In a superhuman society where most people possessed some uncanny ability, cities swirled with chaos and confusion following the appearance of these powers. Anarchy ruled the day, and crime ruled the night. Those with power got away with whatever they wanted, while the weak were left to fend for themselves.
But a small point of light shone brightly in a world of darkness. Then another appeared. And another, and another…
Until a new profession emerged: Those who fought for justice and helped others in need. Those who were called heroes. Those who took the centre stage and left behind glorious chronicles of valour. But this is no such tale.
This is just a normal story about a broken family.
It all began when a hero gave birth to her first child in the cosy outskirts of Fukuoka. Although she left the hospital on her own, she was enraptured by the new bundle of joy in her arms. Finally, there was someone who could inherit her gifts and bring her out of the squalor she lived in.
The following days went back to normal, filled with the sounds of screaming and furniture being broken. It didn’t take long before the house door slammed shut, and the woman’s husband walked out of her life for the last time. Bruised and broken, she crawled up to her baby and cradled the only love of her life.
That was Takehiro Kazuma’s first memory of his mother.
His parents were both heroes somewhere in Tokyo— Hiro never found out exactly where. But he did know one thing for sure; they screwed it all up.
Being a hero apparently didn’t pay well enough for them, so they were caught accepting bribes and dabbling in the black market. Disgraced and discharged from their duties, they were forced to leave the big city to start over somewhere nobody knew them.
But ever since they moved into the countryside, their quarrels only got exponentially worse. Hiro’s mother blamed her husband for not picking up another job, while he blamed her instead for destroying their bright futures as heroes. Unfortunately, the woman was already pregnant with Hiro. So she decided to wager her last hopes on her unborn son, despite her husband’s wishes to simply abort an unnecessary burden.
At the age of ten, when most children started to exhibit signs of their quirk, Hiro remained a sweet but powerless kid. After multiple visits to the doctor, the unfortunate truth dawned on his mother.
Her son was quirkless.
At first, she took it in her stride and even apologised to him for being a single mother struggling to make ends meet. But as the days passed and alcohol started to consume the woman’s life, a young Hiro found himself on the painful ends of his mother’s fists.
He didn’t understand what he did wrong, or what she meant by ‘beating the quirk out of him’. The only thing he knew was that his mother was hurting on the inside, and he was hurting on the outside even more.
Heroes on television were his only comfort, although he knew nobody was coming to save his mother and him. He had no powers to aid him, sure. But the boy wasn’t ready to give up hope of becoming a hero himself and bringing his family out of this squalor yet.
It took multiple failed attempts and an almost empty bank account to finally dissuade him from going after that pipe dream. With tears in his eyes but hardened resolve in his heart, the teenage boy made up his mind to join the Japan Self-Defence Force instead. It gave him a more realistic shot at bringing his family back into the big city, and he could still help people as well.
But it was too late.
When he turned eighteen, he came home to a sealed-up house. It was obvious that his mother had chosen to move away without telling him, but he couldn’t find out where. Most people in the countryside minded their own business, so nobody knew where his mother had disappeared to. Some weren’t even aware that she had left in the first place.
Left with no other choice, Hiro packed his bags and left Fukuoka for the military in the city. A part of him was relieved that he didn’t have to see his mother in such a sorry state anymore, but his heart ached, nonetheless. After all, she was still the woman who birthed him.
He never even got to say goodbye.
Hiro had just completed his second year in the Japan Self-Defence Forces as a full-fledged Special Forces Operative when he received news about his mother again. The huge kick in the guts, though, was that it was about her funeral.
Apparently, his mother had given herself one last shot to forge a new life in Tokyo. Selling the whole house as well as some of her belongings, she brought herself on a one-way trip back to the big city where she was born.
Unfortunately, she fell in with some nasty people after giving in to her alcohol addiction. Bolstered by those criminals’ villainy, her vices grew like a festering cancer, and she soon became addicted to multiple hard drugs as well.
It was never properly explained how or why she did it. But for some reason, she tried a bank robbery with her new group of ‘friends’. Being amateurs at the crime game, they botched it almost immediately and found themselves surrounded by heroes and cops.
A firefight exploded between the villain group and the law enforcers. The media didn’t figure out who fired the killing shot, and it’s not like it mattered to them anyway.
But when the smoke finally cleared, his mother was found frozen in a protective stance. Her allies were shaken but still alive. Her corpse, on the other hand, was already riddled with bullet holes.
As though a final act of defiance against her mess of a life, her last act as a villain was still that of a hero.
Hiro showed up drunk at the funeral. It was the first time he had a reason to drink, and there were barely any friends or family around to witness his pathetic state, anyway. After dirt drowned the closed casket, the mourning son returned to his unit’s mess hall and drank the bar dry.
