_____[POV: Third Person]_____
The door of the small apartment opened slowly. He had decided to visit his mother without warning, one of those improvised visits in search of family warmth. But what he found was like a punch to the gut.
There, on the living room couch, his mother and his ex were entwined, their bodies far too close, their heavy breathing betraying what they had been doing just seconds before he walked in.
"M-mom…?"
His mother, startled, quickly pulled a blanket over herself, trying to hide her body. A deep blush spread across her face like fire, and she couldn't meet her son's gaze.
"H-Hello Sweetie. I-i know this looks bad, but I can explain!"
But his ex… no. She shifted on the couch as if she owned the place, a venomous smile on her lips, the same one he had seen countless times before—the smile that always preceded insults.
"Well, look who decided to show up," she said, laughing with disdain. "The 'funny guy' who's not funny. I thought you'd already learned to knock before barging in."
"What are you doing here…?"
"Oh, you didn't notice?" She leaned closer, running her hand along his mother's thigh, squeezing it on purpose. "I'm dating your mom now. Hope you ain't mad. Because I have plans to start my own family with your mother. Me and your mother were just about to have some bedtime fun."
His mother averted her eyes, embarrassed, but the ex didn't stop. On the contrary—she relished every second of the pain etched on his face.
"You were always dead weight. Not even in a relationship could you manage to be interesting. I needed excitement, novelty, people who are actually worth my time… and, well, I acutely came into your mother while i was dating you. Yes, i was cheating on you with your mom." She burst out laughing, squeezing his mother tighter, who shrank under the touch.
The disgust on the man's face seemed to inflate her ego even more. She thought she had won. That she was breaking him again, like so many times before.
But to her surprise, his gaze wasn't only one of pain for the scene—it carried something deeper.
And then the door behind him opened.
A stately-looking woman entered, the sound of her heels echoing on the wooden floor. She was a lady with silky white hair, generous curves, and gentle crimson eyes. Her black lipstick highlighted her lips in elegant contrast. She smiled as she saw the man.
"Darling!" she said tenderly. "I just parked the car a few houses down, and…"
But her voice died as she took in the scene before her. Her eyes scanned the couch, the blanket, the still-provocative ex, and widened in shock.
The ex, on the other hand, suddenly went pale. Her arrogance crumbled the instant she recognized the woman. The scream escaped her lips unfiltered:
"M-mom?!"
The entire room froze.
Ryuji raised an eyebrow in disbelief as he sat in the living room, the TV displaying the drama he was watching.
"Damn, that's crazy."
Satoru cleared his throat loudly, drawing his attention. He looked more serious than usual. Ryuji noticed his expression and turned to him.
"Sorry, I got distracted. Go on," he said, half-relaxed but sincere.
Satoru took a deep breath. There was something in his chest he needed to let out.
"I just… want to make sure you know what you're doing, Fogimoto-sa. Interning with me isn't anything 'glorious.' I'm a quirkless hero. Weak, to many. You're someone who won the U.A. Sports Festival, you've got a huge reputation… are you really sure you want to waste your time with me?"
Behind his glasses, Satoru only wanted the best for the young man before him. There was a hint of shame in his voice, as if he feared this might just be a waste of the boy's time.
But Ryuji arched an eyebrow.
"If I cared about appearances, I wouldn't be here. I'd be sitting in All Might's lap or, I don't know, filming energy drink commercials with Uwabami. But I'm here."
Ryuji sighed, thinking to himself:
"Of course, the other reason is that I'll have more freedom by being with you. Not to mention you're my own creation. But... well, he doesn't know, since I made him to blend into this world."
Satoru's eyes widened behind his lenses.
"So don't sell yourself short," Ryuji continued, his voice firm. "If I thought it wasn't worth it, I wouldn't even be sitting here."
For a few seconds, silence filled the room. Then, slowly, a genuine smile formed on Satoru's face. A smile full of gratitude and, for the first time in a long while, pride.
"If that's the case…" he said, standing up. "Then I'll give my all to teach you what it truly means to be a hero."
He walked into his room and began putting on his brown armor, adjusting each piece with care. When he placed the green helmet on his head, he turned back to the boy.
"Let's go. We're starting our patrol of the city right now."
