Warning: This story contains dark themes; adult content, violence, depressive topics and more. Please, read at your own discretion.
Chapter 1
[Yosuke Inoue]
He knew what he'd been called to the boss's office for. Everyone did. They'd heard the whispers and rumors going around. Some had dismissed them, but Yosuke had seen a fair share of those come true before. He'd learned to read between the lines and have a better idea of what was true and what was a lie. One of the only things his job had taught him how to do, people reading.
He'd learned how to tell the veracity of information. He'd learned how to read people, so that he could please them better, so that he could ingratiate himself to them. It was how he'd survived for so long, in a place that seemed to either destroy people, be it personally, financially, some other kind or some mix of them.
Yosuke had had to learn. Not many people hired pseudo-Quirkless. He wasn't sure what that had to do with an office job, but apparently, if you didn't have some kind of Quirk to show off, then you were basically thrown together with the Quirkless. That was what had happened to him and he'd been forced to look everywhere for a job once he graduated, eventually dropping in the job he had now…
The only one that'd take him.
Until then, if the rumors were to be believed, which he was almost convinced they were.
"You wanted to see me, boss?" Yosuke asked after knocking on the door and being told to come inside. "Is there something you need?" he asked, playing the fool. Maybe he could spin this somehow. He was good at his job. Maybe he could get to keep the job if he accepted a lower pay? It'd be tough, but if he didn't then…
"Not quite, Inoue," his boss said, plastering the fakest expression of regret Yosuke had ever seen. It would have been impressive if he weren't feeling helplessness and anger bubbling inside him. "We are going through a tough time, you see?"
Bald-faced lie, if Yosuke had ever heard one. The company was fine. They weren't doing great, sure, but they were fine. They'd been fine for years and this hadn't changed. No, this was just lies, Yosuke knew. Lies and excuses and this man who had decided that Yosuke was the easiest to screw over without consequences.
"We have to pull new people, people we can afford to pay less," the man continued talking his nonsense. As if anyone would work for less than Yosuke did. The only reason he had stayed was because there was literally nowhere else. For them to be able to pay less, they'd have to find some Quirkless person that had just graduated or something like that.
'Surely this doesn't have anything to do with your son graduating, right, boss?' he thought to himself wryly. Yet, despite his thoughts, he was far from fine. It was like the walls were closing in on him from around his seat. His boss – 'ex-boss?' – continued spouting his lies and excuses like he couldn't get enough of the sound of his own voice. He kept going, like background noise that Yosuke just couldn't tune out.
He was barely paying attention though, because he knew where this was going. There was nothing he could do. Could he threaten the man with a lawsuit? Don't make him laugh. He had no power and no money. That was basically him losing and the most he'd do was rob the other man of some pocket change… Provided he even got anywhere within the next decade.
Could he try to weasel his way into staying? Ridiculous idea. This man wouldn't let his son not get the job and he couldn't care less for Yosuke if he tried. Only reason he even allowed him in the company was because he was cheap as fuck to keep, but that would stop being the case if he needed to keep him on top of adding his son to things. No, there was no convincing his boss not to fire him.
"I'm very sorry," the boss said. Was that the third time? Fourth? Yosuke didn't know, but ultimately it didn't matter. The man didn't mean those words, so they kind of blended together with the rest. A babble that might as well be white noise, because it was all meaningless in the end. It was all just platitudes that Yosuke wondered if they were even worth the air being used for them.
He wondered why the boss even bothered, really.
That is, until he saw it.
"I'm sorry," the boss repeated, after some time speaking nonsense. That's when Yosuke saw the twitch of the man's lips, a smirk in his eyes and a shine in his eye. 'This piece of shit-' "But we'll have to let you go."
There were more words after that. More empty words that Yosuke didn't care about. He felt his lungs closing up and his heart beating inside his chest. There was a dull sound echoing in his ears and his vision seemed to get smaller and smaller. 'This is happening,' he thought to himself, unable to believe it.
His life was finally falling apart.
It was expected, if he were honest, but it was still very much a shock.
After years and years trying to find a place in life. After so much effort trying to build a life for himself, Yosuke felt his world falling apart around him. All his work trying to fit in and do as he should, it had gotten him nowhere. He had no family, no money, no job, no… nothing.
