For A More Just Society.
Knives Out, Swords Drawn.
The Rise of Stendhal.
Clashing Kendo Shihai together never got old. None of it did. Izuku was keeping up well, but he was lacking in one crucial thing. Self-confidence, focus, and wait… that's two things. I just took my stance, with Izuku doing the same.
"Stendhal?" he asked. He quaked with nervousness, kendo armor jostling lightly, sword slightly shaking but he stayed stalwart. His stance was solid for a greenhorn. His eyes fixed on me. He was learning fast, and that was great!
"Hm? What is it, Izuku?" I wondered, circling him, he was wide open on his sides because of his shaky footwork. I didn't want to discount him because I've seen his doubting face before just this last week.
"Killer Queen says… says you took the exam five times in a row and wouldn't give up unless they… uhm… d-dragged you out," he mumbled, "C… Can I really be a quirkless hero?"
I closed my eyes and dashed by him, striking the sword out of his hands, it clattered to the ground and my eyes viciously turned towards him, "Yes. Never say you can't! No doubts! Sheathe your sword and run and do some Hindu Squats! Do it until you can't do it anymore!"
Izuku straightened and nodded, "Y-yes sir!" He squeaked, I smiled and went inside. I already set up a water cooler for him and I just changed out of my armor and sat watching him. Nemuri came out, and she was in a good mood.
"So, is he dead yet?" she asked. Nemuri wore a loose shirt and pants, leaning against me with her hand on her stomach, already kinda swollen. Our Baby Kitten was growing there. Her hair was a long swath down her back in a ponytail.
"Nah, I'm not that brutal." I huffed. She grinned and took out the ultrasound pictures. Showing our baby kitten. She grinned and pointed at one glamour shot of our little kitten rubbing its eyes. Nemuri laid her head on my shoulder.
"We still have to name her~!" Nemuri exclaimed joyfully.
"I was thinking… Satsuki, Ryuko, or maybe even...Kaguya?"
"We are not naming her after your favorite anime and anime movie, dork! Even though Kaguya is a pretty name for her, maybe… Hmmm… since you said she's the light of your life… maybe Hikari?" she asked.
"Hmm… that's perfect!" I exclaimed, grinning and kissing her on the neck, "We're gonna be great parents," She nervously laughed and blushed.
"Well, uhm… considering what poor little Izuku is going through right now…" she mumbled, looking at Izuku, "Do you really have to put him through all that?" she asked.
"And have him be weak? Hell no!" I snarled.
"But he's just a kid, honey…"
"To them, he doesn't matter, to them, I never mattered. He has to fight to achieve what he wants, and if I fail him… like I failed our baby out there in that madman's game, then I won't ever be able to look our baby in there in the eyes without thinking of them, the kid's got spirit and drive,"
"Sosuke, this sounds like you're…"
"Crazy?" I asked.
"Yeah, crazy and not in the passionate way," she sighed, pulling me into her arms and nuzzling me. Izuku fell to the ground after his squats and I ran over, helping him up.
"No… no, I got it!" He insisted.
"Izuku Midoriya, you are going to sit down and rest right now," I snarled, seeing him gathering his courage.
"But…"
"Did I stutter, Midoriya?" I asked.
"No…" he sighed.
"Okay, now I want you to go home and rest, alright?" I asked, "I'll see you in the morning, more blade work exercises," I saw him brighten up and he left joyfully. Making me feel a little warm inside.
Nemuri got up, wrapping her arms around my shoulders, "Baby~" she cooed.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"You got something cooking in that brain of yours…" she purred, "Are you going to rescue Eri?"
I nodded, and she sighed, kissing me gently on the lips she was holding it for a while, a kiss that screamed at me that she didn't want me to go., "If you don't come back, I'll come up to heaven and drag you back myself!" she hissed viciously.
"Alright," I said, leaning down and kissing her stomach, "I gotta come home with big sis Eri so that Hikari-chan has a big happy family, right?"
Nemuri laughed and kissed me one last time, I pulled away and grinned.
"I love you, and… keep a light on,"
Silence. Darkness. An alleyway outside of the compound in meditation. Sitting with my swords on my back and at my hip, my knives out front. I just opened my eyes and remembered what I was here for.
