Fatal Battleground [Completed?]

Chapter 17

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Hanta's pov

Why must the universe be so cruel to the ones who try the hardest? Does it try to push us to our very limit? To snap every last thread of our sanity? One might assume so.

I've lost a lot. My father when I was young. My mother later in life. Denki. And now Kumi. Among other people.

"Come on, you're so close. Just a little bit longer." I held Kumi's hand as she panted, her body weak and ready to give out, but her mind still pushing through. She bared her teeth and squeezed my hand as she pushed through another contraction, Mina at the foot of the bed assisting.

The baby's head was already out, and now it was just the shoulders that had to come before it was all over. I brushed red hair from Kumi's sweaty face and she let out a sob. I was quick to lean my forehead against hers and whisper to her.

"Hey, look at me." She did an I continued. "One more. You can give me one more big one, right?" She shook her head 'no' but I just nodded. "Yes you can. I'm right here. One more and it's all over. Here, on three. One, two-" She took a deep breath and I reached around her to support her shoulders as she put her chin to her chest and pushed for the last time.

She relaxed and Mina pulled the baby into her arms, trying to clear it's airway and rubbing it's back. Kumi's grip on my hand eased and I quickly grabbed the baby, which I saw was a boy, and laid him on Kumi's chest, moving her hand to his back, hoping she didn't take notice of him still not breathing.

"Look. That's your baby boy. You did so well." I started to tear up as she smiled tiredly. I brushed my hand against her cheek softly, whispering. "You can go if you need to. I'll take good care of him. I promise." I kissed her hand and saw her smile drop as the life slowly drained from her face and her hand went limp on top of the baby's back.

I let out a sob and hid my face in the mattress beside her, kneeling on the ground. My hand hadn't left hers yet and I squeezed it tightly. All of a sudden there was a small gasp and a cry sounded throughout the room. My head shot up and I quickly reached out, taking the baby boy into my arms.

He was breathing. He was in my arms, pink, breathing. Crying. I cried with him, hugging him close to my chest and wiping him off with the soft towel Mina had given me. I wiped his hair and face clean before Mina was taking him to tie off and cut his umbilical cord.

My son was alive. My son was alive. I smiled at the thought and quickly grabbed the onesie and diaper we had set aside, watching as Mina used the bowl of water we had prepared to rinse him clean, patting him dry with a towel. She handed him to me and I focused on rubbing him down with the baby lotion Kirishima had found as Mina quietly fixed Kumi's clothes, laying her peacefully and covering her with a sheet.

"Well, don't you just have the prettiest red hair." I smiled as I fastened the newborn diaper on him. "Looks just like mommy's. I bet you'll have her eyes too." He'd been whimpering and whining but stopped at the sound of my voice. Once he was dressed, I held him close to me and watched with amazement as he opened his eyes, blinking a few times.

Mina tapped me on the shoulder, signalling it was time to go, and I nodded, watching as she grabbed a dagger that Bakugo had left us. I sighed and kissed Kumi's head before nodding to Mina as I left the room, my son in my arms. I didn't want to think about what she was doing, though I knew. You had to kill the brain. Or else they came back.

~

Everyone knew what happened in that room. They knew Kumi wasn't walking out of there. We all stood around the messed up patch of ground, a big stone placed right about where he head would be, and smaller stones surrounding the rest of the grave. Carved into the stone were a few words, done by Shouji.

'Kumi Kiyato, loving mother of two.
An amazing woman who gave her life for her son's'

Everyone cried, even Bakugo, which is rare. We all laid a stone in the center, creating a flower pattern with them all. Eventually, everyone left, leaving me alone with the baby in my arms, sitting with my legs crossed at the foot of her grave.

"You know, Buddy. I'm gonna tell you so many stories about your mommy when you get older. We May not have known her for long, but I am gonna tell you every little thing I ever learned about her." I sniffled and smiled as his tiny fingers gripped one of mine. "And your papa Denki. He'd love you just as much, you know." I chuckled.

"Gosh, what am I gonna name you, little man? She said something that feels right so I guess I'll just wait until I know then, huh?" He squirmed in my grasp and I sighed as he stared to whine. "Alright then, let's go get you a bottle, huh?" Standing, I made my way through the many flowers to the road, looking back to the middle of the flower field where I knew her grave lay.

I sniffled and wiped my face one last time before opening the door to my camper, setting my son in the car seat on the table as he started to cry louder. Making quick work of it, I scooped the formula in and poured in two ounces of water before shaking it and walking back over to the table.

I sat and pulled him out of the car seat, helping him to figure it out since it was only his third time eating. Once he had the hang of it, I leaned back, letting my mind wander. I smiled softly before looking down at him again.

"Ayuto. My samurai." I felt my smile widen as his hand grabbed a hold of my shirt. "Yeah, I like that name."

The universe may be cruel, only giving you things just to rip them away again, and it may have taken away a lot in my life, but I'll be damned if I let it take my son.

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