"It's good that Gali is making friends," Lorna said, a genuine smile softening her usually guarded expression.
She watched the closed door of Gali's room, knowing the little glutton was likely still asleep after her late-night adventure. For Lorna, seeing Gali act like a normal child—albeit one with terrifying power—was heartwarming. It validated her decision to stay. A stable home, a high salary, and a strange but caring family dynamic were more than she could have ever hoped for.
"Yes," Light agreed, sketching rapidly on his drafting table. "It would be boring for her to watch the children's animation channel all day. Plus, having a friend like Mindy... well, at least they can relate to each other's violent tendencies."
"Hmph! Are you talking ill of me?"
The bedroom door creaked open. A small head with messy purple hair poked out from the crack, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
Light didn't even look up. "Go wash your face, you gremlin. Breakfast is on the table."
Gali huffed but shuffled to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she emerged, fresh-faced and hungry. She grabbed the breakfast sandwich Light had bought and flopped onto the sofa, turning on the TV.
"Welcome to the American Morning News. Here are the top news for today."
"Norman Osborn Missing: The Chairman of Oscorp has not been seen for 24 hours. With Tony Stark also missing, rumors of corporate kidnapping are swirling."
"Terror on the Bridge: Last night, the super-criminal Green Goblin attacked the Queensboro Bridge. Spider-Man intervened, but the outcome of their battle remains unknown. However, witnesses report seeing the Wall-Crawler active in Manhattan this morning."
"Military Action: General Ross has deployed a large-scale task force to the Nevada desert. Sources cite 'live-fire exercises,' but unconfirmed reports mention a 'green giant.'"
"Space Mission: Reed Richards and his team—Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm—along with Victor Von Doom, are scheduled to launch this afternoon. They aim to study a cosmic storm to unlock the secrets of human evolution."
"Boring," Gali yawned, changing the channel to cartoons. "Why is human news always about fighting or flying?"
Light chuckled. "Says the girl who ate a missile last night."
Gali ignored him. She quietly padded over to Light's desk, peeking over his shoulder.
He was drawing something new.
The protagonist wasn't a superhero or a Titan. It was a teenager with orange hair, carrying a massive kitchen knife on his back.
'Kurosaki Ichigo,' Light thought as he inked the blade. 'This huge sword is going to be a pain to draw repeatedly.'
"He looks funny," Gali critiqued, leaning in. "Why is his sword so big?"
"Compensating," Light muttered, not breaking his flow. "Why don't you go play with Mindy?"
Gali's face fell. She slumped her shoulders. "Mindy went to school. We made a pinky promise not to disturb her during class."
"School?" Light paused. An idea sparked. He put down his pen and turned to her. "That's it. You should go to school too."
"Me?" Gali blinked.
"Yes. With Mindy. That way, you won't be bored all day, and you won't disturb her."
"School..." Gali's eyes lit up. "Is there food at school?"
Lorna, who was inking a page of Tokyo Ghoul, interjected thoughtfully. "Um, Light? Schools usually don't allow eating in class. And Gali eats... constantly."
Gali froze. Her eyes went wide with horror. "No eating? For hours?"
"That's right," Light nodded solemnly. "It's a strict rule. No snacks. No cakes. Just learning."
"NO!" Gali wailed, throwing herself onto the floor. "That's hell! That's worse than the Void! I won't go! I won't!"
Light and Lorna exchanged amused glances.
"Fine, fine," Light sighed. "No school for you. But you can't just loaf around."
Gali rolled around on the floor for a bit longer, then sat up, pouting. "Light... I have an idea."
"What?"
"I want to draw."
Light stared at her. "You? Draw?"
"Yes! I want to draw comics too! It looks fun!"
"Pfft," Lorna stifled a laugh. "Imagine Gali drawing."
"I can do it!" Gali puffed out her cheeks. "Teach me! Give me a story!"
Light rubbed his chin. "Well... your art skills are non-existent. But if you just trace my projections... maybe."
He thought for a moment. What kind of manga would suit Gali? Something simple. Something episodic. Something about... food and gadgets.
"Alright," Light said. "I have the perfect series for you. It's simple, iconic, and doesn't require complex anatomy."
"What is it?" Gali asked, excited.
"It's about a cat."
"A cat?"
"A blue robot cat from the future."
Light pulled out a fresh sheet of paper. He closed his eyes, activating the System.
Ghost Trace: Doraemon.
He projected the image onto the paper.
What appeared wasn't a brooding hero or a terrifying monster. It was a round, blue creature with a red nose, whiskers, and a bell around its neck. It had no ears.
"This is a cat?" Lorna looked over, confused. "It looks like a blue raccoon."
"It's Doraemon," Light explained. "He's a robot sent from the 22nd Century to help a hopeless kid named Nobita."
He projected the next panel: a boy with glasses crying and running home, shouting, "Doraemon! Help me!"
"This Nobita guy looks like a loser," Gali critiqued instantly.
"He is," Light agreed. "That's the point. Nobita fails at everything, so Doraemon uses gadgets from the future to help him."
He projected a scene where Doraemon reaches into his 4D pocket.
"Wait," Lorna said, leaning in. "He's from the future? What kind of technology does he have?"
In the Marvel Universe, "future tech" usually meant lasers or flying cars. Lorna was curious.
Light smiled. "See for yourself."
In the comic, Nobita was crying about an upcoming exam he hadn't studied for. Doraemon sighed and pulled out a slice of bread.
Memory Bread.
"Nobita, just press this bread onto the page of your textbook. The text will transfer to the bread. Then, you eat it. You'll remember everything written on it."
Nobita grabbed the bread, pressed it onto his history book, and ate it. Instantly, he could recite the facts perfectly.
"Wow," Lorna whispered. "That's amazing. If I had that... I could have actually passed school instead of sneaking into libraries."
For a homeless runaway, an item that let you learn instantly was a dream come true.
Gali, however, was outraged.
"That's not science!" she shouted, pointing at the paper. "That's black magic! How does eating ink transfer data to the brain? Where is the neural interface? Where is the data compression algorithm?"
Light laughed. "It's not hard sci-fi, Gali. It's Doraemon. It's fantasy logic."
"It's irrational!" Gali huffed.
Light ignored her outburst. Doraemon was full of items that defied logic—the Anywhere Door, the Bamboo Copter, the Time Furoshiki. In a universe like Marvel, where Infinity Stones existed, a blue robot cat wasn't that far-fetched.
'The Anywhere Door is basically the Space Stone,' Light noted. 'And the Time Machine is... well, Doom probably has one.'
"So," Light looked at Gali. "Do you want to draw this? The lines are simple circles and curves. Perfect for a beginner."
Gali looked at the round, blue cat. It was eating a dorayaki (bean paste bun) in one panel.
"He eats snacks," Gali noted approvingly. "I like him. Okay. I'll draw the blue racoon."
"Great," Light smiled. "Lorna, you handle the inking. Gali, you trace the lines. I'll focus on the main projects."
"Light," Gali tugged on his sleeve. "Can you make a real Doraemon?"
"Maybe one day," Light teased. "If you work hard enough."
"Hmph. You're boasting."
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Word count: 1452
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