"I'm sorry," his boss said, and Yosuke was just grateful that it seemed like the speech was over. He answered something, but he honestly couldn't even remember what it was a second after the words left his mouth. After the fact, he moved as if he were a puppet, letting his body move on its own as his mind seemed to shut down for a while.
He didn't bother gathering anything from his desk as he went to leave. He just moved on autopilot. He didn't take any public transport home once he was out. Instead, he just walked, because he needed to be doing something or he'd start thinking.
Unfortunately, that was unavoidable.
His mind reminisced then, about what he'd gone through in his life. He'd pushed his desires to the side. He'd studied and worked, believing that maybe, one day he could be like everyone else. Maybe one day, he'd be part of everything. One more member of society, another cog in the machine. That'd been what he'd strived towards, when others wanted to stand out.
He wanted to be like everyone else.
Yosuke had wanted to be one more normal person.
He couldn't, he knew, but he had at least been able to pretend.
And yet, that effort had all been for nothing. Nothing he'd tried worked and now his hands were empty. As empty as his pockets and as empty as he felt inside at that very moment. No matter what he did, how he went about it, the world seemed determined to push him.
There were no paths in front of him anymore. The last one had vanished from his sight and he was left there, stranded in the middle of life. There were no options and his life's work had been worth nothing. He'd sold his wretched soul for what he had, denied who he really was and played the part he needed to.
And it was all… nothing.
'Now what?' he wondered as he walked, feeling the world's weight on his shoulders and the helplessness of his situation. 'Now… what?' he repeated, and all his mind seemed to be able to conjure was white noise in response. He had nothing. No plan, no approach from here on out.
All he had was frustration and helplessness.
[}-o-{]
[Yukino Haruhi]
'It has to be a dream.'
It was all she could think. The world blended together in colors and shapes as she stared at everything around her with an odd sense of detachment. Almost as if she were underwater.
Yukino stared blankly at the remains of what once was her home in vague incomprehension. She swallowed a sob, unconsciously. She couldn't understand why she felt like crying over a dream.
The whole apartment complex was little more than rubble and scrap now. People rushed from side to side in a cacophony of noise and yelling that made it hard for her to understand what they were saying. With a shaky, numb hand, she pinched herself in the arm. She waited for the debris to disappear and the sounds to stop. She waited for herself to wake up in her bed and get ready for the day ahead. She still needed to get ready for that job interview after all.
When that didn't work and the dream didn't end, Yukino tore her gaze away from the broken building towards the crowd around her. Trying to make sense of what was going on, she got nothing. Her mind just came up blank and disoriented.
Families gathered and embraced each other. A child covered in dust and soot rushed towards his kneeling mother, who grasped him in a hug of relief. A man cried over the body of a woman covered head to toe by a blanket. People in uniforms and hard helmets helped the heroes, police officers, and firemen, to remove the rubble and free even more of her neighbors.
In the distance, she could hear the sirens of police cars. Two shoddy and dangerous-looking men were being arrested and shoved into the back of one of the cars, while they screamed their innocence. Both of them were heavily cuffed and bloodied over.
A few meters away, a hero watched over the proceedings with a critical eye, making sure neither of them tried anything suspicious. Yukino wasn't sure what the name of the hero was. Only thing that came to mind was that he was the one with the wood quirk.
Raising her hand again, she pinched herself, again. Her eyebrows drew into a small frown when she failed to wake up. Cold sweat ran down her back as she felt reality crashing down on her, yet she refused to accept it.
Memories rushed into her head.
She remembered the sound of two people screaming and glass breaking. She recognized one. It was a known drug dealer around those parts. He had been reported to the police multiple times, but he never stayed at the station for more than a day. Yukino woke up annoyed. She needed her sleep after all. It was a big day today and she needed as much rest as possible.
She remembered going towards the kitchen for her charging phone to call the police. She didn't manage to make it halfway before the walls started breaking apart. The entire building shook as her roof came crashing down on her.
Her legs felt weak.
They were shaking too.
"Miss?"
Everything was gone. Her home. Her entire life. What was she supposed to do now?
"Miss, please calm down. You need to breathe."