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Satoru pedaled calmly along one of the city's busy avenues, his bicycle creaking slightly with each turn of the wheels. Beside him, Ryuji flew a few meters above, his hero suit gleaming under the afternoon sun. Despite the stark contrast between a man on a bike and a blond youth floating in the air, the two moved in sync.
"You know, Ryuji…" said Satoru in a steady but gentle voice, looking straight ahead. "Being a hero isn't just about defeating villains. Often, it's about being there in the small moments, when someone needs help and has no one else to turn to."
Ryuji raised an eyebrow, descending slowly until he was level with the cyclist.
"So basically… babysitting society?"
Satoru chuckled softly, used to his manner.
"Call it whatever you like, but that's what makes the difference."
The first opportunity arose just around the corner. An elderly lady with a cane was waiting patiently at the crosswalk, too timid to cross. Satoru braked and got off his bike, offering her his arm.
"Come on, ma'am," he said with a polite smile.
The old woman smiled and accepted, crossing slowly while the cars stopped. On the other side, she thanked him repeatedly.
"Thank you so much, young man. Not many stop to help nowadays."
Ryuji, still hovering, crossed his arms.
"I could've just carried her across in a second."
"But sometimes," Satoru replied, getting back on his bike, "what people want isn't speed, but company."
A few meters later, a boy was calling desperately from the sidewalk, pointing up at a tree. His kite was tangled in the branches. Before Satoru could react, Ryuji had already flown up, grabbed the toy, and descended just as easily.
"Here," he said, handing the kite to the boy.
"Thanks, mister!" the boy grinned, eyes sparkling.
Farther ahead, a few delivery men were sweating as they unloaded heavy boxes from a truck. Satoru immediately stopped his bike and rushed to help, carrying two crates at once. Ryuji, not wanting to stand idle, simply wrapped the boxes in his telekinesis and levitated half the load straight into the warehouse. The workers stared in awe.
"Is that a quirk… of telekinesis?"
"Something like that," Ryuji answered effortlessly.
As they went on, the number of people noticing them grew. Ryuji's presence drew the most attention, especially among high school girls who recognized him.
"That's Ryuji Fugimoto from the Sports Festival!" one of them shouted, running up to him.
Within seconds, a small group of girls surrounded him, phones in hand.
"Can you take a picture with us?"
"Give me an autograph!"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
Ryuji raised his hand, trying to keep some distance.
"One at a time, please… and no, I don't have a girlfriend."
The girls giggled, finding his reaction adorable. Some pressed in closer, asking for selfies, one even held his arm and another went as far as sniffing his hair. Ryuji shivered, flashbacks of Esunami rushing through his mind.
He glanced sideways and saw Satoru kneeling, giving water to a stray cat. Ryuji quickly escaped the circle of girls by flying over to him. He grabbed Satoru by the shoulders and set him back on the bike.
"Go, pedal! Before they decide to kidnap me."
A burst of golden energy exploded from his hands onto Satoru's back, sending the bike rocketing down the street as if jet-powered. The wind blasted against their faces, and Satoru just shouted:
"This isn't safe!!!"
"Relax, I'm the human ABS brakes."
Suddenly, their ears picked up something. A desperate cry for help, coming from a few blocks ahead. The smile vanished from Ryuji's face.
"Hold on tight, partner!" he warned, before boosting his flight speed, pushing the bike even faster until they reached the scene.
The place was engulfed in smoke; one of the floors was ablaze. Firefighters surrounded the area, struggling to contain the fire, while a frantic woman wept, trying to push through.
"My children! They're still up there!" she screamed, being restrained by the men.
Without hesitation, Ryuji dropped the bike and flew straight to the fifth-floor window. He broke through the glass and entered the burning room. The flames didn't touch him. A golden aura began to envelop his body, and with it, the fire started to vanish, as if swallowed by the energy itself.
Advancing through the nearly extinguished apartment, he found two children huddled together inside the bathtub.
"Hey, it's okay now," he said calmly, extending his arms.
The children looked at him with tearful eyes before leaping into his embrace. Seconds later, the smoke pouring from the windows dissipated, leaving the firefighters bewildered.
"What just happened in there?" one muttered.
