledge that Joseph was 6'4", 1.93 meters, Mysa had to have been been about 5'3", 1.6 meters, while Marie stood about Nemuri's own 1.75 meters height, 5'9". Mrs. Bowers took time to present four large suitcases with the dresses mentioned. "Now, if everyone else doesn't mind, please leave the room until only Nemuri, Marie, and Joey are left," Joseph then announced.

All of the beneficiaries collected their things while the recording was paused, many of them giving the children reassuring pats on their shoulders before leaving the room and going upstairs, Aizawa going with them. Nemuri swallowed a lump in her throat then as Mrs. Bowers continued the recording. "Marie," Joseph said, and the blind girl turned her head to the recording, "You are my first child, and I've always loved you. I tried my best to be a good father and example to you and Joey. Mysa will always be your Mom, from the moment I first saw you together I knew that she was up to the challenge of helping me raise you as you deserved. However, we know that she is not your birth mother, Kayama Nemuri is." Joey and Marie looked at Nemuri and she looked back at them.

"How?" Marie asked, "I thought you were dead?" Nemuri was so surprised that she had to sit down at those words. Joseph continued, "I know you think that your birth mother died bringing you into this world, so did I. But it was a lie. I discovered this a week before making this Video Will. I found your Grandpa's diaries while going through the attic and read them out of curiosity. I found out what had happened. Let me explain this story.

"You know that when I was a foreign exchange student my first year at Rogers and Stark High School I was sent to Japan's best Hero School, U.A. High. There, I met Nemuri and we fell in love. By the time I came home, I didn't realize that she was pregnant with you, not until she was eight months along. I tried to get to her, to you, but by the time I had, it was her due date. When we arrived at the Hospital, your Grandparents, my Parents and hers, argued for hours, while I had to wait in the waiting room. I never saw Nemuri, her parents handed you over to me, and told me that she had died, even gave me her death certificate. They told me to take my bastard child and leave, in no uncertain terms, so I did, they wouldn't even let me attend the funeral. At the time I thought that it was because they hated me, but after reading Dad's diary, I know the truth.

"Being a Teen Mom would have ruined Nemuri's chance at becoming a Pro-Hero in Japan, and so her parents bullied mine into stopping it from coming out. Nemuri's pregnancy had never shown until the last month, by then she was out of school and stayed at home, so only her parents, my parents, and us knew about it. Our parents bribed a doctor to make two fake death certificates, one for me saying she had died in childbirth, and one for Nemuri, saying that it was you, Marie, who had been stillborn. We never thought our parents would lie to us, and we both bought it," Joseph said, his anger apparent from the way his golden eyes started to glow.

"Nemuri," he then said, "If you're watching this, please, Mysa and I are trusting you with the most important things in our lives, our children. We've gathered all the relevant paperwork for you to adopt Joey, and no one can deny your right to your own daughter. I did some research into what you've done with your life, I know that you're now the 18+ Hero Midnight, and a teacher at U.A. Take them to Japan with you, and please take Marie to U.A., I know that you'll help guide her to be the Hero she wants to be."

Mysa then addressed Marie and Joseph Junior, Joey, "Marie, Joey, I know how hard this will be for you. You will be going to a whole other country and will have to learn to adapt. Your Father trusts Kayama Nemuri and I trust him, she will no let you or us down." Mysa then addressed Nemuri, "Kayama Nemuri, please, love my children like they were your own, and guide them through life, since I cannot." "Everyone can come back now," Joseph said, and Mrs. Bowers paused the recording to let everyone else back in the room. Once everyone was present, the recording continued, "Now, as the last item, everything we own that we didn't specify going to others, goes to our children, Marie Nemuri Freeman and Joseph Jerome Freeman Junior, all our savings are to be transferred to two equally divided trust funds, that our children may access when they turn eighteen, or their legal guardian may use in order to care for them. That's all we have to give." Mysa then said, "Thank you to everyone for blessing our lives so much. Take care of yourselves." The recording ended then, and Charlie asked, "But who is their guardian now?"

"I am," Nemuri said, and everyone else looked at her. "It was Joseph-kun and Mysa-san's last wish that I take care of their children, and bring them with me back to Japan, and so I shall." The other adults tried to argue, but Nemuri gave them all one of her most potent glares, focusing all her rage, grief, and even her sadism into the glare as she looked at them. Everyone was silenced at once by this glare. Nemuri turned her attention to Marie and Joseph Junior, Joey. She kneeled down and pulled them both into a hug. "I promise you, I will do everything I can for you both, if you'll let me. I can't promise I'll be the best mother in the world, but I will be the best mother I can be," she told them. For a minute the kids didn't move, before they hugged her back.

Author's Note: I realized I messed up before in the naming of the beneficiaries, so I corrected my mistake and a few others. Blame lack of sleep and over excitement from moving recently.