She didn't want to go back and beg her parents to stay with them. She worked so hard to move away from them. To start a new life away from her family's expectations. She just couldn't go back.
"Miss!" a voice exclaimed next to her, startling Yukino. She felt a pair of arms grabbing her and holding her gently. Guiding her to sit down against one of the walls. It was only now that she realized that she was hyperventilating. Much-needed air rushed towards her lungs. "Deep breaths, miss, deep breaths. Just listen to my voice," was what the voice said.
She focused on calming her beating heart which felt like it was about to explode out of her chest. The warm hands helped her center herself a little bit more. They felt nice.
"There you go, miss. Here, let me help you," the baritone that could only belong to a man said from her side. One of the hands that was holding her carefully passed her a bottle of water and a clean towel.
She grabbed both and downed the bottle in a few gulps, almost choking herself. The man drew soothing circles on her back to help her. Yukino grabbed the towel and cleaned her face. Once she felt slightly better, she moved her matted blonde hair and directed her attention to the man who had helped her.
'Kind,' was all she could think of. If people could be defined by a single word, then this man's whole being seemed to irradiate that. His black eyes looked at her with understanding. There was no worry, just joy to see she was better now. A small smile on his lips conveyed empathy and comfort. It was almost as if it were assuring her that everything would be alright without saying a single word.
"Thank you," Yukino said between coughs as she got her bearings. She was feeling… marginally better, she supposed. The warmness receded slightly as the man removed his hands from her shoulder and back.
He, for his part, only smiled wider. It was a nice smile, in her opinion. Sunny and genuine.
"It was no problem, miss. Just trying to lend a hand to whoever I can. You seemed to need the help," the man said, moving his gaze across the area. Survivors from the complex arrived constantly, being guided – or in some cases carried – by the firefighters and rescue personnel.
"Are you a hero?" Yukino suddenly asked, curious about the person in front of her who didn't seem to be wearing any particular uniform aside from some basic safety gear. It also helped her distract herself from her dread.
"Not at all, miss," he answered her and brought his attention back to her. "Just a simple volunteer. Nowadays rescue heroes and officers tend to have most situations like this handled. But I have always tried to help those in need whenever I can."
"That is a very generous thing to do," she said with a smile. He might not be a hero, but he sure sounded like one. It made her want to giggle for some reason.
"Thank you," he responded with a small laugh. "I try my best. I know I might not be of much help, but as long as I can bring a smile to the people suffering. Even if it is a single one at a time, I would feel myself fulfilled in this life. It is my duty, after all." His voice gained an odd tone of determination and something… more to it.
It was intimidating, in a way. Yet, the feeling of giddiness in her only grew slightly inside her for some reason. It made her feel slightly flustered too. She would have gotten away, but his hands were still on her shoulder and back. Probably worried that she would have another attack if he let her go, she supposed.
"Kirei, Kirei Nashide. At your service," the man- Kirei, suddenly stated as he stood up and gave a small bow in her direction. He extended one of his hands towards her.
"Yukino Haruhi," she responded as she took the offered help and stood back up. She looked at destruction and people rushing in every which way. So much destruction caused by two people with dangerous Quirks. How many lives were now ruined? How many people had lost everything?
"Excuse me, miss Haruhi-"
"Yukino, please."
"Miss Yukino, then. I have been leading people to their relatives and families to help the police with having everyone accounted for. Is there any family member or friend that was in the building with you at the moment of the… incident?" he inquired, trying to remain tactful.
Yukino shook her head. Her eyes dropped towards the floor.
"No, it is only me. I live alone."
"I see. It must have been hard. Even after so many years doing the same, these kinds of scenes never get any easier," Kirei said with a shake of his head, his ever-present smile disappearing and replaced by a look of anguish and consternation. It made her sad.
"I- I don't know what to do now…" she sobbed, feeling a knot forming in her throat. "I don't have the money to get another place. I don't even have a job, for God's sake!" Yukino screamed. Hot tears started running down her cheeks as she started.
"In moments like this, we hold onto hope and happiness, because there is nothing else we can do. We remove that anguish and pain and transform them into a smile, we show the world we will fight another day, for a better future, no matter how bleak it looks at the moment," the man preached with full conviction as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I-I guess," she said with a shrug. The soothing feeling that was being replaced by despair as her current situation dawned on her, yet again, returned slightly. She guessed that sometimes, a helping hand can do wonders for your mood.
