Work Text:
Part 4
Hitoshi’s life was defined by the word “villainous” when his Quirk came at the age of four – ever since, things turned out for the worse. His father died from lung cancer and his mother couldn’t keep the family afloat with her low salary. Shinsou drifted between different fosters, every goddamn time facing distasteful glares and contempt.
His current foster family, Akiyato’s were a couple of dentists – it was pretty obvious that they took Hitoshi solely for money. They considered him a bitter, ungrateful brat that didn’t know how to behave properly. Akiyato’s had two children, twin boys that were both 15 by the time he came into their lives – it seemed that those kids were determined to ruin him altogether.
As a result, Shinsou grew up exactly what he was taught his entire life – to be petty, bitter and cold. He would slap away any hand that reached out to him, never tried to be friendly after incidents that ended up horribly. However Hitoshi cared too much about what people thought about him and his Quirk at school – that led to many fights and detentions.
His home life wasn’t any better, Akiyato’s were convinced that he was nothing more than an annoying nuisance. His foster brothers were bullying and snarling at Hitoshi at every turn – one incident was Shinsou’s breaking point.
His foster parents were away on a meeting, the twins stayed with him at the house. The siblings were convinced that they could do whatever they wanted to the purple haired boy – so they bound him with a rope, stripped him to his underwear and dropped him off the window, wishing him to be reborn with a more heroic Quirk.
Hitoshi was terribly battered up, he picked up some clothes from trash and ran away as far as he could – amidst running, he fell witness to mugging. Shocked and extremely distressed, Shinsou could only watch as the mugger accidentally killed the victim in a fit of rage. He felt the tears streaming down his cheeks, the criminal attempting to get away and the purple eyed boy finally snapping and commanding with his Quirk for the Villain to stay in place and wait for the police.
Then Hitoshi felt his mind being filled with all kinds of information – he watched an adult man with disheveled black hair and lilac purple eyes in a military outfit, with a stun gun in one hand and a hunting knife in the other. Shinsou saw his life flashing before his eyes, as he closed his eyes and then reopened them.
Hiroshi Kurose has awakened.
***
Hitoshi only came back to his fosters to steal their money and get his stuff in a backpack. He really wanted to shook himself by the shoulders – he was fucking Hiroshi, a man that watched the Resistance’s fall and his comrades die but still not giving up. Shinsou entered his room that was made only of a slim camp bed, small desk and an old lamp. Originally it was a storage room and since Akiyato’s were so disgusted with him, they turned that space into his. So that they didn’t have to look at him more than it was necessary – if he didn’t remember his past memories, it would probably hurt him. But not anymore.
Akiyato’s were trash, plain and simple – and Hiroshi couldn’t be bothered with shitty people, after all they would always exist.
He took out his mountain backpack where he carried his essentials when switching foster families – since Akiyato didn’t bother if he was going to school or not, they didn’t even notice him staying in his room. The direct aftermath of the murder was pretty fuzzy, after all Hitoshi had to get accustomed to the idea that he had a past life. He gave his statements, left the police station all by himself and went back where the twins were sneering at him. Hiroshi’s sass and not – giving – a – shit attitude immediately kicked in and Shinsou verbally kicked them down with sarcasm and shit talking at them. The boys attempted to beat him up but again, Shinsou had the experience – the fight was resolved in two minutes. The brothers were staring at Hitoshi dumbfounded as he left for his room – he brushed his teeth, went to shower, bandaged some of the worse injuries and went to sleep. The next morning, Akiyato’s were shouting at him for defending himself from their sons, also because their kids lied to them, probably a sobs story about how awful Hitoshi was to the boys. Shinsou wanted to scoff and go back to his room but Akiyato’s gave him his unfair punishment – no food for 4 days. Then they left for work with their devil incarnate children going to their private prestigious school. Hitoshi was ecstatic, he could steal all the funds from Akiyato’s, pack his stuff and disappear – no downsides! Actually scratch that, Shinsou was going to live on the streets which was bad but not terrible, as Hiroshi he spent 4 years as rat, robbing houses and stealing wallets. Not the most honest and honourable but truly, Kurose didn’t give a crap, after all the entire world went to shit with the emergence of Quirks.
