Kaede walked down the quiet street towards the medical store she ran, the cool morning air brushing gently against her skin.
Her thoughts, however, were far from the mundane routines of opening the shop.
Instead, they were filled with memories of the past few days—days that had been nothing short of exhilarating, courtesy of David.
She couldn't believe it sometimes.
David, a boy the same age as her children, had completely turned her world upside down.
It wasn't just the thrill of their "relationship"—though that certainly played a part—it was the way he made her feel.
Alive.
As if all the burdens she had carried for so long, the regrets from her divorce, the loneliness, the constant weight pressing on her chest... had vanished in an instant.
Kaede had been so close to letting her life spiral into a dark void.
Drinking herself to sleep had become a nightly ritual.
The bitter sting of alcohol was the only thing that dulled the ache of her regrets—the pain of losing her family, the endless cycle of self-blame.
But then, David had stepped into her life, so effortlessly filling it with colors she thought had faded forever.
It was something that should have made the "ideal" woman kaede disgusted, but instead, she found herself laughing, feeling young again.
He had basically made her cum all those lingering doubts and regrets out of her mind.
The nights they spent together—each one more intense than the last—had dissolved the bitterness that had consumed her.
There was no space left for regret.
As she neared the shop, Kaede paused, glancing at the reflection of herself in the glass window.
She looked different—more vibrant.
There was a spark in her eyes that hadn't been there in so long that she actually forgot.
---
Kaede spotted Haruka waiting at the usual spot, just outside the convenience store where they met each morning before walking together to the medical store.
Haruka, always punctual, greeted her with a nod and a warm smile, her light brown hair catching the morning sun.
"You're early, as always," Kaede said with a chuckle, falling into step beside her.
"Can't break the habit," Haruka replied with a soft laugh. "Besides, I figured you'd want to open up on time. You've been in such a good mood lately."
Kaede smiled, her thoughts momentarily drifting back to David. "Yeah... things have been different."
Haruka shot her a curious glance. "Different, huh? Well, whatever it is, it suits you. You've been glowing these past few days."
Kaede shrugged but couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe life just has a way of surprising us when we least expect it."
They walked together, just like they had for years, their pace easy and familiar.
The routine was almost comforting, but today, something felt off.
Kaede noticed it before they even turned the corner—she had a bad gut feeling the same one she had when she found out her husband was cheating on her.
Haruka's steps slowed beside her as they approached a small alleyway, and then they both froze.
A figure stumbled into view from the alley.
He was a mess, disheveled and wild-eyed, his body covered in soot and burns.
His appearance was disturbing, but the look in his eyes was even worse—pure, unbridled rage.
It took only a second for Kaede to recognize him from the news.
"Infernal," Haruka whispered, her voice trembling.
Kaede's heart raced.
Infernal, the villain who had recently escaped during a prison transfer.
He was notorious for his pyromaniac tendencies, often losing control and wreaking havoc wherever he went.
His madness was a fire that couldn't be contained.
And now, here he was, standing in their path, breathing heavily as if the weight of his own insanity was too much to bear.
"Run," Kaede muttered, her hand instinctively gripping Haruka's wrist.
Before they could move, Infernal's gaze snapped toward them, eyes blazing with fury. "No more chains... no more cages," he growled, his voice barely human.
Kaede felt the heat rising around him, the telltale sign of his quirk manifesting.
Flames began to lick at his fingertips, growing in intensity.
They had to get out of there—now. But as they took a step back, Infernal raised his hands, and the flames shot out and spread behind them, cutting off their escape.
"You... you're all the same," he snarled, advancing toward them. "All trying to control me, to lock me away! But I'll burn everything down before I let that happen again!"
Kaede's mind raced.
They were trapped, and with each passing second, the fire grew hotter.
She glanced at Haruka, who was frozen in fear.
There was no time to think—just act.
---
David was in the middle of his workout, focusing intensely on his chest and abs. His regimen was meticulously planned, designed to sculpt his body to absolute perfection.
Each rep, each set, was calculated to push his muscles to the limit.
Sweat trickled down his forehead as he powered through the reps, feeling absolutely nothing with every controlled movement as he was sweating from the air conditioner not working.
But suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.
It was a strange feeling, something he hadn't felt before—it was a sense of impending dread, like something terribly wrong was happening.
He paused for a moment, trying to shake off the feeling, chalking it up to overexertion.
Yet, the unsettling sensation lingered, growing stronger by the second.
His instincts screamed at him not to ignore it.
With a sigh, David stopped his workout and allowed his digital senses to stretch out over the city, scanning for anything unusual.
He tried to push through the nagging worry, but it was like a gnawing thought in the back of his mind, demanding his attention.
Then he saw it.
Kaede.
She was in danger—cornered by some raging villain, flames flickering around her and another woman.
David's heart skipped a beat, and in that moment, the full stack of weights he had been pressing slipped from his hands and crashed to the floor.
He didn't care.
All his focus was on her.
Without a second thought, he bolted to the rooftop of his building, every muscle in his body primed for action.
The wind whipped against his face as he leaped up, allowing the transformation to take over.
His body shifted, growing larger and more powerful, metal plates forming over his skin as he took on his Galactus Prime form.
In seconds, he was airborne, streaking through the sky at breakneck speed, his only thought being to reach Kaede before it was too late.
=========================
"Fate is like a hoe, it fucks with everyone"
- Me after sleeping 12 hours and. making 6 hours worth of backlog.
Will David be able to be their in time ? 🤔
Stones and Reviews please
250 Powerstone 1 Bonus Chapter
500 Powerstones 2 Bonus Chapter