The cool night air nipped at my cheeks, a stark contrast to the warmth still lingering from the evening. Just hours ago, I was practically glowing. Witnessing Peter and Amy finally tie the knot was heartwarming, a perfect ending to a perfect day. And then there was the satisfaction of seeing Ava and Lex, both of whom have caused me considerable stress in past lives, utterly speechless. I even managed to steal a sweet kiss from Momo before dropping her off at her estate. Everything was right in the world, or so I thought.
The alley was a black maw, swallowing the faint moonlight. I'd decided to take a shortcut home, a habit I really needed to break. That's when it happened. A hand, rough and strong, grabbed my forearm, yanking me into the darkness. Before I could even register a protest, I was slammed against the brick wall, the impact jarring my teeth. Then, the scorching heat hit me, flames licking at my clothes. This guy was pissed.
Luckily, my… unique physiology rendered me immune to something as simple as fire. I didn't even flinch, but my clothes were ablaze, and the surrounding area was quickly catching on. The flames roared, leaping higher, engulfing the nearby forest in a fiery inferno. This was bad, real bad.
That's when a memory flickered - Peter. During one of our long talks about my ridiculous situation about being reincarnated as Izuku's older brother, he'd gifted me a watch, a sleek, silver band with a single red button. He had said it would allow me to tap in to the full potential of my 'Superman suit', if ever needed. I never really paid it any mind, assuming it was a crazy idea, but now seemed like the perfect time to experiment.
I pressed the red button. A flash of light, intense and all-encompassing, erupted from the watch. When it subsided, I was clad in my familiar suit. The one I hadn't worn in years. It felt… right. "It actually worked," I muttered, a small smile creeping onto my face, I would definitely need to thank Peter later.
But before I could even contemplate my new wardrobe, a wave of dark figures poured into the alleyway. Hundreds, no, thousands. Maybe millions. It was a villain army the likes I hadn't seen before. The situation was even worse than I thought. It hit me then - this wasn't a random attack. This was Twice's doing. The League of Villains, I should have known. Twice's quirk allowed him to create infinite copies of himself. I didn't see him among the throng, meaning he was probably hiding somewhere. That didn't matter now, I can deal with his copies first, then with him. They may be endless, but I've faced worse.
I had the power of a god, but for some reason, I decided to test them out. I started with what my instincts told me, flicks of my fingers turned the doubles into dust, others required a punch. I moved through them like a whirlwind, my power clearing a path through the endless horde of clones. The night dragged on. What felt like minutes turned into hours. The doubles kept cloning, doubling, and doubling again, and I'm sure my own stamina was fading by the hour. It was a battle of attrition, a never-ending cycle of destruction and regeneration.
By the time I got rid of the last of the doubles, the sky was starting to lighten, and my body was screamed in exhaustion. A dull ache settled in my joints, something I hadn't felt in a long time. But Twice was gone. I couldn't see him, meaning he had either . retreated or was gone to plan something else. Either way I wasn't going to let him ruin the rest of my day. I pressed another button on the watch, a blue one this time and with a flash of light I was back in my normal clothes. The Superman suit vanishing as if it were never there.
The front door creaked open as I stepped inside and I was bombarded by a furious Inko, her face a mask of rage. Hizashi, my dad, stood beside her, half-asleep and barely registering my presence. Izuku peeked from behind , eyes wide with a mix of fatigue and fear. I gave him a small nod of silent reassurance.
"Where have you been?!" Mom shrieked, her voice echoing through the hall. "It's almost morning! You left and didn't say a word!"
I placed a calming hand on her shoulder, my other hand reaching to rub the back of my neck, but it was a mistake. She instantly grabbed her nearby slipper, and threw it at my head, I dodged out of instinct, which only made it worse because she used her quirk to lift the other slipper and throw it at my head.
"I was…," I began. But there was no good explanation to give. The truth was… complicated. "I went to see a girl," I blurted out.
The room went silent. Mom's mouth hung open speechless, Dad's eyes widened with genuine interest, and even Izuku looked stunned. The silence was broken by a triumphant shout from dad, throwing his hands in the air.
"A girl, huh?" Mom finally managed to sputter, the anger fading into a mixture of disbelief and curiosity. "Who is she? What's her name? What do her parents do?"
Dad chuckled, grabbing Mom around the waist and threw her over his shoulder before heading towards their bedroom. "Let them teenagers be, Inko," he said, before winking at me, mouthing 'good job,' making me smile.
Izuku shuffled closer, his eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. "What happened, Anos?" he asked quietly. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, Izuku," I smiled, ruffling his hair. "I just went to see an old friend." I wasn't going to burden him with the details of Twice and his endless clones. He had enough to worry about with his own training.
I headed to my room, feeling strangely content. The night had been chaotic, exhausting, and terrifying, but it had also been exhilarating and full of surprises. I had kissed Momo, Peter got married, my ex and enemy were speechless, and I even got to save a forest and a town from an army of doubles. I had faced an army of villains and survived. I was exhausted, but satisfied. As I crawled into bed, I smiled. Life even in this new reality, was never dull and I wouldn't want it any other way.