An American Werewolf in U.A.

Chapter 1: The Past Catches Up

Midnight

She ran through the halls of the hospital. No one was listening to her as she ran after them. "My baby! Give me back my baby!" she screamed at them. Her Quirk wasn't working, the people she was after kept on moving, her baby crying for her. "Stop!" she screamed, trying to force her body to move faster, but no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't reach them. "GIVE HER BACK!" she screamed one last time, as the door closed behind them. She kicked the door open, to see nothing, no baby, no kidnappers, only the Void…

Kayama Nemuri awoke to the sound of her alarm clock going off. She turned it off and shook her head, her long raven hair shaking violently. "That old nightmare…I haven't had that dream in years," she said aloud as she got out of her King Size bed, for pajamas she just wore a large sweater and a pair of underwear. She put on her slippers and civilian glasses before heading to the kitchen for a quick breakfast of coffee and toast with strawberry jam. While she waited for the coffee to brew, the pro hero stretched herself out, needing to stay flexible for her job. She was just thankful that it was Summer, another year of teaching finished at good old U.A. High and a few weeks of extra sleep in the morning for her. The coffee was done just as she finished stretching.

After adding some milk and sugar she took a deep gulp of the coffee, waking her brain up. Alright, today's my rest day from exercise, just a quick run for cardio, shower, then relax the rest of the day. I wonder if any of my Boys wants to spend a little extra time with his Mistress… A sadistic glow filled her eyes as she licked her lips at the idea, before her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. Nemuri went to the door and pressed the speaker next to it, couldn't be too careful. "Who is it?" "Is this Kayama Nemuri?" came a woman's voice on the other end, she spoke Japanese with an American accent. "Yes, who are you?" Nemuri asked through the speaker. "My name is Lina Bowers, I'm an attorney for someone you know, Mr. Joseph J. Freeman," the American on the other end said. Nemuri stopped at that, Joseph J. Freeman…it was a name that she hadn't heard in years.

Nemuri opened the door to see a middle-aged blonde woman with tired green eyes wearing a black 'power suit' and heels waiting on the other end, she carried a brown leather briefcase and looked exhausted, most likely from jetlag. "Come in. I admit, this is unexpected, I haven't heard from Joseph-kun in years," Nemuri invited the lawyer in. "Need some coffee?" Nemuri asked. "Please, at least four sugar, no milk," Lina Bowers asked. Nemuri made her a cup like she asked, and the two women sat down at the small kitchen table in the apartment. "So, what's happened to Joseph-kun?" Nemuri asked. Mrs. Bowers slowly put her coffee cup down and said, "I'm afraid, Mr. Freeman is dead." "What!?" Nemuri yelled. The lawyer continued, "It happened two days ago, he was enjoying lunch with his family, when his…enemy, a Villain called Pyromaniac, attacked with several henchmen. Mr. Freeman was too distracted protecting his family, and was killed along with his wife, Mrs. Mysa Freeman. I'm here, because three days before he was killed, he made a video will, and you were named as one of the beneficiaries."

Nemuri took a moment, it had been so long since she had last seen Joseph, she knew it was possible he would have moved on, and possibly married another woman. To hear that he had died at the hands of someone called 'Pyromaniac' told her that his death was far worse than he deserved. "I'm sorry for your loss," Mrs. Bowers said, "I take it that you were close?" "Only for a year, when we were both in High School. He was a foreign exchange student, and my first boyfriend," Nemuri admitted, hiding her eyes. It had been a long time, but when she had known Joseph, he had been a good man, one who encouraged everyone, no matter how stupid their Quirk seemed, to reach their goal to be heroes. Some called him naïve, but his drive and passion drew her to him like a moth to flame.

"Am I allowed to be at his funeral?" she finally asked after taking a deep breath. "Yes, you are invited to attend. It will be a private funeral, family, friends and invites only," Mrs. Bowers told her. "Thank you," Nemuri said, "Is there anything else?" "Nothing that can't wait until after the funeral, it will be held four days from now, American Eastern Standard Time. You may bring another guest if you'd like, for emotional support," Mrs. Bowers said. "Thank you. I'll need time to make some calls," Nemuri said, and led Mrs. Bowers out the door. After shutting the door, Nemuri took her glasses off, and let the tears fall down her face.

Four Days Later

Greater Joy United Methodist Church in Summerville, South Carolina, USA

For such a somber occasion, the day was bright and cheerful, if very humid. Nemuri was dress in a black suit and veil, while beside her sat Aizawa Shota, aka Underground Hero Eraserhead, he had shaved and styled his long hair into a ponytail and wore a black suit. During the year they knew each other, Aizawa and Joseph had been training partners, he had helped Aizawa clean up his technique greatly, aside from that, he just wanted to be a friend for Nemuri. They were surrounded by people who they didn't know, although many had the look of Pro-Heroes. Two of the mourners were Joseph's children, sixteen-year- old Marie N. Freeman and eight-year-old Joseph J. Freeman Junior.

Marie had subdued the attackers with her Father, but was blinded in the process by Pyromaniac, from what Nemuri and Aizawa had heard Joseph immediately went to help her, and this gave Pyromaniac time to deal the fatal blow to Joseph. Marie had been on her way to following her Father's footsteps in becoming a Pro-Hero, but now that might be gone. The girl wore wrappings around her eyes and held her little brother close and hid most of her face with a broad-rim hat and black veil. Nemuri looked at the large picture beside the coffins that held Joseph and his wife Mysa's bodies. From what she could see, Junior was almost the spitting image of Joseph, his broad nose and strong chin, golden eyes, along with the almost coal black complexion of his skin, the only thing he seemed to have inherited from his Mother was her pure white hair.

