A/N: I just saw that I saved this chapter into my drafts instead of uploading it last week, I'm a fucking r*t*rd, my bad y'all, lol.
A/N 2: Hi, everyone, it's me! I wanted to use this bonus chapter to broach more slice of life and low profile parts of the story and let you all understand a bit more of who Damian really is before I dive head first into action for the finale of this trip, which should be happening soon.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights for any of the preexisting characters. This novel is made merely for entertainment purposes.
Also I've seen in between the sites I post on some folk who think Damian could become stronger faster, so I'm taking this space to say I plan to take my sweet time writing the story's developments because I care as much about the human elements as I do for the supernatural ones, I don't care to make this a generic power fantasy where he fucks everything with curves and stomps anyone whose an enemy and if you don't like that you can go read the multitude of alternatives that will probably fulfil that desire for you.
But anyways, that's all, enjoy!
…
「Apartment complex, Musutafu」
The gentle rays of sunlight illuminated the room from the open balcony as Damian and Eri appeared in the living room of his apartment.
Sweeping around with his eyes, Damian made a mental note to clean the disaster while Eva spoke about an 'I told you so' in his head.
Handwritten copies from the mystical tomes he brought with him were strewn around all over the tables along wires, metals and prototypes he was working on, making him remember Eva's nagging about keeping things clean even if no one else was around.
Eri flinched at first when the light hit her eyes, gripping Damian's hand tightly, her little fingers clutching his poncho with quiet trepidation. But when she saw that the new space wasn't cold or sterile–no glaring lamps, no machines humming around her, it made her ease slightly as curiosity flickered beneath the fear.
Damian patted her head soothingly as he said. "We're at my house, this is where I've been staying."
Eri's eyes moved slowly around the room; at the couch half covered in little gadgets, the shelves filled with books, and the faint scent of cinnamon that lingered from a candle Damian had left burning earlier mixed with the scent of fresh ink and paper. Everything looked… cozy and lived in. It was almost overwhelming for her.
He smiled faintly. "You're safe here, Eri. No one can hurt you here."
Her grip on him loosened just a little, but she didn't let go entirely.
After a quiet moment, Damian continued, his voice gentle and patient. "Eri, I need to go somewhere for a little bit, a school event I have to finish up. It won't take long, I promise. But before I go, I want to ask you something."
Eri blinked up at him, her expression still cautious but listening. "Would you rather stay here and wait for me to come back," he asked, "or would you like to come with me? We can do whatever you like."
Her eyes widened, uncertain at first, then she shuffled closer and pressed her forehead lightly against his chest. When she finally spoke, her voice was small but certain. "...Can I go with you, please?"
Damian looked down at her and smiled, finding her every move dangerously endearing. "Of course you can. But if we're going, we'll need to get you changed first."
Saying so, he summoned an array of dresses and laid them out over a table after clearing some space. Damian rubbed the back of his neck a little awkwardly, he loved outfitting himself, but he really wasn't sure on what a little girl would like to wear so he played it safe. The dresses were admittedly simple but pretty: soft pastels, cotton fabrics, light patterns of flowers and stars.
"I, uhm… wasn't sure what size you'd be," he admitted, smiling sheepishly. "So I might've overdone it a little. But you can pick whichever one you like to wear. I bought them for you."
Eri froze for a moment, eyes darting between the colors and textures she'd never been allowed to touch before. Then, to Damian's surprise, her little shoulders began to shake. Tears spilled down her cheeks silently at first, then in trembling little drops that caught the sunlight.
Damian's heart seized. He knelt instantly, hands hovering, voice panicked. "Wh-What's wrong, Eri? Do you not like the dresses? I can buy new ones, any kind you want. Or we can stay here if you don't wanna wear them, it's okay-"
But before he could ramble further, she shook her head quickly, wiping her tears with her sleeve. "No," she whispered, voice cracking softly. "I like them all…"
She paused, hiccupping a little before looking up at him with watery eyes and a trembling smile that was somehow brighter than anything he'd seen in that dark compound. "Can you help me pick one, Oni-chan?"
For a heartbeat, Damian went completely still, the cringe of his last life's weeb-ish memories clashing with the cuteness overload inside him before his expression softened into a small smile, a quiet laugh escaped him. "Yeah," he said gently, brushing a strand of white hair from her face. "Of course I can."
He reached for two of the dresses, holding them up thoughtfully. "Hmm… blue or lilac, what do you think?"
Eri sniffled, eyes darting between them. "Both look pretty," she murmured.