"Do you have any family members that might help you in this situation, Miss Yukino? I will personally help you get in contact with them," Kirei stated. His grip on her shoulder grew slightly awkward, considering the strength of his conviction. She could feel the cuts and scratches in her arm and back aching and opening up slightly.
"No, no family at all. I am… not on speaking terms with them. I just moved to the city, so I don't have a friend's place to crash in the city either," Yukino answered. The reality of her situation started sinking in again. The idea of having to live in communal houses for the homeless filled her with dread. Her Quirk was not good for personal defense, after all. All she could do was read and comprehend written texts at faster speeds than a normal person.
Those kinds of places weren't exactly safe. The security was spread really thin. If they were present at all, that is. She had heard of stories of people being mugged in those, or worse.
"I see… Well… In that case. If it is alright with you, a friend and I have an apartment with a free room in it. If you want to use it, of course. I know we are strangers and it might feel suspicious, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't offer," Kirei said, his hands gesturing along with the emotions on his face.
It made her giggle a little. The man sure wore his heart on his sleeve. Yet, she wasn't sure. As nice as he was, he was still a complete stranger she met a few minutes ago.
"Why would you go so far to help me?" she asked then. She couldn't believe she was even considering the offer at all. It wasn't like she had that many options at the moment though. Between the kind man, the streets, and living with dozens of unknown people in a communal center, she knew which one sounded better to her.
"Hmm? I told you already, didn't I?" he asked back with a tilt of his head. His hands went back to her shoulders. She felt the wounds on her prickling at the sudden pressure. She would need some bandages for those later.
Yet she couldn't bring herself to stop the man or stop herself from gazing into his onyx-colored eyes.
"I am helping you because it is the right thing to do. Because it is what I wish to do, even if it is a single person I will help you for the only reason that you have no one else to do it for you," he said with full conviction. His eyes burned with passion and will that she had never felt before.
The feeling of giddiness returned in full, growing in her like a forest fire. Hope shone brighter than she had felt in forever. Brighter than before all this disaster. Brighter than the moment Yukino left her home to make a life for herself.
"I will help you because there is nothing else in this world I would rather do than see you smile, Yukino," Kirei said, stressing her name. "And I am sure it will be the most wonderful thing in the world," he continued with a sunny smile of his own that by now she had come to understand as his default expression.
She would be lying if she said that she didn't blush a little bit at such a heartfelt confession. Her heart was beating fast and a small giggle wouldn't stop leaving her mouth. Kirei somehow smiled wider at that. Both of his eyes crinkled slightly. It was a very nice smile, she'd admit…
"See? I could tell it was a beautiful one. No matter who it is, I pride myself to have never failed to bring smiles to those I help." He took a faux haughty pose that made her laugh a bit more. "I can't wait to see what a full one will be like," he said as he let go of her and extended his hand toward her.
The same way he did when he helped her stand on her feet.
Perhaps it was stupid. Perhaps it was just the emotions in her body rushing through her body at that point in her life. Perhaps it was just the kindness that was shown to her, but she grabbed Kirei's hand without any hesitation.
The man let out a laugh.
"Then, if you would have me, please let me go with you, Kirei."
It was only around an hour later that they left the place. Kirei had already finished with his voluntary work and it was time to go home. Yukino declined the police invitation to reside at the communal center and let Kirei deal with the official proceedings as she rested. Her body was seemingly catching up with her day and pretty much forcing her to sleep for a while. He seemed to know what he was doing anyway, if the smoothness of the process was any indication.
As they left the disaster zone, she could see news vans already covering the incident. Interviews were being given to the heroes that sauntered around like peacocks. Desperate for the slightest bit of media attention.
She couldn't care less about them. She looked towards the true hero she met at the worst moment of her life.
Her hero.
For the first time in a long time, Yukino felt that things would start looking brighter from then on.
Yukino felt happy.