"In. Out. no kills, grab Eri, and HAUL ASS. If only I didn't just pull that out of my ass! Damn I'm good!" I exclaimed, running towards the compound and clearing the wall, landing lightly on the other side.
Alright, over the wall, through the compound which I could wager a guess that it's underground. I just went through the garage, seeing no security. The darkness was important-
"Well, well… look who it is!" the same bitter voice echoed throughout the room, my serrated blades at the ready, watching for him.
"Of course, you still hide that other you. Your brother enlightened me about it… so…" Overhaul stepped out of the shadows, golden eyes gleaming, clenching Eri's arm and looking at me with that snide glint in his eyes.
"Daddy!" Eri yelled, tears in the corners of her eyes. I readied my blades, clenching the hilts tightly.
"So! I have a minor question for you, what will happen once you achieve your perfect society? Or even if you are trying to make one at all, having such foolish desires?" he asked.
"If I was you- I would have killed Midnight a long time ago, I would have ignored the little girl in the dumpster, I would have raised my swords against the heroes and challenged them to fight or die!" He snarled.
Shaking, my swords wavered, Overhaul moved closer. Eri wiggling in his grip, looking at me with her big red eyes on the verge of tears.
"In the end, you're a selfish man who has nothing to his name. Begging your fiance to leave the hero world knowing that you'd drag her right back in, taking a girl that doesn't belong to you, and thinking you're better than us so have your fairytale ending." He said, tossing Eri my way.
I caught her and she let loose with the waterworks, "Daaadddy!" She sobbed. Her little arms squeezing my neck and I noticed scars on her arms and legs, crying her little eyes out.
"Now, you've gotten what you wanted, I've gotten what I wanted, now lea-"
"No, I won't let my daughters grow up in a world with scum like you in it. I am Stendhal, the hero who kills the untouchables, Stendhal the hero who cleanses society permanently of monsters like you, and I won't let my family ever break again,"
Eri hugged me tighter, "D… Daddy… don't…" she sniffled.
"Eri, sweetie, Daddy has to handle this bad guy, okay. Mommy is going to be so happy when she sees you! I will NEVER let you go again!" I exclaimed. She just held onto me and Overhaul laughed.
"Of course! The hero arrives to rescue the princess and now the villain has to stop him!" he declared, removing his gloves.
Too bad~ I would've made use of you so beautifully." He sighed. I rushed him with my blades raised.
"Just die like a good little Yaku-" blinding pain skewered me as my blades shattered against another one. Overhaul seemed glad, even joyful. He laughed and I grabbed the spike.
"Face it… you need me…"
The grinding of the stone left my side, dropping me to the ground. A pool of blood spread underneath me. Next to me on the floor was Nemuri, but not at the same time. A Nemuri dressed in my ill-fitting gear, Eros.
My old self.
"Daddy! Get up!" Eri yelled.
Eros laughed, "Cute kid… hey, how about we just walk away?"
I didn't want to but soon the sounds of our fight attracted the others. They all crashed through the building. The whole street devolved into chaos, with oddly enough other heroes and police joining the fray.
Eri ran to me, "Daddy! Daddy! Get up!" She yelled, shaking me. I closed my eyes, rising and grabbing the hilt of my blade, "Defying death… running through fire…" Eros wrapped her arms around me, "Blaze and live, fight and die…"
Overhaul blitzed at me, spikes making him ride on the stone, Eri's arms squeezed my shoulders, wired safely in my scarf. Skyward, slashing through the blood and the pain, a red storm of a blade in my hands.
Nothing but hatred and blind passion guided my hands, I kept Eri out of my way. She looked so scared, just barely four and seeing her father bleeding out yet still fighting to kill the man who hurt her. To kill that son of a bitch Yakuza… for hurting… my ERI! I closed in, slashing spikes to slag. There were no others. He sent them away to lure me here! Dark and woozy, I closed in and my sword met nothing but flesh.
Arm. Leg. Arm. Chest, Slashing madly, hot and sticky blood covered me as I did so, churning and rolling was my stomach. The former whole of Overhaul was on the floor, laughing and armless, legless, unable to move as he cackled.