"Then we'll pick the one that feels happiest," he said with a little grin. "Clothes should always feel like you, not anyone else."
Eri hesitated, then touched the soft blue one with a tiny smile. "This one… it feels warm."
"Then that's the one," Damian said softly.
Guiding her to his room, Damian said to her before closing the door. "Call me if you need help."
Nodding at him, she quickly threw the hospital gown she was wearing on the ground before changing into her new dress. Then she glanced at her reflection in the mirror for the first time in years. And for the first time, she didn't see a prisoner or a test subject, she just saw a little girl.
Sheepishly opening the door, Eri picked outside. Seeing her acting so timid, Damian chuckled as he asked. "Are you done changing, Eri?" To which the little girl shyly nodded in response.
"Then, can I see how you look now?"
Taking a second to overcome her sudden shyness, Eri stepped out of the door, hands clasped together as she asked in a low voice. "H-How does it look?"
Unable to resist the cuteness overload, Damian picked her up as he cheerfully muttered. "You look amazing, like a princess!"
She was first startled by the sudden move before a giggle escaped her mouth as she gave Damian for the first time a smile bright enough to outshine the sun. [I see why you opened a recreation center for kids before, this smile is soul-healing.] Muttered Eva, smiling herself inside his mind palace.
Bringing her back down, he adjusted a ribbon at her side and smiled. "Okay, then we're all settled. Ready to go, Eri?"
She nodded shyly and took his hand. "...Ready, Oni-chan."
…
「U.A. Sports Festival's training-stadium」
Opening the door of the unoccupied lounge room, Damian and Eri walked away hand in hand as Damian told her again: "Remember, my ability to teleport is our little secret, Eri."
And as she nodded along with a determined expression, he felt a bit more reassured.
Walking for a bit while answering Eri's questions, they 'coincidentally' ran into a noble giant whose eyes lit up once he made eye contact with Damian. "Damian-shonen!"
The booming voice nearly made Eri jump out of her skin and Damian turned from Eri to the voice as a tall, golden-haired figure rushed toward them from the corridor intersection.
"Where have you been, young man?!" All Might demanded, hands on his hips in full Hero pose. "The award ceremony is about to start! We've been searching everywhere for you!"
Eri shrank behind Damian, clutching his uniform tightly and her shift in posture didn't go unnoticed.
All Might blinked, the heroic volume of his voice cutting short. He blinked again, noticing the small horned girl peeking out from behind Damian's leg, fear flashing across her expression as her small body trembled.
Instantly, his demeanor softened. His voice grew low and warm as he knelt on one knee. "Oh, my… and who's this little one?"
Damian, still calm, lowered his voice to match the tone. "She's a relative of mine," he explained, hand gently patting Eri's head with his free hand. "Came to see me and the festival, but I didn't want her in the crowd–she gets overwhelmed easily.
All Might's smile widened into his trademark reassuring grin. "A relative, huh? Well! You did quite the job today, young Damian. I suppose she's proud, isn't she?"
Eri blinked at him, unsure how to respond, but seeing Damian's relaxed smile made her ease slightly. She gave a tiny nod.
All Might chuckled warmly. "Splendid! Splendid! Well, come on then, both of you. The whole stadium's waiting."
…
Looking from the 1st place podium as Midnight spoke and All Might made his entrance, Damian couldn't help but worry more about Eri but looking as she seemed to be holding on okay in the stand with the professors, he relaxed while watching the show play itself.
Turning to his left he suppressed a laugh at seeing Bakugo tied in chains to a cement pillar so he wouldn't attack him. And turning right, he was met with Shoto's calm eyes, his attitude as neutral as ever.
Bowing his head absentmindedly to accept the medal, he was brought out of his own world by All Might's words. "Splendid job, Damian-shonen. There's not much more to say other than good job and to keep doing your best. I'm sure you'll become a splendid hero one day!"
Accepting the medal and a hug, Damian held back to make any gym-bro remark as he patted All Might's back in reciprocation.
Back in the ground of the stadium, All Might's booming voice continued his speech as the whole world watched–though some students in the ground looked at Damian dubiously at All Might's 'anyone could've been standing on that podium' part of the speech, but that was neither here nor there.
Once the awards were settled, Damian moved swiftly, cutting the congratulations from his classmates short as he went to pick Eri back before they both walked back home, using this as the perfect excuse to avoid the afternoon empty class.
On the way back Damian enjoyed Eri's reactions to all the new stimuli as he did his best to avoid overwhelming her. All of it bringing back nostalgic memories of his brief time as a recreational center director.
