Chapter 6: The Dawn
Next Morning
Amaku got up about a minute before his alarm went off. As his mind woke up, he eventually realized this was the long-awaited day. He slowly brought himself to sit up on the side of his bed, took a deep breath, stretched to get his body, cracked his neck, and looked around his room. Once the alarm on his phone went off, he hit the off button and got up from the bed as he proceeded to do his morning warm-up: 40 push-ups, another 40 push-ups with his thumbs only, 40 sit-ups, and 40 squats. Once he finished, he then went into the bathroom, took a quick shower, and washed up. However, as he exited the bathroom, at the last minute, he turned back and grabbed his toothbrush, figuring that he would need it.
After getting dressed, he grabbed a black duffle bag from his closet and filled it with various personal effects. In the main compartment, he placed several articles of clothing, undergarments, two pairs of shoes, one or two books to read, and a few other personal items. He placed some hygienic products in one of the side pockets for his care, including the toothbrush he'd taken from the bathroom earlier. He also grabbed his wireless earbuds, ensuring they were fully charged before packing them.
With all these belongings stowed away, he took a step back and took a minute to confirm that he had everything he needed. He looked around the room lackadaisically, thinking something might appear in his line of sight. And sure enough, something did two things. He looked at the nightstand towards the two photos of his family. While one was the photo of a younger him and his parents in his old home, the other was a relatively recent one of him and his aunt, uncle, and cousins. He looked at them both for a short while before he eventually decided to carefully remove them both from their frames, observing them closely.
However, when he looked at the one with his parents, he couldn't help but linger on it. He momentarily set the other one down on the nightstand as he stared at it. His focus briefly went to the image of his Father, Zoro. He was a tall, robustly built man with short black hair much like Amaku’s and a burly black beard. However, he did not focus on it long as his gaze soon shifted to the image of his mother, Azumi. She was a beautiful woman with gentle brown eyes, long flowing black hair, subtle lips, smooth skin, and a slender build. As he stared at her, in his head, he couldn't help but hear a faint, old tune that he would never forget.
As the tune played in the back of his mind, he began to recall the memories of his old home, his times with her, and the rare but unforgettable times with his father. He remembered coming home every day from primary school to see his mother, embracing her after a long day. They would play and laugh together until the sun set and Amaku fell asleep in her lap. And every night, when Amaku was put to bed, she would sing to him with the same beautifully angelic voice that seemed to rob him of all frustration and anxiety. All negative emotions seemed to fade whenever she sang. As he remembered these long past times, the anxiety of what lay ahead of him seemed to dwindle. He felt somewhat calm, still, and at peace. He kissed his mother's face in the photograph.
However, as he recalled these memories, a fast, blurry red hue suddenly appeared as an image flashed in his mind, and the tune disappeared. He briefly heard a rumbling in his mind and could almost feel a vibration under his feet. A moment later, another image with a red hue flashed in his head, matched with another rumble. He attempted to bring himself under control, holding his head with his hands, but the flashes and rumbling wouldn't stop. Another short moment passed, and in his mind, he saw walls being destroyed and coming down around him, furniture being buried in debris. He heard the brief sound of a woman's voice calling out his name, and the next thing he knew, the ceiling came down on him and practically buried him. All while this was happening, Amaku started breathing erratically, his head was hurting, and his eyes flickered between their natural brown color and the bright crimson they glowed when his quirk was activated. Once again, in his mind, he briefly saw the silhouetted flashes of a massive, towering beast through the cracks in the debris that he was berried under. In a final flash, there was another pile of debris, and in it, he saw…
He suddenly heard a knock at the door which startled him out of his episode, halting the images in his head like the scratch of a needle on a record player. With his mind returned to reality, he placed the photo on the bed next to his bag. After taking a deep breath in and composing himself, he went to the door. When he opened it, there stood his aunt Harumi in casual clothing.
"Morning, big guy," she said, a straight look on her face. That one look alone showed she was not looking forward to this day. Amaku knew this, and he couldn't blame her.