Hiroshi didn’t have the luxury of choosing between good or evil, some of his actions were wrong or morally ambiguous at best – he did what he did to simply survive.
And as Hitoshi he did the same – he packed his stuff, stole some money from Akiyato’s and clothes from his so – called twin brothers, got some long – term canned food and left.
Shinsou didn’t look back, as he ran away to the underbelly of Musutafu – Hiroshi was an underdog, a survivalist with a Quirk against a government that actively tried to get rid of him and tried to avenge his loved ones when fighting back against All for One, the fucker that ruined everything. No, scratch that – AFO destroyed like 75% of his life, the rest of the blame laid on the corrupt government shoulders.
A week later, Hitoshi was declared missing and ten days later assumed deceased, a case that also went cold. Of course Shinsou played an active part in doing so, planting fake evidence that would lead to suspect that Hitoshi committed suicide. When a month later, he checked his police records he was declared deceased via jumping off the building.
“Perfect” – Shinsou whispered –”Everything according to plan”.
***
Before he joined the Resistance and after he left the gang, Hiroshi was a Vigilante, a rather violent one – while Lucid and Dream were restraining themselves from killing, Kurose didn’t have an issue with pulling the trigger or stabbing a dangerous criminal to death. Of course it didn’t mean that Hiroshi was some kind of sick psychopath – he didn’t like killing, he would do it if it was necessary to keep the innocent civilians safe.
He called himself Wishful as his codename, because the other members of the gang used to call him a “Wishful Dreamer”, calling out Hiroshi for thinking that he could one day lead a simple ordinary life.
Because of years spent on the streets and in the middle of a civil war, Hitoshi had the survival knowledge – so he rented an apartment that was as small as a kitchen with the money he stole from Akiyato’s to the shady people from Underground.
Then Shinsou heard rumours of powerful Vigilantes that guarded the Red Light District – Lucid and Dream.
At first Hiroshi wanted to dismiss it, berating himself for clinging to his wishful thinking – but curiosity won over and he started searching for intel about them. That also meant getting back to the business – not that Kurose was worried, he had lots of past experience. That also meant going back to his role as a Vigilante, codenamed “Wishful” – if All for One was still alive, Hiroshi hoped that the bastard got war flashbacks, after all in his last moments he spitted some blood on the Demon Lord’s perfectly clean expensive suit and his face.
Hitoshi set up his old costume – a sleeveless military coat with a long sleeved black golf, cargo dark green pants with lots of pockets and dark heist boots. He added to that a simple balaclava, fingerless gloves along with a light utility belt where he carried basic medical supplies, a stolen cellphone, sparse hunting knife and a smoke bomb.
After joining the Resistance Hiroshi didn’t need to wear a mask to cover his identity, which is why as Shinsou he had to come up with something new – then he had an idea. All for One’s brother said something about his connection to the old superhero comic books, well before he got killed. Hitoshi searched the web and found an online shop that sold old pre Quirk merch – after much consideration, Shinsou picked up the one with Batman. However he modified it considerably – first of all, he added night vision goggles that were connected to the mask. Before he knew it, Shinsou changed it so much that it bore none of the previous resemblance. For his main weaponry, he chose the stun gun along with the hunting knife – his main advantage however laid in hand – to – hand combat.
And so Wishful debuted on one cold and rainy night, his light orange goggles shone in the dark with a glinting in the street light hunting knife in his right hand.
***
Toga Himiko was called almost her whole life a “freak” – a weirdo at school who was a bit too much interested in blood. Her parents called her a bad girl, a terrible daughter who has creepy fascinations and obsession with drinking blood.
At one point her cravings became too much for the young girl to handle – so Himiko started to sneak out to hunt for little birds.