…
「Outskirts of Nagoya, Aichi prefecture」
The morning air was sharp and cool, carrying the scent of dew and soil from the nearby forest. The street was quiet, save for the faint chirping of birds.
Damian stood before a two-story vintage house, its white walls faintly weathered, the wood-framed windows still shuttered. A wind chime clinked softly under the eaves.
He adjusted his collar, the light gray of his denim jacket fluttering with the breeze. Then, with a calm breath, he raised his hand and knocked.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
And for a few seconds it was only silence until the sound of footsteps–confident, heavy, rhythmically impatient were captured by his keen hearing. Then the door swung open.
Standing there was Rumi Usagiyama–Mirko, the Rabbit Hero and Japan's number five. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she wore a sleeveless black sports top and loose gray sweatpants, muscles toned and posture relaxed but her crimson eyes carried their usual unyielding fire.
"Took you long enough, kid." She said, arms crossed. Her tone was somewhere between greeting and annoyance.
Damian smiled faintly, unbothered. "You sound disappointed I didn't fly straight into your living room."
She scoffed. "Wouldn't be the first time you used your powers on the streets."
"I'm afraid you got the wrong person, Ma'am."
She clicked her tongue and stepped aside as a response. "Get in already. You're letting the cold in."
Inside, the house was as utilitarian and minimalistic as he had expected, though he was surprised by the touch of homelyness. Vintage wooden floors, trophies from her early career, the faint smell of coffee drifting from the kitchen. Damian followed her down the hallway, his steps light and unhurried.
"If someone heard you," he mused casually while looking around, "they might think it wasn't you who invited me to this internship."
Mirko shot him a sharp look over her shoulder, one ear twitching. "Don't get cocky with me, kid. I'd rather deal with you here than have you sneaking around at night playing vigilante again."
Damian feigned confusion, expression utterly innocent. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Ma'am."
"You can drop the act already," she snapped, irritated by his shamelessness and the term 'Ma'am'. Turning toward him fully, she said. "I'm straightforward, not stupid. You enroll to U.A. and a mysterious vigilante appears throughout Japan after the first time we met, always at a different prefecture at a time. Who'd be able to do that if not the brat who can fly?"
He shrugged lightly. "Coincidence, perhaps."
Mirko's smirk sharpened, her already short patience thinning a bit more. "Yeah, sure, and I'm actually Korean."
Their eyes met then; Damian's calm and unbothered, Mirko's sharp and testing. A quiet tension hung in the air, but it didn't feel hostile yet. She might've been mad at him for playing the vigilante but remembering her days in high school she couldn't muster the hypocrisy to chastise him too much.
After a moment, she jerked her thumb toward a nearby hallway. "Guest room's that way. Go change into something you can actually move in. We're starting early."
A few minutes later, Damian stepped into the backyard. The space opened into a training area. Flat ground reinforced with padded tiles, bordered by a few sparring dummies and exercise gear. Morning light spilled over the grass, golden and soft.
He wore simple training clothes now: a black compression shirt that didn't gift any extra grabbing space and loose gray sweatpants. Mirko was already waiting for him in the center of the yard, stretching lazily, her ponytail swaying with each motion. When she spotted him, her grin widened while Damian had to make his best effort to remain a gentleman as she had changed her sweatpants for a pair of black leggings that matched her top.
"Took you long enough."
"I was admiring the decor," Damian replied evenly. "It has… personality."
Her smirk was the only warning he got. Without so much as a breath, she launched herself forward–her movement a blur, leg snapping up in a high arc that aimed straight for his head.
But Damian didn't move. Not even a flinch as the kick stopped dead an inch from his face, the air between them rippling from the force that would have shattered either the sound barrier, his face or maybe both.
Mirko's red eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you dodge? Your eyes followed me."
Damian's smile barely shifted. "Because I trusted that Japan's number five hero wouldn't attack her intern by surprise."
[Yeah, not like you already foresaw that her attack was just a hint.]
Tactfully ignoring her ever sharp comments, Damian basked in the silence after his words, doing his best for his eyes to not go any more down than they should when-
*Click* Her tongue snapped against her teeth as she lowered her leg, expression torn between irritation and faint amusement. "Don't you get tired of acting like a cocky bastard?... Fine. Let's see how far that calm face gets you once we start moving for real."
"Sure thing, Ma'am."
Dodging a kick for real this time with a sidestep, Mirko spoke with restrained fury. "And stop calling me Ma'am. I'm only 24, you brat."
Raising one eyebrow, Damian asked: "And what should I call you?"
Turning around and making some space between them, she spoke again. "Beats me, call me whoever you want, kid."