"Good morning, Auntie," Amaku responded with a slight nod. Harumi looked past him to see the bag on his bed.
"It looks like you've had a busy morning, huh?" she said jokingly, attempting to lighten her mood.
"Yes, Ma'am," Amaku replied respectfully. "I've just finished packing. I have everything I'll need."
"Yeah… well, almost everything," she said ominously.
"...Auntie?" Amaku asked, confused.
"Come with me," she said.
Amaku followed Harumi through the house, trying to piece together what she was trying to do. She led him into the living room and had him sit down on one of the more petite sofas. She reached under the more oversized sofa against the wall as he sat and pulled a rather sizable package out from under it. She then walked up to Amaku with it in hand.
"I was…planning on giving this to you after we got your results for the entrance exam, but…well, we know how that went," Harumi explained. "After that, I'd been waiting for the right opportunity to give it to you. I even almost thought about returning it after what happened, but…I guess there's no time like the present."
Amaku took the box in his hands and laid it on his lap. After removing the cover and going through the paper mache, he was speechless by what he found. He laid the box down on the floor in front of him so he could get a better look at it all. Inside the box was a pair of baggy, dark red, gi-style pants with black flame-like stylings. At the waist was a belt with a silver demon's head on the buckle. There was also a pair of black tactical boots with silver metal trimmings along the toes and black and red wrist bracers, similar in style to that of a traditional samurai, with fingerless gloves attached. At the bottom of the box was a black, skin-tight, thin spandex T-shirt. On the right peck was a red stylized kanji for demon , and when he turned it around, the kanji was there once again, only this one was big enough to occupy most of the back side of the shirt.
Amaku stood back in awe as he looked at what was apparently his first official hero costume. He was astonished by the detail and care put into it.
“Auntie…I…I can't even…," he said, still dumbfounded by what lay before him. "I mean…when or even…how is this possible?"
"Wasn't as hard as you'd think," Harumi said. "I still have connections with an old friend in the costume design field who owed me a favor. The fabrics are made to adjust to how your quirk alters your muscle mass. So once you start powering up, there won't be any risk of you tearing it. On top of this, the material also cooperates with the aura you emit with your quirk, so whenever you create a barrier, it will always form outside of the costume while still conforming around you. Don't bother asking me how. Heisenberg has his ways…ways that, quite frankly, I gave up trying to figure out a long time ago."
As she told him this, Amaku ran his fingers over the fabrics of the shirt and pants, getting a feel for the material.
"How did you come up with the design?" Amaku asked
"That, believe it or not, was your cousins' work," Harumi said. Amaku looked back at her with a surprised look on his face.
"Yushiro and Yukio designed this?"
"Yup. I knew you were busy with training and, no offense, but you don't have the greatest artistic hands. So I had them come up with a few different ideas. They came up with some pretty good ones. Honestly, I've got no idea where they got their grace with a pencil, but it certainly wasn't from me. In the end, we mixed and matched a few of their ideas, and this is what we got."
Amaku looked at the entirety of the costume once again, not saying a word..
"So…what do you-" Before she could finish, Amaku had his arms around her and embraced her closely. Harumi was momentarily stunned by the sudden gesture but eventually embraced him back.
"It's perfect, Auntie," said Amaku with a voice of genuine gratitude and happiness. "Thank you…!"
They remained in a hug for a bit longer until Harumi remembered they had a train to catch.
"Alright, big guy," she said, tapping him twice on the arm to let her go. "Go get your things, and I'll take care of the costume, ok?"
"Understood, Auntie," Amaku complied.
With his spirits raised, he returned to his room to retrieve his bag. After placing the photo in the empty side pocket of his bag, he turned to leave, but before he could, his gaze again passed over the nightstand, where he saw the frameless photo of his second family. He picked it up, briefly remembering the previous winter break from when it had been taken. The family had been saving up money for quite some time, and that December, they'd gone on a trip to Yokote city to celebrate the Kamakura snow festival. The photo was taken when they went to one of the Kamakura huts to see the lanterns. Amaku remembered that it was the first time he tried spicy udon with Akazake. His birthday was around the same time, so he and his uncle decided to sneak it in while Harumi and the others went to do something else. Because of his size, he visually passed for an eighteen-year-old, and by some luck, the server didn't ask for an ID. After just one sip, he was almost entirely out of it, and Hanzo had to practically carry him back to the hotel. Harumi was furious when she eventually forced the truth out of Hanzo.
