III Time

Inside the cold hospital room, Raiden sat on the edge of lucidity. His mind raced with questions as he attempted to process what had happened. The faint hum of medical machines surrounded him as he struggled to grasp his new reality.

When he tried to sit up, his arms trembled and failed him, his body collapsing back onto the bed like a rag doll. His weakness was both shocking and infuriating.

"Damn it," he muttered through gritted teeth, frustration coursing through him.

The sound of a sharp gasp caught his attention. He turned his head toward the source and saw a nurse standing at the doorway, her face pale and mouth agape in astonishment.

"You're awake," she finally managed to say, her voice shaky but relieved. Without hesitation, she hurried over to his bedside, her hands gently but efficiently checking his vitals. Before Raiden could respond, she pressed a red button near the bed, triggering a soft alarm.

"Yeah, I'm awake," Raiden croaked, his voice hoarse. "What happened? How long have I been here? I feel awful," he added, trying once again to push himself upright, but the nurse gently placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Don't push yourself," she said, her tone kind but firm. "You need to rest. The doctor will be here in just a moment."

True to her word, a doctor entered the room less than a minute later, accompanied by two other medical professionals. The room felt busier now, bustling with quiet urgency, they worked swiftly and silently.

The doctor, a man with gentle eyes, gray hair, and brown irises, probably in his mid-forties, finally spoke. "I'm Doctor Yamada—a pleasure to meet you, Raiden. I've been in charge of your health during this time. To explain what happened, I need you to stay calm. But first, I need to ask you a few questions to assess your current state, and I'll run a couple more tests. Is that okay?"

"Yes, I can answer," Raiden replied.

Hearing this, the doctor took a small flashlight, leaned closer, and checked Raiden's eyesight. "Good, normal pupil response. So far, everything seems fine. Now, do you know where you are?" he asked.

"Yeah, in a hospital, I guess. That's what it looks like," Raiden said as he glanced around the room.

"Good, good. And your full name and age?" the doctor continued.

Raiden frowned slightly, surprised by the question's simplicity but answered nonetheless. "Tsurugi Raiden. I'm thirteen."

"Good. Now, tell me about your family. Who are they?"

"My dad, Tsurugi Tenma, and my mom, Tsurugi Aoi. That's all. Well, there are my grandparents too, but they live in Osaka, so I don't see them much," Raiden explained.

"Good, good. Now, do you remember how you ended up here or what happened before?" the doctor asked.

At the question, Raiden frowned deeply. His last memories were vivid—the girl's voice, the fight, and the crushing defeat. He sighed, his voice turning melancholic.

"I was in a fight. I was at a store near home, and two villains attacked. I beat one of them with a fire extinguisher, but I lost to the second one. I activated my Quirk to escape, but it wasn't enough. He beat the crap out of me... he..."

Raiden began recounting everything carefully, sparing no detail. It felt less like he was explaining to the doctor and more like reliving it himself. His voice carried frustration and anger. Even though he hadn't expected to win, the way the fight ended left him bitterly disappointed.

"I see. Everything you've described matches what we know about the incident. This is a good sign," the doctor said with a reassuring smile. "It means that, despite the extremely harsh experience you went through, your mental functions are in optimal condition. We still need to run more tests, but we're almost certain you don't have any long-term consequences from the incident."

Raiden nodded slightly, his mind spinning with questions. "I see. That's good, but... Doctor, where is my family? What happened after I fainted? And how much time has passed?" he asked, his breathing becoming ragged as the weight of the conversation started to tire him.

The doctor gave a small nod, pulling a chair closer to Raiden and sitting beside him. As he did, the nurse and other doctors quietly exited the room, leaving the two of them alone. The sudden stillness created a tense atmosphere, and Raiden immediately sensed the gravity of what was about to be said.

"After you fainted..." the doctor began, pausing for a deep breath. "First, your family is on their way. They should be here soon. As for the day of the incident, after you collapsed, Airi—the girl you saved—called an ambulance. The heroes arrived shortly after." He hesitated again, his voice steady but somber. "Now, here's the thing... she saved your life, but you also played a big part in that."

The doctor leaned forward slightly, his tone shifting to one of admiration. "We reviewed the footage of the attack. What the villain did to you should have left you with multiple broken bones and probably ruptured organs. Yet, that wasn't the case."

Raiden's brow furrowed as he listened intently.

"Your bones were injured, yes, but not shattered. Instead, you suffered multiple micro-fractures throughout your body—serious, but just short of catastrophic. Your body was on the brink of collapse, but it managed to hold together just enough to heal. We concluded that it was thanks to the impressive healing factor of your Quirk—it saved your life."

"I see," Raiden murmured, exhaling deeply as he tried to process the information. After a moment, he asked, "And how much time has passed?"

The doctor hesitated, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Raiden, it's been eight months since that day. Even though your injuries weren't life-threatening, they were extensive. It was necessary to put you in a coma to allow your body to recover fully. However, you actually recovered two months ago, but... you didn't wake up."