"Rumi?" He asked innocently.
With a vein popping in her forehead, she snapped. "Are you into self harm, kid?"
"Sheesh. I get it, I get it. Should I call you Mirko, then?"
Mirko grinned, bouncing lightly on her feet, every inch the predator ready for a hunt. "Fine. Now get ready because we're sparring first. Then we hit the streets. If you're gonna intern under me, you better be able to keep up."
Not being one to shy away from challenges, he gave a grin of his own. "Couldn't ask for anything better. Ready when you are."
The air thickened between them; Mirko's grin widened into something feral while Damian's calm aura sharpened into absolute focus.
A leaf drifted between them… and the instant it touched the ground, they both moved.
Mirko exploded forward, her kick came like a whip towards Damian's left. High, precise, and fast enough to cut the air with a crack. Yet Damian didn't dodge, instead stepped into it to shorten her momentum, his forearm lifting just in time to meet her shin.
The impact boomed, kicking up a burst of dust and bending the nearby grass outward.
Mirko blinked in surprise, muscles tightening, he had stopped her kick cleanly.
Damian didn't even flinch. His calm eyes met hers, voice even as he spoke. "My Quirk is called Manipulation," he started with the half-lie prepared for this world's settings. "Like the name says, I can control a lot of things, my body being one of them. That's also how I'm able to fly."
Her brow lifted as she pulled her leg back. "And you can use that to tank a kick from me?"
He shrugged lightly. "The manipulation extends in depth to my body. Bones, muscles, flow of energy. I can strengthen my whole body holistically or individually for a small moment to withstand a lot, though I'm still figuring out the limits."
Mirko chuckled, low and feral. "So that's how it is. Guess I don't have to hold that much back."
Before Damian could reply, she lunged again and she was even faster this time. A blur of motion, a streak of white hair and muscle.
Damian shifted low, meeting her in the middle, their clash sounded like thunder. Thankfully she lived in the outskirts of her rural town, otherwise the noise complaints could get nasty.
For the next minute, the backyard became a blur of movement. Mirko moved like a wild animal; fluid, explosive and unpredictable. Her style was built on raw power and agility, her feet pounding the dirt with every feint and turn.
Damian countered not with equal ferocity, but with calculated precision. Every time she kicked, his body flowed around her like water, redirecting, parrying, cutting her momentum short, never wasting time on extra motions. Dodging within an inch of her kicks and only tanking them occasionally.
A kick grazed his jaw; he twisted with it and turned the recoil into a downward strike, his hand cutting through the air like a blade. She ducked under it and used the momentum to sweep his legs but Damian didn't fall. His body pivoted midair, adjusting the air pressure under his feet to regain balance before landing silently behind her.
Mirko smirked as she spun, landing a reverse kick that barely missed his chest.
"You're way too calm for someone fighting me." She taunted as she transitioned seamlessly from the extended kick into a whip using only the shin section of her leg.
"I could say the same," he replied, sidestepping her strike and catching her ankle mid-swing.
Her grin widened. "Bad move."
She twisted her entire body, using the captured leg as leverage to bring her other foot swinging like a hammer. Damian ducked, barely avoiding the strike that tore through the air above his head.
The moment he released her, she pushed off the ground, closing the distance again, relentless. Damian's movements remained controlled—wind gathering subtly around him, barely visible, a quiet whisper that turned into bursts of acceleration whenever he needed to evade.
Back and forth they went–Mirko's raw physical might clashing against Damian's adaptive, analytical rhythm. Every collision cracked the air, the impacts vibrated through the yard like distant gunfire.
Finally, after one last high-speed exchange, they both stopped at the same moment. Mirko crouched low, breathing steady like she didn't just fight somebody and Damian standing upright, one hand raised as faint trails of displaced air circled his wrist.
A single leaf drifted between them, severed midair by the pressure alone.
Mirko broke into a grin. "Not bad, kid. You're still green, but you've got timing, balance… and guts."
Holding back the childish need to say she only connected hits because he ate them on purpose, he chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"It was." She straightened, cracking her neck. "Most others I'd knock out in the first ten seconds. You lasted, what, three minutes?"
He smirked faintly. "Three minutes isn't much."
"For me?" She snorted. "It's an eternity."
Raising an eyebrow, he couldn't help himself. "Are we still talking about sparring?"
And at first she didn't quite get what he meant, but when she did Damian had to dodge a flying dumbbell that seemed to magically appear near her.
"Tsk, I failed." She muttered.
"That wasn't nice," he said before laughing like a jerk.