When she would see what she had done, the girl would cry her eyes out into the sleeve of her sweater – but her sneaking out didn’t last for long, her parents found out. Her mother slapped her hard in the face, her father grabbed by her wrists and dragged her out to the attic. Then Himiko was locked up for 2 days without food, only given water – after that incident her parents' treatment of her grew worse, and the girl began to slowly crumble. Sneaking out was no longer an option, her cravings for blood became increasingly stronger – at one point Himiko could only think about hunger consuming her from inside out. When coming back from school, she saw a Villain murdering a regular man – the civilian collapsed on the ground, blood splattered and he died on the spot. The Villain immediately ran away but the blood staining the alley was the only thing Himiko could think about. She leaped forward and sunk her teeth into the corpse's skin, drinking blood out of the body so much and so quickly that Himiko didn’t notice the bystander calling the police. Soon enough, she was dragged out and almost got accused of being the murderer – however one detective, Tsukauchi cleared her of all charges and only gave her a warning after her statements proved to be true.
But for Himiko, she knew that another hell awaited her at home – she came back home, her parents immediately jumped on her. Her mother called her a “villainous child”, someone that only brings harm to others and causes misery – Himiko tried to defend herself but she was silenced by two hard slaps in the face. Her father took out any things that were dear to her and burned them in front of her eyes – her father told her that it was Himiko’s punishment for being born wrong, an unfitting piece in her family’s perfect image. The blood sucking black sheep of Toga’s. It was followed by being again locked up in the attic without food, only water and forced to wear worse clothes for being born as a bad girl, the wrong child. Her new room was plain, no pictures or posters – her mother told Himiko that it was her punishment for having a villainous Quirk.
Himiko’s hope shattered like a house of cards – two weeks later the girl attempted to take her own life via hanging in her house alone. The blond haired girl only thought about how much more pain she was forced to endure.
She was one foot in a grave but in a crucial moment the rope broke and Himiko survived – she felt like her head was being torn apart with so much force that could pulp her brain. Unknown flashes of memories of a beautiful woman – she had hazelnut brown hair tied in a braid, seemingly glowing golden eyes and wore a black military outfit. In both hands she held shining in the sun daggers, her face grim but determined. Many memories of that woman until the final one – she laid amidst rubbles, her stomach impaled by a steely rod, blood leaking out of her mouth and her golden eyes fluttering. She held a man with dishevelled black hair and lilac eyes trembling hands and her own eyes closed. The last thing the woman heard was quiet sobbing and the man pleading with her not to die.
Himiko gasped loudly for air, coughing up desperately saliva and throwing up the last food she ate. She crawled her way to the door, stood up on shaky legs and rushed to the bathroom – she turned on the water in the sink and cleaned it with an icy cold water. Himiko’s breath was quick and irregular, her eyes drifting towards the visible marks on her neck – she looked in the mirror’s reflection. The light blond hair, her also golden eyes but with different pupils and vampire fangs in her teeth – Himiko closed her eyes and took a deep breath to collect herself.
The brown haired woman in those memories was not a stranger – she knew her well.
Because that’s who she was in her past life.
Yuki Kaneko has awakened.
***
When her parents came back from whatever hell they were doing, Himiko didn’t even come out of her room. Her newfound hatred towards her mother and father was so strong, that the girl would have to restrain herself from grabbing a kitchen knife and stabbing their eyeballs out. Or cutting off their fingers, one by one, didn’t matter – Yuki wanted for them to suffer but not to kill them, it would be far too easy. Yuki was never a forgiving person but to drove her new self and a child to a suicide attempt? That was a point beyond forgiveness, Toga’s were shitty people and quirkist assholes – plain and simple.
Yuki joined the Resistance to fight people like Toga’s, even though she was young, she experienced the world’s cruelty – her parents abandoned her on the streets for having a Quirk. People were looking at her with disgust, like a person that was beyond hope or saving – for a simple fact of having a Quirk.
Yuki never cried for being abandoned, it was her parents' loss – she pulled herself together quickly, learned to fight from Hiroshi and mastered her Quirk. She was a Vigilante known as “Wisteria” simply because those were her favourite flowers.
Kurose was her partner in crime and later boyfriend – she followed him to the Resistance not only to fight for the Quirked people but also to kill the bastard responsible for so many deaths and tragedies – All for One. She saw how Noriko’s and Hayato’s deaths affected him – his resolve was even stronger but the pain and trauma lingered in his heart. 4 months later, she also too died – Yuki hoped that Hiroshi got to live longer than her or Hayato, Noriko or even the Commander himself.