"It's all over now! The Yakuza, the villains, they'll all surpass heroes! They will become obsolete jokes!" he yelled, smiling, "And your ending, and your family, will be harbingers!"
"Shut up… Overhaul…" I huffed, passing out and not knowing anything more.
Soft beeping met my ears, jolting me out of my dreamless sleep to see Eri cuddled against my chest. The buzzing fluorescent lighting and the fact that a third person was in the room made me dryly think, well, there goes the electric bill! So much for leaving a light on, too! The third person was Nemuri, sleeping soundly with her head on the bed, hair messy and glasses on the side table. Ah shit! The baby! Oh god, I hope she's okay… Nemuri shifted gently and Eri raised her head.
"Mommy… Daddy…" she yawned. Nemuri stretched and Eri scooted into my arms, my two favorite girls in the entire world. Soon to be three. Nemuri smiled and leaned over to kiss me. Eri kissed my cheek too. They just smiled. With that, I just closed my eyes, grinning widely.
A few months later and Izuku was making progress in his training, Nemuri was close to having the baby, and Eri was still adjusting to her Overhaul less life again. Hizashi and I went out for coffee before the JB event, or the event that announces the new rankings for heroes.
"Wait, a second! I have a what?" I gasped, Hizashi just said something that made me almost have a heart attack. The blond friend of my fiance grinned and leaned over the table, tapping my forehead.
"Come on, Sosu! It's obvious the public loves ya! So dedicated and junk! Sides, Nemi-chan really likes ya, too!"
"Okay, no, I am NOT showing up to the Jaan Billboard Chart ceremony... it'll only give my brother what he wants, and also they want me to say something and I am not good at speeches." I sighed, drinking my coffee.
"Aw come on, Sosuke! You inspired so many quirkless kids and people to at least try to make things equal! But I get it, with the whole Hassaikai takedown…" Hizashi sighed but smiled and leaned back.
"Besides, you surpassed Wash." he said.
"Okay, but everyone can," I scoffed, "What else is new?"
"Not only Wash, but Miruko, Hawks, and… even Endeavor!"
"Excuse me… WHAT! HOW!?"
"Two things, ol' buddy! Leaky leaks and a little oh I dunno, fucking Midnight and making her into a mama, being soft in public with her and Eri-chan, and being nice enough to assist anyone who needs it," he explained, You're the perfect hero with the perfect life! Why wouldn't you embrace it and ride the wave?"
"Because I am the LAST vigilante that should go hero! Nemuri will get involved and our baby is due soon and Eri has a piano recital and I can't miss it because if I do she'll get sad that Daddy is too busy for his Eri-bug and now I'm guilty and drinking coffee with the Human Cockatoo!" I ranted, seething a little. "Why was I RANK TWO?!"
"It's just re-rank jitters, my guy! It can't be that bad!" he exclaimed.
"You try saying that when ALL OF JAPAN IS GOING TO BE WATCHING!" I screamed.
"Still bro, there's the after party! Woo!" He exclaimed. I sighed and pulled on my mask. Well, here goes nothing. The Bloodcurdling Hero, Stendhal… Rank Two. All I needed to do was accept the rank and fuck off back home so I could take care of my now EXTREMELY PREGNANT FIANCE and my baby Eri-bug. When I got to the stage, they lined everyone up and ready to go, except for me, Endeavor, and our third friend, the legend of all herodom, the hero Chizome said was worthy beyond belief. Still, standing next to a wildfire given human form was intimidating, and he glared at me with his azure eyes.
"So, they're letting criminals and murderers into the ranking?" he asked, voice growling like the fires on his shoulders.
"Oh wow, what an ego! What, was having four kids, breaking your wife, and jacking off your hate boner not enough for you?" I snarled, "My daughter and I almost died a month ago and you're over here whining and crying that you're not number two anymore like a little shit that doesn't have any friends!"
"Now, now, you two, no need to-" All Might cautioned.
"Oh no, I will NOT let this go, Sosuke Akaguro, Stendhal, the man who took my hard earned spot in less time than I did who fucks a slovenly whore like Midnight just to feel needed and important with a daughter that doesn't even look like you!"