Then Mirko clapped her hands once, loud and sharp before turning around and heading back inside. "Alright, warm-up's over. Go grab some water and put on your uniform. We're heading out on patrol in fifteen. Let's see if your control's as good outside the ring."
Damian nodded, the faintest edge of a smile crossing his lips. "Oh, I'm looking forward to learning from a true pro."
…
As the night settled, Damian was relaxing on the couch while accompanying Eri who was engrossed watching an anime about magical girl heroes.
'This internship could be better than I expected, in spite of how brash she is, Mirko has a proper pro hero methodology, gotta appreciate that it's also pretty straightforward.' He said to Eva.
And putting on her best sarcastic voice, she replied: [Oh, that's not why you accepted her internship in the first place? Why else would you accept the internship of the hottest hero in Japan, then? I wonder.]
He rolled his eyes hearing her. 'Yeah, yeah, very funny. You know it was because she was the least troublesome of all the options. If someone were to hear you, it would sound like I'm some kind of lust demon.'
Turning to look at the girl that has practically become his new little sister, Damian spoke. "Hey Eri, want some ice cream?"
Too absorbed in the show as the magical girls were duking it out with a big monster like villain, she just nodded her little head cutely. "Yes, please."
Using his powers in the way God must have surely intended, to spoil his loved one, Damian brought her a tub of her favorite flavor while musing. 'You know, I originally came to learn to play the role of hero,' he suddenly said in his mind. 'But having Eri here, I think I've realized another reason I have for doing all this.'
Eva remained silent, but he could feel she was only waiting for him to keep going. 'I started just because I wanted to help others while I grow strong enough to protect myself and those I love,' taking a moment while looking at Eri's distracted figure, he continued. 'But I think this is what really counts. Not some grand dream to make the world into a perfect place free of all suffering and difficulties, but rather it be enough for me to live in a world where all children can grow up just like this–carefree, smiling in happiness and sheltered from all evil.'
And as he spoke, the nexus inside his mind hummed silently as the vessel known as Damian Rossi unconsciously broadened, acknowledging his self discovery and consequently expanding out, slowly inching closer to its true potential.
…
The hum of the city beyond the window was soft and distant as Eri sat curled up on the couch, a book open on her lap, one of the picture books Damian had bought her two days earlier.
The room was dimly lit by a single warm lamp. It was calm. Too calm. Then Damian's expression shifted.
The tablet resting on his desk flashed red with alerts. Data feeds from surveillance nodes flickered across the screen; CCTV loops, silent drone angles, and traffic cams he'd covertly linked into. His eyes narrowed as he saw what the feeds were showing: chaos in Hosu as a train was intercepted by a weird looking creature.
"Nii-chan?" Eri's small voice broke through, soft and curious. "What's wrong?"
He turned, forcing a gentle smile as he crouched beside her. "Nothing you need to worry about, sweetheart. I just… forgot to buy a few things we'll need for tomorrow's lunch."
Her big red eyes blinked up at him, suspicious but quiet. "You're going out again?"
"Only for a bit." He reached over, smoothing her hair with a kind touch. "I'll be back before you know it."
She hesitated, clutching her book close. "Okay… promise?"
"Promise." He smiled, the kind that softened the edges of his usually calm, calculating demeanor.
Then he took Eri to her bed and tucked her in carefully.
When the apartment fell silent again, Damian stood and exhaled slowly. His casual shirt shimmered for a second, replaced by the dark adaptive fabric of his unstable molecule suit.
The air around him pulsed, bending just slightly as he opened a circular distortion in space before he stepped through decisively.
「Hosu City rooftops」
The portal folded behind him with a muted whump, leaving Damian crouched on a rooftop overlooking the burning district. Sirens wailed in the distance. Plumes of smoke twisted into the night sky, streaked with orange light and ash.
His eyes glowed faintly gold as his spatial perception flared to life. The city unfolded around him in fractal layers. People, animals, monsters. All of it.
Nomu reaching and rampaging through the streets, pro heroes barely keeping up. And deeper in an alley, the shape of three people locked in deadly proximity.
He focused on that one. Iida Tenya… and Stain.
"…Found you," Damian muttered under his breath.
Activating all his usual layers of camouflage, Damian seemed to disappear in the night as he teleported above Iida and Stain, observing both and standing ready to intervene should anything deviate from how it should happen.
This time Damian wasn't here to play hero, he was here to play the cold role of a silent observer and judge.
To determine himself if Stain had what it took to become a loyal soldier of his or if he was too far gone to be of use to the current him.