The next day was Sunday, Toga’s were going out again to meet with some very important government officials – for Himiko it was a perfect opportunity to prepare for her runaway. She stole some warm clothes from her mother, packed canned food and kitchen knives along with other necessities that she would need while being on the run.
She took her backpack, left a fake suicide note on the dining’s room counter – it was a lousy setup by Toga’s wouldn’t care.
Himiko knew them well enough – they would be relieved that they didn’t have to take care of her, her new parents weren’t any better than her old ones. Toga’s treated her as an annoying nuisance, someone that was destined for villainy the moment her Quirk cravings revealed themselves. Kaneko’s were a part of a major Anti – Meta movement, powerful politicians that called for trampling over the people with Quirks. She had two older brothers that were actively following her family’s footsteps – when it was revealed that she had a Meta, her life immediately fell apart. Her parents starved and physically abused her, her older siblings turned cruel and even tried to drown her in the river. Kaneko’s patience was running thin and when one day she came back late from school, they used it as an excuse – she was ordered to pack the most basic stuff and was thrown out on the streets, while her brothers wished her to die in a gutter. After a few months of trying to survive on the streets, Yuki met Hiroshi – he was like her, hardened by the world but never lost his humanity. She became a Vigilante that fought against the Anti – Meta extremists but also Quirked terrorists. Yuki never stood by any of the sides, that was until she and Hiroshi were offered a chance to meet the Resistance.
She and Kurose discovered the truth – All for One killed in cold blood Hiroshi’s younger sisters, while Yuki was forced onto a Quirk while being in a hospital after breaking her leg. Originally, she never had one to begin with – AFO used her as a tool, when he was experimenting with the capabilities of his Meta.
The rest was history – but Yuki was given a chance, with her memories intact she could once again fight, not just enduring.
Himiko then orchestrated her suicide, pretty simple – that she jumped off a bridge, Toga’s would never demand a further investigation.
She found a nice abandoned building on the edge of the city, set up her own space and the rest was just a matter of time.
Wisteria was back in action, with her sharp knives at her disposal – her new outfit consisted of purple like hyacinths, warm hoodie, black all – weather shoes, navy blue long pants and plastic knee protectors. Her pants were attached to twin brown knife cases along with a utility belt where she would put her blood packets, basic medical supplies and a flashlight.
Figuring out what to do with her Quirk cravings was a pressing matter, blood Quirks were commonly despised for their core nature – then a simple solution came. Using the funds she stole from Toga’s, Himiko made a deal with a butcher in a shady part of the city. A certain amount of money for supplying her weekly with blood packets – the butcher easily agreed and the deal came to conclusion.
With her accommodation, Toga’s and her Quirk cravings finally being dealt with, Himiko was ready to act. She stole a mask after shapeshifting into a shop worker, a simple white one that covered her upper face.
Wisteria once again debuted on a chilly and cloudy night, with her knife blades ready once again to roam the streets.
***
Hiroshi couldn’t believe it – the moment he caught a glimpse of Lucid and Dream’s costumes, he almost felt his heart stop. He obviously followed the pair only to be attacked – their matching combat style was all too familiar. Lucid acted as the defensive force, a protector and a shield that was made to guard and defend. Hiroshi considered him to be a hopeless blockhead that only had his eyes on Noriko – despite being so stubborn, he was a good friend and a reliable ally in battles. That’s why his death from AFO’s hands affected him so much – Hiroshi never said it but Hayato was his best friend.
Dream’s combat technique was offensive but a very flexible one, capable of switching to defense when needed – she easily countered Hiroshi’s attacks but Shinsou wasn’t far behind.