Marie however had a lighter complexion, like her Mother's, and thinner lips than her Father, and a more pointed chin. From pictures of Marie, she had once had blue eyes, people said she inherited them from her Grandmother, Eloise Freeman, who had passed away with her husband, Jerome Freeman two years before in a car accident. Nemuri wondered who would take care of the children, apparently Mysa had been an orphan with no siblings, and Joseph was an only child. She was afraid they would be lost in the foster care system. "Kayama, focus, the Eulogy is about to start," Aizawa told her, snapping her out of her thoughts. Nemuri and Aizawa stood up straight as a short, medium built man with a green lizard's head walked forward and stepped up in front of the coffins.

The lizard man cleared his throat and started, "My friends, today is a sad day, for us, and the world at large. Today, we bury a dear comrade in the fight against evil, and his beloved wife, who dedicated her life to helping others heal. Today, we set the bodies of Joseph Jerome Freeman Sr., and his beloved wife Mysa Avi Freeman to rest. I remember the first day I met Joseph, I was a small-time hood, using my Quirk to rob purses. Joseph was the Hero who stopped me. That should have been the end of it, but Joseph saw something in me, something I had forgotten. He saw a small spark of goodness. He came to me in prison, and slowly over time helped me to change my life…"

The lizard man stopped and trembled, Nemuri and Aizawa were sure that maybe he couldn't shed tears, so this was all he could do to show his grief. "Mysa was a great counselor and helped me fight against my inner demons. She always encouraged me to try harder, helped me to get my G.E.D., but most of all, she listened to me, both of them did. It was because of their generosity, their love, and their friendship that I was able to become a good man, a good husband, and a good father. It is a debt that I could never repay. Joseph might not have been famous around the world, he might not have been 'The Symbol of Peace' or 'The Number One Hero', but to me, he will always be the greatest hero I've ever known." The lizard man shook more, before falling to his knees, still shaking. A tall man with turquoise hair and a scar across his nose helped him up. "It's alright, Harry. You're among friends here," the tall man assured him as he led him to his seat. The tall man remained standing and started talking.

"I remember how Mysa would always make Traditional Indian food when I was invited for dinner. I won't lie, I will never be a fan of it, but I always enjoyed Mysa's. She always poured her heart into everything she did, as did Joseph. He told me that he chose 'Wolfheart' as his Hero Name because wolf packs were families, the Alpha Male was the Daddy, Alpha Female the Mommy, and all other wolves were their cubs and others they accepted as family. He told me that Heroes should see all Humanity as part of their Pack, and should fight to help everyone who needed it, like he and Mysa helped Harry. He believed that your Quirk was only a detail, what always mattered was how you used it to help others. Joseph and Mysa lived by that belief…and died by it too. I can only hope to honor them with my life," the tall man said.

Others stepped forward, saying how Joseph, or Mysa, or both had helped them in their times of need. She gathered that Mysa was some kind of therapist, and her Quirk helped calm people she touched or held. Many of those attending comforted the children. Marie accepted their condolences gracefully, but young Joseph Junior had a harder time, and was constantly on the verge of tears or outright crying, holding on to his older sister for support. Eventually, the only ones who hadn't stepped forward with a story to tell were the children, Nemuri, and Aizawa. Aizawa sighed as he stood up and walked in front of the coffins, English was never his best subject in school, although he could speak enough to be understood. "I never knew Mrs. Freeman, from what I've heard she was a good woman, wife, and mother. I only knew Joseph-kun for a year in High School, when he attended as part of a foreign exchange program. He was a friend to everyone that met him, always encouraging with his words and actions, and helping however he could. The hours of training we did together saved my life on many occasions as a Hero in Japan.

"I have buried many friends, and it has never become easier. All we can do, is steel our resolve, and make sure to honor the fallen by saving as many as we can. That is all I can say," Aizawa said, then took his seat again. Nemuri stood up and walked, each step feeling heavy. She saw the picture of Joseph and Mysa, it was the two of them at their wedding, a traditional Western wedding. For a second, Nemuri thought of what might have been, had life been kinder to her, before she turned to the assembled mourners. "My colleague, Aizawa-san, was right about Joseph. We may have only known him for a year, but during that year, he left his mark on us. I remember him as the first boyfriend I ever had. He never looked down on my ideals, or my desire to be the Hero I wanted to be, only asked if I was willing to work for it. Being with him, was always a great comfort for me, one that I'll always miss," she managed to say, before going to Marie and Joseph Junior. She put her hands on their shoulders and looked at them both, "Your Father was a Hero, and your Mother loved you dearly. Don't ever forget that." "We won't," Marie said, and then said with determination, "I will be a Hero, like him. I won't let anything stop me!"

Nemuri didn't know what the proper etiquette was; so she patted them both on their shoulders before going back to her seat. The Pastor of the Church, who looked like a cross between and elephant and a man, stepped forward as the pallbearers prepared to set the coffins in the ground. "Goodbye, Joseph and Mysa. Your lives touched many, you both fought the good fight, you finished the race, and kept the faith. May we all learn from you and do likewise. In time, may we all join you in Paradise, with Our Father in Heaven. Amen," the Pastor prayed. "Amen," the mourners all said, as the coffins were lowered into their graves.