As these memories came to him, so too was a sense of joy which brought down his anxiety and helped put his mind at ease. After briefly kissing the photo, he placed it in the side pocket and zipped it up. He returned to the living room where Harumi was waiting for him with a special-looking suitcase beside her, no doubt for his costume.
"Ready?" She asked. After taking a deep breath in, Amaku gave her an affirming nod.
"Come," she said.
After about a half-hour drive, they'd arrived at the station. Amaku removed both the duffel bag and the suitcase from the trunk of the car, slinging the bag over his shoulder while dragging the case on its wheels. He then walked over to the driver's side to say a few final words to his aunt before they parted ways.
"Come here, big guy," Harumi said, embracing him for one last hug, which Amaku returned in kind.
"Now, remember," she said, looking up at him. "No matter what may happen, no matter what you might have to face out there, remember your training, your family, and your promise."
"Yes, ma'am: Strike hard, strike fast, bring honor to the Keiyodoshi’s and the Brokuma’s, protect the innocent, and punish the wicked," Amaku replied in a stern, stoic manner.
"And the other promise?" Harumi asked sternly.
"…reach out to you guys every chance I get," Amaku replied genuinely. He then performed the family's traditional gesture, holding his right hand to his chest and bowing. As he was leaning forward, Harumi took the opportunity to kiss him on the forehead.
"I love you, Amaku," Harumi said, holding back her sadness. “Now go…go become a hero."
"Yes, ma'am," Amaku said affirmatively. With that, Amaku made his way towards the stairs leading into the station, looking back at his aunt one last time before walking down them. This was it; this was where his journey began.
After purchasing his ticket, Amaku made his way down to the track where his train would be arriving. He took a seat at one of the benches in the boarding area, taking the time to rest and take in his surroundings. The station itself was reasonably crowded for a Monday, filled with people making their way to their day jobs, working men and women who were leaving for out of city business, and some just mothers and fathers taking their children out of the city for a day of fun.
Meanwhile, Amaku sat on his phone, waiting for the train to arrive. As he was scrolling through an online tabloid, he saw an article talking about the pro hero, EraserHead. Apparently, the pro had recently accepted a teaching position at UA. Harumi had once brought him up in passing while the two were going over ways to catch opponents off guard. Though she never worked with him, she respected his craft. His quirk allowed him to nullify the quirk of anyone he looked at. He used this power in tandem with a binding cloth and a small dagger to stalk criminals and strike when they least expect it. Why such a hero would take a teaching position left Amaku quite confused, but it was still interesting news.
As he was reading, Amaku heard a child laughing loudly. When he looked to his left toward the noise, he saw a little boy playing with his parents as they too were waiting for a train. Eventually, the mother lifted the boy onto her lap and hugged him close. The Father soon joined in, the three of them all laughing and smiling together. As Amaku watched on, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing and envy. Though he may have been thankful for his new life with Harumi and the others, he couldn’t help but miss his mother and father. Though he had many opportunities to try and make peace with their passing, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Or better yet…he wouldn’t . As much as the pain of the loss weighed upon him, he refused to part with it.
Some time later, the train for Fukuoka arrived. Amaku grabbed his suitcase and duffle bag, making his way on toward the train as it pulled into the station. However, before he could even take a single step onto the express, he stopped right before the entryway. As he stood in front of the boardingway, he began to feel off. His head was spinning a bit, his vision began to blur, his heartbeat picked up a bit, he began to sweat slightly, and there was a faint ringing in his ears that slowly grew louder by the second. For a short time he was lost in this delirium until an outside force brought him back to reality.