Noriko was the flame, she held the team together – while Hayato was quiet and unmoving, seeking to preserve, Noriko was like a firestorm, she brought destruction but amongst all of them, no doubt she was the kindest. She and Hiroshi didn’t get along at first but after a rescue operation of evacuating civilians through sewer lines (that turned into a terrible carnage, AFO’s agents stashed lots of explosives and many innocent people were torn to shreds) their dynamic changed. Hiroshi thought that Noriko was too naive and idealistic despite having her parents murdered by the Anti – Meta extremists – but the aftermath of the operation showed Kurose the truth. Noriko was kind but she was by no means naive – she kept pushing forward through sheer willpower and never let her sense of justice get corrupted throughout the whole shitshow. Noriko became Hiroshi’s second best friend – she had the passion and the fiery determination to keep moving forward. Her loss was what made him to be the soldier that carried on the legacy, even after the Resistance was gone – but her death ached as much as Hayato’s.
Hitoshi fought back but it was two against one – then he felt a cold blade being pressed against his neck and Lucid looking in the eye, with his fingers on the smoke bomb’s trigger.
“You call yourself Wishful, correct?”
Shinsou nodded slightly, paying attention to the Lucid reaction.
“Did you survive long enough to see Resistance’s fall?” – Dream asked bluntly
Hiroshi felt his mouth drop agape, a hopeful feeling swelling inside his chest. Noriko as Dream…and Hayato as Lucid – they were back…Shinsou held Lucid’s stare and cleared his throat.
“Even after Commander and Yuki died, I lived long enough to see the bastard fall back into the shadows” – the boy replied hoarsely –”But in the end, he still killed me”.
“Yuki died…you were left alone” – Dream whispered, her voice full of sorrow –”And you still kept moving forward”
“Your words after the sewers and Yuki’s dying wish were enough for me to keep going” – Hiroshi revealed, his voice layered with multiple emotions –”I was what was left of the Resistance…and now, we’re their legacy”
“You’ve remembered what I said” – Noriko shook her head
Hope is the new tomorrow, so that the hell we see now never happens in the future.
“It’s been a while, Hiroshi” – Lucid spoke trembling
“Welcome back, Hayato. It’s good to be here” – Hiroshi responded feeling true happiness for the first time in his new life
Previously it happened only once – when Yuki agreed to be his girlfriend, in the same moment she volunteered herself to join the Resistance.
***
Himiko was patiently watching her target, daggers shining in the moonlight. She swiftly and quietly went down from the roof, the bald criminal still mugging an old lady for money. Without an ounce of hesitation, Himiko kicked the man in his right knee then in the other one and finished it, knocking the Villain out with her dull side of the knife into the man’s neck. The criminal coughed up a handful of saliva and fell on the ground – Himiko took out the old cellphone from her utility belt (that she stole from pawnshop, using her Quirk and disguising herself as one of the co – workers) and dialed detective Tsukauchi’s number, all the while trying to comfort the mugging’s victim.
“What’s the deal, Wisteria?” – Naomasa asked tiredly
“A mugging, I already sent the location. I knocked the criminal out, rendering him unconscious. The mugging’s victim is safe and uninjured” – Himiko stated cooly and calmly
“Alright, anything else?”
“Not much, quite a calm patrol” – the Vigilante replied
“Good. Till the next time, Wisteria” – Tsukauchi ended the call and looked at the files before him, lying on the desk. Two new Vigilantes popped out, Wisteria and Wishful. The first one is definitely a female, her Quirk remained unknown and used daggers to stun or knock out the criminal. Wisteria was also the stealthiest one out of the new Vigilantes that appeared in Musutafu. Wishful however was the best one in the open field, moving like a professional rather than a hero wannabe fighting crime illegally. Wishful had a great collection of different gadgets, mostly using flashbombs or others that contain different kinds of paralysis/tear gas. He mostly used a standard hunting knife and stun gun but also had a great expertise in hand – to – hand combat. Even though both of them were quite fresh, their fighting style screamed experience.
Tsukauchi really wanted to slam his head against the desk – Dream, Lucid, Wishful and Wisteria. All of those new Vigilantes fought like they had decades of raw experience and lots of knowledge. Naomasa had no clue who he was dealing with.
***
Himiko looked at Eraserhead who was lying on wet concrete ground, his goggles broken and he had a black eye. He caught her by surprise and through sheer instincts, Himiko attacked him not knowing he was a pro – hero. As a result, the black haired man was bruised up but conscious, though he did throw occasional glares at the Vigilante.
