"Buzz!"
After using his X-ray vision to confirm there were no Frank's Sa People left on the planet, Eden grabbed the portal switch he had taken from the aliens and opened a gateway back to Earth. With a blink, he vanished from Viltrum.
Earth.
"Not here either…"
"Nothing here either…"
Because time flowed differently in the two dimensions, while Eden had been busy cleaning up the Frank's Sa People—aliens he considered nothing more than invasive pests—the Teen Team was still searching for him amidst the ruins with William.
"What are you looking for?" Eden asked, stepping out from beneath the Parfait Shop counter. He had deliberately hidden there, observing the ruins from a safe spot.
"I… I passed out under the counter just now, so I don't know what happened outside," William mumbled, still dazed.
"Where are those green-skinned aliens? Did you defeat them?"
Eden gave a faint shrug and said, "That's great, Eden! You're alive!"
William collapsed in relief, letting out a sigh so heavy it seemed to drain all his energy. The other Teen Team members had varying reactions.
"Alright…"
"So this guy was hiding under the counter the whole time? And we wasted half an hour looking for him?"
"Do you know how precious my time is?" Rex—also known as Explosion—asked, a trace of dissatisfaction in his tone.
"Actually, Rex, your time isn't precious. All you do at the base is sleep and play games," Robot replied bluntly.
"Hey! Don't expose my secrets!" Rex's face flushed, but his thick skin let him recover quickly.
"Eden, are you sure you were hiding under the counter the entire time?" Eve asked skeptically. She had scanned the Parfait Shop thoroughly and never noticed him.
"Of course," Eden said evenly, expression unchanged.
"Your hair… it's grown a bit longer," Eve remarked, leaning closer to inspect him.
"Your imagination," Eden countered, raising an eyebrow.
"Are we really that familiar that you notice every hair change?" Eve teased.
"Or is this your usual line to flirt with handsome guys, Miss Atom Eve?" Eden shot back smoothly.
"Hey, Eve, what are you doing?" Rex suddenly exploded, eyes wide. "What's your relationship with him? Are you betraying me?"
"No, I'm not," Eve replied, flustered by Rex's sudden barrage of questions.
"Let me explain…"
"I don't want to hear your explanation!" Rex cut in sharply. "I just want to know your relationship! When did you betray me? Or were you never serious from the beginning?"
"You're such an asshole, Rex," Eve fumed.
"Anyway," Eden interrupted, ignoring the Teen Team's chaos, "thanks for your rescue, heroes. I have other matters to attend to." He helped William up and bid farewell to the group, not bothering to engage further.
"That reminds me, I need a haircut," Eden muttered, running a hand through his hair, which had grown longer due to the time dilation on the Frank's Sa People's planet. He narrowed his eyes slightly, remembering Eve's earlier warning: he had to be careful before returning home, lest his sharp-eyed mother noticed anything unusual.
Evening.
When Eden returned home, both his mother, Nolan (Omni-Man), and father, Superman, were already waiting in the living room.
"Did you get a haircut, Eden?" Nolan asked, her sharp gaze sweeping over him.
"Not only that," she continued, noticing his fresh clothes and the fact he'd showered, "you even changed your outfit specifically. What's going on?"
Eden felt the familiar oppressive presence of his mother pressing down on him. His heart thumped, his mind racing. Did Mom notice something? What did I do wrong?
"Nolan, you…" he started, but she didn't let him finish.
"When will you let me meet her?" she asked, clearly expecting an answer.
"Which her?" Eden stammered, pupils contracting slightly.
"Still playing dumb, huh? Don't worry," Nolan said with a faint smile. "Your father and I are very open-minded. We won't punish you just because you're dating. After all, it would be unusual for our tall, handsome son not to have girls interested in him."
"Just be careful. Absolutely do not get her pregnant," she added, pulling something out of a drawer and handing it to Eden.
Eden's eyes twitched. Seeing what Nolan had given him, he opened his mouth to protest but closed it again. Being misunderstood for having a girlfriend was preferable to revealing that he'd awakened superpowers. At least this avoided potential family conflict—or worse, his parents' divorce.
"I've really sacrificed too much for this family," Eden muttered to himself as he tucked the item away, sipping the hot milk Nolan had prepared. For once, he could enjoy a peaceful, ordinary life at home.
"I hope no villains come to school tomorrow…"
"I hope Mom doesn't come to monitor me…"
"I hope God grants me a calm, harmonious day…"
He murmured his nightly prayers, though he wasn't sure which deity he was addressing—the DC God or Marvel's OAA.
"As everyone knows, I worship results, not useless gods," he muttered, opening his system to check his stats. His eyes widened at one entry: Villain Charisma 80.
"What?!" Eden demanded angrily. "I've been doing good deeds lately—saving the Earth every day! I'm just one embarrassing spandex suit away from being a hero! So tell me, system, why has my Villain Charisma increased?!"
The system stayed silent.
Eden clenched his fists. Seriously? I'm doing everything right, and yet the system won't cooperate. What kind of good person gets treated like this?
Earlier that day, Eden's mission on Viltrum had been tedious but straightforward. The Frank's Sa People were an invasive alien species, aggressive and resilient. Eden had swiftly neutralized them using his superior abilities, moving with precision and efficiency. Every time he destroyed a nest or intercepted a patrol, he couldn't help but sigh at the futility: while he saved lives, nobody really noticed.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, the Teen Team struggled without him. William, exhausted from stress and uncertainty, had nearly given up hope. Eve's sharp instincts detected that something was off, but without Eden's presence, the group floundered. Rex's impatience only made things worse, and Robot's dry honesty added fuel to the fire.
Yet despite their chaos, Eden's return was seamless. He emerged calmly from his hiding spot, helping William and deflecting attention from himself. The subtle interactions with Eve were playful but careful; Eden understood the balance between teasing and revealing too much. And though Rex's jealousy flared, Eden had long since learned not to waste energy worrying about someone who would inevitably overreact.
By the time evening fell, Eden had managed to navigate not only the alien threat but also the complicated dynamics of his home and heroic acquaintances. Sitting down with a glass of warm milk, he allowed himself a rare moment of reflection.
I fight every day. I save the Earth every day. And yet… somehow, I am still treated like a villain.
He chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head. "I guess it comes with the territory. But at least I get to go home and enjoy a quiet meal. That's worth something."
And with that, Eden leaned back in his chair, savoring a fleeting sense of normalcy. Tomorrow, he would face more challenges. More villains. More scrutiny. But tonight, he allowed himself to be a regular teenager, even if only for a few hours.
Please… let tomorrow be peaceful.
Eden's thoughts drifted as he sipped his milk, the faint glow of the evening sun casting long shadows across the room. The system remained silent, his Villain Charisma unchanged, yet for the first time that day, Eden felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.
He had done his duty. He had protected Earth. And no matter what labels the system—or the world—placed on him, he knew the truth: he was doing the right thing, one heroic act at a time.
As he closed his eyes, ready for sleep, Eden silently promised himself: no matter how chaotic or misunderstood life became, he would continue to fight. Not for recognition. Not for glory. But because it was the right thing to do.
And that, for Eden, was enough.