The next day, he submitted a letter requesting discharge from his military service. His officers and fellow platoon mates tried their best to persuade him to stay, but the man had already made up his mind.
After all, Hiro had no more reason to continue his service. The only person he was doing this for was already gone.
~ ~ ~
Hiro thought of his past again as his bicycle rolled to a gradual stop just outside his apartment. The night had fallen, but the rain had thankfully stopped. Fat load of use it was, though. He had already spent almost his entire shift cycling in the inclement weather.
Metal jingled as Hiro jammed the key into the rusty lock and twisted it open.
He shed his raincoat and tossed it carelessly into a laundry basket. On days when he was either too tired or simply not in the mood to patrol the city, he went back to his day job as a humble delivery rider. It was a physically taxing job, but it was also a great way to stay familiar with Musutafu City, which greatly benefited a neighbourhood vigilante like him.
After a nice hot shower, the young man settled on his sofa and switched the television idly. None of the programmes really interested him, though. But this old CRT television was just about the most expensive item he owned, and he’d be damned if he didn’t put it to good use. A part-time delivery rider didn’t pay that much, after all.
The rest of his tiny apartment was predictably crappy as well. Used furniture was scattered around the room like a child’s abandoned toy area, along with a dusty computer sitting on a dining table.
The only sign of any interior design was a shoddy plaster wall separating the bedroom from the rest of the apartment. A horrid shade of green coated the sorry excuse for the four walls, faded where the sun usually came through the dirt-streaked windows.
All in all, the place was so rotten that Hiro should’ve been getting paid to stay here instead. But the rent was dirt-cheap, and his daily activities had squeezed out every last damn he could possibly give about his living conditions. As long as he could afford it, he wasn’t planning on changing anything.
“— Discussion is swirling around potential nominees as the date for the Prime Minister’s Candidacy announcement draws closer. Today, we have the esteemed Senator Yamato Gouma with us to give his rallying speech!”
The television screen came back into focus as Hiro sat up straight, watching a tuxedo-wearing man walk up confidently to a podium.
“Everyone, I’m not going to sugarcoat my words. The golden age of heroes is already beginning to wane. Scandals litter every part of our society, and yet we can’t even discern if they are indeed true. Criminals have taken a strong foothold in our country, and yet we walk the streets blissfully unaware of their presence among us. Gone are the days when we can count on a hero with a strong right hook and a bright smile to save the day! Gone are the days when the only things threatening us are dark alleys or bank robbers! We live among deception and disgrace. We live among pests and pestilence. The worst part? The enemy could be any of us.”
Hiro leaned back with his arms folded as commotion began to stir through his television’s mouldy speakers. Even the host of the show looked positively uncomfortable. Yamato Gouma had certainly succeeded in riling up his audience.
“But it is not too late, comrades! I speak to you not as a ruler but as a fellow citizen. Now is the time to rebuild our crumbling nation. Now is the time to move forward into a future of dreams and hope! Everyone! You have seen for yourself the efficacy of my policies. If we can stamp out such vile corruption with a simple pilot test, imagine how much of Japan’s streets we can clean up if the policies were properly set in motion?”
Commotion broke out again, but several members of the audience were nodding their heads in agreement this time. Even Hiro could remember how many corrupt officials had been in the newspapers for the past few weeks. Most of them had come clean themselves, but a small portion of the media suggested that it had something to do with a few missing members of their party. Whatever Yamato was doing behind the scenes, it was certainly effective.
And most likely illegal, too.
“Only by discarding our shameful past in earnest can we truly move forward as a nation. We can all be heroes if we work together. So fight with me, good citizens of Japan! Fight with me so our children may carry the next generation of Japan with pride. Fight with me so our nation can become a powerful country that no hero of legend can even hope to match!”
People were already beginning to applaud.
“I humbly ask that you cast your vote for me, Yamato Gouma. Let us go beyond the heavens and charge forward into our glorious future!”
A thunderous applause ensued this time as the host moved on to the next candidate. Hiro pursed his lips with worry. Yamato Gouma was charismatic, without a doubt. Hell, if Hiro wasn’t already aware of his crimes, he would probably have been swayed over to his side as well. Dealing with him was certainly going to be no easy task.
Still, he agreed with Yamato on one thing. The golden age of heroes was no more. The public only idolised those in the spotlight, those lucky enough to be born with flashy powers to put their minds at ease. But heroes are merely human, and none deserve such reverence.
Especially not those who turned their backs on their child.
Hiro switched off the television and snatched his costume from a drawer. He didn’t plan on patrolling tonight, but he was right in the mood now. Just because he wasn’t accepted as a hero doesn’t mean that he wasn’t as good, if not better than them. Besides, he could use some practice with Miles’ new upgrades.
The vigilante leapt out of his window, gliding away in his new wingsuit.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTIZ1gQWhc
and then Add to home screen.