Raiden's eyes widened slightly as the doctor continued. "At first, we thought there might be a problem. But after running several checks, we discovered something unusual but good. Your body... it was adapting to your Quirk. We realized you would wake up only when the adaptation process was complete."

Raiden leaned forward, trying his best to sit up. The doctor immediately helped him adjust on the bed. Once Raiden was sitting upright, he asked, "So my body adapted? If that's the case, it feel awful."

 The note of sarcasm in his voice made the doctor chuckle, but he quickly responded.

"Yes, it did. Your body is weak now because of the lack of movement. Muscles have the tendency to atrophy when they aren't used. That's why we need to start rehabilitation soon," the doctor said with a light laugh.

Just as the doctor finished speaking, a woman with gray hair burst into the room and ran to hug Raiden tightly.

It was his mom. Both the doctor and Raiden's dad had to intervene because her embrace was too strong for his current condition. Raiden couldn't handle a bear hug just yet.

"I was so worried, so worried. I thought I was going to lose you! Finally, you're awake!" his mom sobbed, tears streaming down her face.

Raiden's dad joined in, hugging him gently from the side, his own tears falling silently. Raiden managed to speak through the emotional scene, his voice soft but steady.

"I'm home. I'm sorry for worrying you," Raiden said, hugging his parents as tightly as his weakened body would allow, though it wasn't much.

"I'm sorry..." his mom sobbed, her voice breaking. "I shouldn't have asked you to go to the store... I'm so sorry..."

Raiden immediately realized what she was feeling. She had been the one who asked him to pick up groceries after school, and all this time, she must have been blaming herself for what happened.

Without hesitation, Raiden responded, "It wasn't your fault, Mom. It was my decision. I was the one who wanted to act like a hero, hahaha. And this is the consequence. You have nothing to blame yourself for. I don't blame you for anything. And look, I even awakened my Quirk." Raiden smiled tryng to comfort his mom. 

His parents hugged him back gently, their embrace filled with love and relief. They continued talking for half and hour, catching up on the months they had lost. Despite the regret and frustration that lingered from the incident, Raiden felt a profound sense of comfort and happiness. Having his parents there made everything feel just a little easier to bear.

They were about to continue their reunion when Dr. Yamada suddenly cleared his throat to catch their attention. "Excuse me, but we need to discuss the next steps in Raiden's recovery," he said with a calm but serious tone.

At the doctor's words, the family turned their attention to him, listening carefully. Dr. Yamada explained that one of the most crucial parts of Raiden's recovery would be psychological treatment. Assessing his current mental health was essential, as the trauma of the incident and the time spent in a coma might take a significant emotional toll. The doctor suggested that Raiden would likely require regular therapy sessions to process everything that had happened.

In addition to psychological support, extensive physical therapy was necessary. Dr. Yamada outlined a plan that would include working with both a trauma specialist and a kinesiologist to restore Raiden's strength and mobility.

The road to recovery would be long. The doctor estimated that it would take at least six months before Raiden could return to a somewhat normal life. However, he emphasized that while Raiden could regain the functionality of an average boy his age within that time, reaching the level of physical fitness he had before the incident would take longer—possibly a year or more. The extended time Raiden spent bedridden had severely atrophied his muscles, and rebuilding them would require patience and determination.

Raiden and his parents exchanged solemn looks. They understood the challenges ahead, but there was also a shared determination to face them together.

After the explanation, the doctor left the family alone to share more time as they prepared for the next checkup. Raiden spoke in detail about everything that had happened that day—how he felt, what his Quirk was, or at least what he understood about his ability. 

His parents, in turn, shared what they had seen on the store's cameras. They had witnessed almost all of the fight, including the confrontation with the red man.

Suddenly, Raiden stopped talking and asked, "The red villain... did the heroes catch him?"

The question froze both of his parents. They immediately exchanged glances, and that alone made Raiden's heart sink. Their silence told him everything he needed to know: the man was still free, roaming somewhere. Yet, he waited for his parents to confirm it.

Raiden's father was the first to speak. "Just as you're thinking... he escaped. There's no clue about him. The heroes and the police have supposedly been investigating him, but they haven't found anything. No one knows who he is. Son, I know this must be worrying and scary, but—"

Before he could finish, Raiden smiled, surprising both of his parents.

"That's good," Raiden muttered, making their eyes widen in disbelief at his unexpected words.

Tenma was the first to react. Knowing his son well, he immediately understood what Raiden meant. "Now that you've awakened your Quirk, you want to pursue your dream, don't you? And after that, you want to capture the villain yourself. Am I wrong?"

Hearing his father, Raiden nodded. "I want to be a hero. And yes, I want to capture him myself."

Tenma nodded, seeing the determination in his son's eyes. "I see. It's good that this event hasn't hindered your dreams. But I have a question. I won't criticize you, but you need to be honest. I'll support you either way. Do you want justice... or revenge?"

Raiden paused, thinking deeply for a moment. Then, with a resolute expression, he answered, "I want both."

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I will leave this here just in case hahaha, I dropped ilustracions for suscriptors, there three, yes, isn't much but slowly I will upload more things, or so I hope so. 

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