“Why were you following me, Eraserhead?”
“You’re a Vigilante and I’m a pro hero. That explains itself” – Aizawa countered
“Again with the same shit. I’m not surprised that Lucid threw that smoke bombs at you more than once” – Himiko talked back
“Why are you a Vigilante, Wisteria?”
Himiko bit her lip and looked Aizawa in the eye.
“I’m no hero and I don’t want to be one. For me, vigilantism is nothing more than a means to an end” – the blond haired girl revealed –”Once I wished to have a normal life, a husband and a stable job. I was foolish, my life fell apart and there was no way that I could go back to my old dreams. I fought back against corruption and many terrible people, so that history wouldn’t repeat itself. Don’t be mistaken, I was doing that for my own selfish reasons”.
Shota suppressed a wince – Wisteria had a complicated upbringing which resulted in her fighting back, whatever that meant. Wisteria believed that she couldn’t be a hero and didn’t even want to be one – even though she wished to live a normal life.
“I was following what I thought was for the best, I had no great aspirations at first, I was doing what I could to survive. But then I met someone, a person very important to me. That somebody gave me hope and forged my resolve” – Wisteria continued –”After that I met different people, also very dear to me. Me being a Vigilante is nothing more than to get back at a certain cockroach. A parasite that took away so much from me and ruined so many lives. And most heroes don’t even know that that cockroach still exists”.
The light of the nearby street light flickered – Wisteria sighed, glanced at her daggers and shot Eraserhead a warning glare.
“Don’t follow me and do not stick your nose into somebody’s business. I wish to keep things neutral between me and the heroes but I won’t hesitate to use more lethal force if you threaten me. Don’t worry, I don’t plan to go to the darkside. Till next time, hero”
In a blink of an eye, Wisteria was gone, not even a single trace of her remained. Aizawa stood up from the ground and took out his phone – he needed to inform Tsukauchi immediately.
***
A few weeks later after her encounter with Eraserhead, Himiko stood amidst ruins of an abandoned construction site. She glanced at her daggers and her instincts were immediately triggered – her head snapped and saw three different figures. A female with a katana and two males – one with a modified neon baseball bat and other wielding a hunting knife and a stun gun.
Quickly and quietly they jumped off and landed next to Himiko.
“Hello there, Wisteria. It’s a pleasure to meet you” – the woman greeted –”I’m Dream, the one with baseball is Lucid and the other is Wishful”
The way Dream spoke was way too familiar…she sounds like freaking Noriko, even her demeanour matches.
“Why do you call yourself Wisteria?” – Wishful asked
“Those are my favorite flowers, they can be beautiful but also very deadly. They remind me also of someone I met long ago, he gave those flowers for my birthday” – Himiko hesitantly replied
“Yuki?” – Wishful asked hopefully
Himiko’s world stopped and she froze in place. Her throat went dry, her breath caught up inside her chest – Wishful said her past name. No…The Wishful Dreamer…it couldn’t be…
“I never forgot your last wish” – he added
“H-Hiroshi? H-How?”
Hiroshi immediately rushed forward and hugged her tightly. The warm embrace, the Wishful Dreamer, the one who constantly dreamt of a better future and freedom. Who wished to have a normal life once everything would be over – a dream that never came true.
“Thank you, Yuki. For being here”
Himiko glanced at the two figures beneath Hiroshi's shoulder.
“And you say that we’re too soft, dumbo” – Lucid sighed –”I never believed that I would see the day of Hiroshi going soft”
The same thing that Hayato used to say when bickering with Hiroshi – always during supper or lunch.
“Hayato? Noriko?”
“We’re back, Yuki. And we’ll always be together, as comrades and as a team” – Dream said warmly and then Lucid added –”It’s good to see you again”
Himiko couldn’t contain her tears as they fell from her eyes beneath the mask.
“It’s great to be back” – she whispered tearfully –”I missed all of you”
“We missed you too. The team would be never completed without you” – Dream replied softly
And so the comrades from the past reunite.
And they’ll stand together, united once more. And they’ll never be split apart again.