[}-o-{]
[Yosuke Inoue]
He walked calmly through the streets, his face impassive as he continued on his way. At some point, he went past a dumpster, in which he threw the suitcase he'd been carrying. After that, he shrugged off his suit jacket and then his hands went to his wrists, unbuttoning his shirt there. Going up the stairs of the decrepit apartment building he lived in, Yosuke loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top few buttons too so that he could breath easier before reaching his door and opening it.
"Are you here, Kirei?" he asked as he walked in, bringing a hand up to run his fingers through his hair. The neat appearance of it immediately messed up just like his whole looks had while on his way. He didn't care though. Instead, he just walked to a piece of furniture in the corner and leaned down to take something from inside it.
Standing up, he pulled one of the glasses from inside too and walked towards the tiny table in the room.
"Coming!" he could hear someone answer happily from the restroom of the apartment. Muffled giggles came from the same direction too, he noticed. As he waited, Yosuke simply opened the bottle in his hand and poured it inside the glass until half of it was filled with amber liquid.
"Another one?" he asked to himself, his voice barely raised enough that he could be heard. His eyes locked onto the glass before he brought it up and took a sip. The alcohol burned his tongue and then his throat but he still smiled afterwards. 'God, this is awful,' he thought, still going for another try. It might have sucked, but the burn was better than feeling literally anything else at the moment.
"Alright. Make sure to keep yourself entertained, alright? I need to go say hi to my friend here and we can continue in just a moment," he heard the voice of Kirei call from the short hallway.
His friend's answer was a musical-sounding giggle of a girl that he now could hear clearly with the door open. She sounded tired and winded, like she had been exercising for a while. Yosuke rolled his eyes, leaning back on his chair.
It didn't take long for Kirei to finish his business and come into the room. His arms open and the biggest smile on his face. Without even resisting Yosuke accepted the hug. He already knew about his friend's lack of respect for personal space. He had years to grow used to it.
"You followed the rules?" Yosuke asked then, turning to glance around for any sign that Kirei might not have. That was just what he needed at that moment, dealing with his friend's lack of foresight in the face of his whims. It'd be nice icing on top of the shitcake that was his day so far, that was for sure.
"My friend! Such a nice and beautiful thing to see you!" Kirei said with a happy laugh as he separated himself from him. "And yes, of course! I followed the rules. Me and my dear lady friend were just getting to know each other better. I can tell you she makes the cutest noises when she gets going. My, the soundproof walls you installed in the bedroom? A wonder of technology, I assure you. I haven't received a single complaint from the neighbors yet," he finished with an impish wink at him. "But enough about little old me. How was your day?" then he noticed the bottle on the table. "You've been saving that since forever, something good happened?"
"The opposite," Yosuke replied flatly. "They fired me," he added, bringing the glass to his lips and taking a gulp of it.
"Ah… I see. That is most certainly unfortunate news," his friend said as he closed his eyes and bowed slightly as if he had just been struck with the greatest of misfortunes. Then he reached towards him again with his arm aiming for another hug.
"Kirei, we've talked about this," Yosuke said, giving the other man a flat look.
"I know, my friend. It just saddens me to see you like this," Kirei said with a helpless look. Then he visibly tried to brighten up. "Well, at bad weather, good face, or however that western saying goes. What do you say you join my lady friend and I to get your mind off this? I can assure you she is feisty enough for both of us," he continued, going back to his ever-present smile.
Yosuke paused then, honestly tempted. He felt like de-stressing a bit and that might be as good a way as any other, really. He felt so… tired and done with everything. Years of his life, thrown to the bin because of nepotism and-
He took a deep breath in and then another gulp of his drink.
"Thanks for the offer, man, but that's not really my thing," he replied in the end. "Is the sink free?" he asked then, standing up and looking at his friend, who was looking at him curiously.
"Oh, yes, it is free, my dear friend. We made a bit of a mess there so watch where you step," he laughed as he opened their small fridge and took out a bottle of water.
Yosuke opened the door and walked towards the sink, ignoring the sounds of their new guest coming from the bathtub as he opened the faucet and gathered some water in his hands to splash it on his face. Looking up at the mirror, he pushed his hands through his hair. He considered everything that had happened in the day and felt his resolve to carry on through life as a normal person waver once more.
The giggle from beside him made him pause.
"Kirei," he called, dragging his hand through his face as he sighed.