"One. Minute." I snarled.
"What?" he asked.
"One minute is all you'd last without your quirk, but I won't fight a fake like you, I'll lead this society through hell one day and come out the other side, you'll be nothing and you will be nothing once they realize that," I said, fixing my mask.
"And now, climbing up almost overnight to the Number Two ranking, The Bloodcurdling Hero, Stendhal!" The announcer yelled and I strode out with a grin on my face and my scarf and hair billowing behind me.
The cheers of the public were deafening. I just took the mic and slid my mask up, To all villains out there, my blade will find you!" I exclaimed, giving the mic back and just leaving. I wanted to go home and check on my fiance and our baby. Tiredness just filled me, slowed me down and longed for the sweet smelling embrace of my beloved Killer Queen. How could this day get any worse Seriously, how much worse can it get Then, like a rescue line, my phone rang out with Nine Inch Nails song: Closer. I answered as fast as lightning to the sound of heavy mewling, panting, and groaning.
"Nemuri! You okay? You sound like-"
"SOSUKE! THE BABY'S COMING!" Nemuri screamed, dissolving into sobs, "God! Get this baby outta me!"
"Nemuri, breathe, okay Remember those exercises we did a month ago?' I ventured.
"I AM BREATHING! AAAH! Just… Just hurry! AAAHHH! THIS IS NOT THE FUN KINDA PAIN!" she screeched to the heavens again. I was rooftop running, and I noticed she must've handed it over to someone else.
"Sosuke, you better get over here," Aizawa snarled, "Nemuri just broke the lamp and clawed the sheets to shreds. Eri is also freaking out, and she jus-"
"OH GOD MY HAND!" Hizashi boomed with a shattering of most of the windows at this point I was HAULING ASS. Damn the missiles, full speed ahead because my baby was coming and my girl was tearing everything to shreds with the Cockatoo screaming his heart out and it sounded like the apocalypse was on the other end.
I bashed in the door to see Eri and Aizawa hanging out and Hizashi still whimpering from his broken hand. All three of them looked like they've been through war.
"Daddy!" Eri exclaimed, tackling into me, "Mommy's screaming! Im scarrreeeeddd!" She cried and sobbed into my legs and I gently gave her back to Aizawa.
"Don't worry guys, I'll handle this." I assured them, going into our room and getting hit with a wave of pheromones and gagging. I heard her panting and mewling, seeing how messy she really made the room in my absence.
Pillows everywhere, smashed lamp, torn sheets. Everything in disarray with Nemuri growling and snarling on the bed with effort. I rushed to her side, seeing her messy hair sticking to her back and forehead, her eyes met mine.
"Sosuke… catch the baby!" She hissed, and I bolted to crotch level, seeing the baby almost out, her cries joining her mother's.
"Alright, honey! I needja to push now! She's coming in hot!" I yelled, throwing off my scarf and soon enough, loud and needy cries filled the room. A small… warm thing was in my arms, her little legs kicking at the air and her arms flailing, her tongue dancing through the air too.
"She uh… has my tongue, and… and my…" I whispered.
Her eyes opened and she looked dead at me for the first time, red on red. Her little lips curled into a smile. And she… my daughter, my Hikari-chan…
She laughed. Nemuri reached out her arms. Making grabby hands like Eri did.
"Gimme," she said, taking her and smiling down at her, Aww! She looks like me! As almost on cue, little Hikari stuck her tongue out at her mother, making her sigh.
"And then there's you," she yawned, feeding her, "Such a cutie~!" I got into the bed beside her, looking at our daughter, our baby. Our fresh addition to our family together. No uptight parents, no gangsters, no quirk enhancing drugs, no rankings chart, just me and my family.
And I would never trade them for the world. Eri came in to see and she ran to us, scooching on the bed.
"Hey~" Nemuri said breathily, "This is your big sister Eri, and she'll have a ton of fun with you when you're older," Eri smiled and Hikari pulled away from her mothers breast to smile at her big sister, red eyes glittering and tongue lazily lolling out of her mouth.
"She's smiling!" she exclaimed.
And we all just watched her, our little light, the successor to the Akaguro legacy…
My daughter, Hikari.