“Excuse me, sir?” a voice said to him. Amaku, snapping out of his daze, looked to his right and was greeted by a man standing at about 5’9. He had short slicked back hair, a light skin tone, and was wearing a conductor’s uniform.
“Pardon me, sir. I didn’t mean to startle you, but the train will be leaving soon,” The conductor said, pointing toward the train. “Is everything alright?”
“Uhm…yes,” Amaku replied, shakily. “Yes, everything…everything is fine, thank you. My apologies, I’ll just be a moment.”
Amaku walked off to the side for a moment and started rifling through his duffel bag. After about half a minute of searching, Amaku pulled out a bottle of Xanax, took two pills out of the bottle, and swallowed them. As the pills went down, he took a brief moment to try and calm himself, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Upon collecting himself, he returned to the entrance of the train once more with his belongings in tow. After taking in one last deep breath, he slowly took his first steps onboard.
Once inside, he focused on maintaining his steady, rhythmic breathing as he looked around for a place to sit. He timed each inhale to be in tune with every three steps he took and the exhale to be timed with the next three steps. While this somewhat helped him with his heartbeat and vision, he was still sweating and the ringing in his ears persisted. Eventually, after making his way past several rows of seats, he found one where there was a window seat still available. After storing the suitcase with his hero costume in the overhead, he slid into the seat by the window and placed his duffel bag at his feet. Upon taking his seat, he laid back against the cushions attempting to get comfortable. He squirmed in place, trying to find the best possible position when eventually, the train pulled out of the station began their departure for Fukuoka.
As the pressure of the speed of the train began to weigh upon him, Amaku’s heart beat once again began to rise and his vision started to blur. Luckily, the ringing had stopped, so Amaku, in an attempt to pull himself together, rifled through his duffel bag once again and pulled out a pair of earbuds from one of the side pockets. He rapidly put them in his ears and quickly pulled out his phone, looking for a specific song. When he eventually found it, he quickly hit play.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. As the peaceful, angelic music began to play in his ears, the chimes and various instruments playing in the background while a beautiful voice sang and hummed in his ears, he felt his anxiety die down and heartbeat slow. The pressure which was once excruciatingly painful upon his body began to weigh down on him in a more therapeutic way. Upon opening his eyes, his vision refocused somewhat and the sweating ceased. As the music continued, he once again regulated his breathing to a more rhythmic and steady pattern. The music, combined with the medicine taking effect, helped bring Amaku to a much more relaxed state. Upon recollecting himself, he looked out the window and gazed upon a large open field and with green grass a hilltop lined with cherry blossom trees. As he looked further outward toward the horizon, he watched as the city of Musutafu disappeared in the distance. As this happened, Amaku was sure to take in as much of the city as possible before it vanished.
With Musutafu out of sight, Amaku slowly turned his gaze forward once again, breathing deeply through his nose. He closed his eyes and a solemn sadness overcame him as he came to the realization that he was now beyond the point of no return. It was more than likely that despite his promise, he would not be allowed many opportunities to speak with his family. He rifled through his bag once more, pulling out the photo of him with the Brokumas. As he stared at it, he came to the idea that he could at least leave them all with a final text message. However, once pulled out his phone and opened up the message app, his fingers froze before he could even type a single letter. As much thought as he gave it, he couldn’t decide on a singular message. There were so many things he wanted to say, things he couldn’t tell them with all the words in the world. How could he choose just a select few to express the unending gratitude he had for them? After taking another five minutes to think about it, he finally came to the conclusion that perhaps the best way to get the message across was without saying a word.
Amaku switched over to the camera on his phone, put on the best smile he could, put a hand to his chest, and took a picture. He then inserted the photo into the group message, but even then he hesitated before sending the photo through. He thought that while it’s true that actions spoke louder than words, perhaps a word or two along with the image wouldn’t be the worst idea. As such, along with the picture, he sent a text saying:
I love you all, and good luck to you, Hanako. I’ll be waiting for you at the summit.
With that, Amaku put his phone away, and with the photograph in his hand, he leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and attempted to get some sleep.