"Coming~," the baritone voice from the man came from the kitchen. Sure enough, he could hear his steps coming from the hallway through the open door.
"I think you were right," Yosuke said then, looking wearily at his reflection. Trying so hard had earned him nothing. Maybe Kirei was right and they should do what they wanted… Their calling. Do what they were good at and what they enjoyed.
"Oh? Why the sudden change of mind, my friend?" his friend asked, appearing from outside the door and looking at him. "Don't misunderstand, I am overjoyed you have finally accepted your calling for happiness, but may I know why now?"
"I'm tired of trying to fit in the mold. It sucks and I'm miserable," Yosuke replied, giving his reflection a bitter look before a chuckle escaped his lips. "So… fuck it," he spat out, his chuckle growing into a laugh.
"I see… No. Nonono, I understand!" Kirei answered with a laugh on his own. His arms opened wide and he twirled in place. "Yosuke, you are truly incredible. To hold so long. To give so much for others. It warms my heart to see someone so dedicated to the happiness of others." The man walked towards the door that led to the bathtubs, opening it for him.
"Thanks, man," Yosuke replied with a slight smile. He left it at that though, because he could tell his friend was in a preaching mood. Listening to him ramble might be what he needed to feel a little better… or less like shit.
"Yet, it saddens me to see that you have been depriving yourself of that same happiness… It truly is a shame. You can do more than fit in, you can be more than that, to guide others towards true joy," Kirei continued, his eyes shining as he gestured wildly. Just like he always did when he got into it..
"I guess you are right," Yosuke agreed instead of going with the usual negative answer. He joined the girl's giggle with a chuckle of his own. "Know what? I think I'll take you up on that offer to join."
Kirei's face lit up like a christmas tree.
"Then, what about you joining Miss Yukino and me? We were having plenty of fun together," his friend said, hands gesturing invitingly towards the adjacent bathtub.
So, he turned towards the bathtub and took in the sight. He looked at the girl lying sprawled there, with cuts everywhere on her body. A pair of handcuffs secured her hands to the metal railing in the wall.
Her weak tittering was joined by the sound of dripping blood on the white tiles. She looked at him then, and Yosuke could tell that she wanted to say something, but only more giggles came out of her grinning lips, even with the clear desperation in her eyes.
"Hope you haven't missed me much, Miss Yukino," Kirei said with a happy smile towards the cuffed woman. She seemed to shrink, her matted blonde hair covered in fresh blood, unable to hide the fear in her eyes. The blonde did her best to scramble as far as he could from Kirei, but the cuffs didn't allow for much movement.
"H-Help me," the woman forced herself to say between chortles and guffaws, incapable of stopping herself from laughing. Tears escaped her as she let out a sob. That is until Kirei approached her once again to caress her face.
Once again, the laughter of pure happiness and ecstasy filled the room.
"Don't worry, dear," Yosuke reassured with a smile as he took one of his friend's knives. The handcuffs' chains resounded loudly against the metal bar but neither budged. The soundproofed walls would stop any noise from coming out too. "You'll feel great anyway."
And for the first time in his life, Yosuke smiled like he meant it.
[} Chapter End {]
Adrian: I blame Arc for this. I really do. He felt like writing bad guys and he wouldn't take regular assholes, no.
Arc: We are going full dark with this one! Seriously though.
Adrian: I'm gonna regret all my life choices again and probably pop up in a few watchlists by the time we reach… a few chapters in, I guess. If that.
Arc: Agreed. Now, I love heroes just as much as the next guy, but I always felt that a good villain story can be appreciated too. This is the idea for this fic. Have the story be from the other side of the moral compass.
Adrian: Can't say I haven't thought about that myself, but I always thought it wasn't quite my thing. Guess it'll be interesting to try.
Anyway, this isn't a week after the last posting, I know… But I somehow don't think you guys will care all that much. Hope you, uh… enjoyed the chapter? Had fun? Is there a way to say this without it coming off wrong?
Arc: Just wave and smile. That'll do the trick.
Adrian: Next chapter should actually come out on Friday unless something happens. I don't think I want to have two updates in the same day and everything else is filled for the week, so… Yeah.
Discord Link: discord .gg/UTDransjJZ