The answer came as Ryuji appeared at the window, descending in controlled flight to the ground, the two children safe in his arms. As soon as he landed, the little ones ran crying to their mother, who hugged them tightly, tears streaming down her face.
Satoru stepped closer, his eyes full of pride.
"Good job, Sentry. Very good job."
The firefighters gathered around, thanking and praising the young man.
"We've never heard of you. What's your hero name?" one of them asked.
"Sentry," Ryuji replied simply.
The men exchanged looks, puzzled by the unfamiliar name. Satoru, scratching the back of his neck, explained:
"He's not registered yet. He's a U.A. student, currently on internship."
That only deepened the firefighters' astonishment.
"A student… with that level of power? Incredible."
"You were spectacular!"
"You're going to be one of the greats, kid, no doubt about it!"
The children's mother approached, her eyes still brimming with tears. She knelt before him, clutching his hands tightly.
"Thank you… thank you from the bottom of my heart. You saved the lives of my precious children today."
Ryuji shifted uncomfortably at the overwhelming emotion.
"There's no need to thank me… but, if you'd like, I'll take some homemade cookies."
The woman laughed, relieved, and the circle of gratitude grew even stronger. Beside them, Satoru just smiled, proud to see that Ryuji truly understood what he meant about the real role of a hero.
But despite appearances, no one knew that the young man standing before them could be considered the greatest force in this universe.
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The building's discreet façade did little to draw attention from those passing along the busy street. To anyone else, it looked like just another mid-sized office, common in the corporate district. But Izuku knew there was far more hidden behind that unassuming exterior. The hero known as Nightwalker walked ahead of him, cutting the way with steady steps, as if every inch of the corridor belonged to him.
Izuku, meanwhile, followed a few steps behind, absorbing every detail of the environment. His eyes instinctively scanned the walls, the surveillance points, and even the type of flooring material. It was almost impossible to turn off his analytical mind—part of him was already projecting how he might redesign the structure to make it more efficient, safer… more fitting to the standard he himself considered acceptable.
However, his attention was pulled from the walls when the door to the main office swung open. Inside, someone Izuku had known for a long time was waiting—but never in the flesh.
David Shield lifted his eyes from the holographic terminal before him, and when he saw who entered, an incredulous smile escaped him. It was as if he still struggled to believe that the brilliant mind who had helped him so many times under the name "Mr. Green" was, in reality, just a fourteen-year-old boy.
"So it's really true…" David broke the silence first, his voice heavy with both disbelief and excitement. "I must confess, I still can't believe that the genius I exchanged so many ideas with over three years is someone this young."
"I could say the same about you, Mr. Blue. Honestly, I expected to find a middle-aged scientist, grumpy and maybe with a few more… gray hairs."
David let out a genuine laugh, its echo filling the office. The invisible wall that had once separated them had been broken within seconds.
"Fair enough," he admitted. "Believe me, I myself still can't believe I'm here, in Japan, setting up a new lab. I had to put off a lot before I could come back."
Izuku blinked, curious.
"You managed to convince Principal Nezu?"
David tilted his head with a satisfied smile.
"Exactly. I've already worked everything out with him. The USJ facility was heavily damaged during the attack." At that moment, Izuku stifled a discreet cough, averting his gaze as he recalled that much of the destruction had been caused by Ryuji. "So instead of simply restoring it, I proposed a complete renovation. To transform it into a new testing ground and an advanced laboratory."
Midoriya's eyes lit up with a mix of surprise and excitement.
"Wow… I wasn't expecting that. I thought you'd just buy part of U.A.'s land, since there's plenty of it."
"That was my initial plan, but the USJ turned out to be cheaper," David replied calmly.
For a moment, the silence between them felt almost comfortable, as though both were absorbing the weight of what had just been said. Then, as if remembering something important, Shield raised his hand lightly.
"Ah, of course. Before I forget… I'd like to introduce you to someone."
He stepped aside, revealing a figure who had remained out of sight until then. Izuku blinked in surprise as his eyes met those of a blonde girl, her gaze both curious and resolute.
"This is my daughter, Melissa Shield."
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(A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating, I had to update my other fanfic twice. I hope you enjoyed the reading. I won't talk much in this section today because I got a mental block and don't really know what to say, lol.)