The sunlight pushed through the blinds hard enough to wake me up on the spot.
I blinked once, staring at the ceiling.
…Yeah.
I wasn't tired.
No soreness either. No stiffness. Nothing dragging me down like yesterday.
The strength from last night was still there.
I could feel it without even trying—just sitting there, steady, like it had settled in properly this time.
"…Huh."
I flexed my fingers a little, paying attention to how it responded.
Smooth.
Too smooth, honestly.
Not wild like before. Not slipping out of control.
Just… there.
Right where I wanted it.
A slow breath left me as I relaxed back into the pillow.
"So it wasn't a fluke…"
That was good.
Really good.
"…Mom?" I called out, my voice still a little dry.
Cybele reacted instantly. Her chair scraped against the floor as she rushed over, grabbing my arm before I'd even fully sat up.
"Midas—you're awake." Relief hit her face first, then tightened into something else. "We have to go. Hydra's here."
Of course they were.
I pushed myself up, swinging my legs off the bed. The movement felt normal—too normal, considering everything from yesterday.
No lag. No pain.
Just… ready.
"They're early," I muttered, more to myself than anything.
Or I just didn't think they'd move this fast.
I clenched my hand again, a little more deliberately this time.
The power gathered immediately.
Not exploding. Not spilling over.
Just tightening.
Yeah.
That was different.
A small smile slipped through before I could stop it.
"Alright… yeah. That's real."
"Midas…" Cybele's grip tightened slightly. "Just—don't get hurt like last time, okay?"
I glanced at her.
She was trying to stay calm, but it wasn't working. I could feel it in how tense her hand was.
"…I'll try."
It wasn't a promise.
But it was the best I could give her.
"Morning, metal head."
I looked toward the door.
Tony was leaning there like usual, but he wasn't relaxed. His eyes were locked on me, like he was trying to figure something out.
"Heard Hydra's trying to kill you," he said.
"Yeah," I replied. "That sounds about right."
He frowned a little. "…You look different."
"Different how?"
Tony shrugged slightly, still watching me. "Like you're not surprised."
I didn't answer that.
Instead, I stood up fully and rolled my shoulder out of habit.
Everything felt… right.
Too right.
"…You've got something in mind," he said.
"Always."
He exhaled through his nose. "Please tell me it's not something insane."
"It's not insane," I said. "…It makes sense."
He didn't look convinced.
I paused for a second before continuing.
"You remember that gravity chamber idea I mentioned to your dad?"
That got his attention.
Tony's expression shifted as he thought about it, then his eyes widened a little. "The high-gravity training thing? You weren't joking about that?"
"No."
Cybele looked between us. "Gravity chamber?"
"It's basically forcing your body to adapt faster," I explained. "More gravity means more strain. If I train like that…"
I flexed my hand again, feeling the control this time.
"…I get stronger faster. Everything improves."
Tony stared at me for a second longer than usual.
"You're serious," he said.
"Yeah."
"…You're actually serious."
"I can handle it."
He shook his head a little, like he expected that answer. "Yeah. That tracks. I'll talk to him."
Cybele still didn't look okay with it.
"I'll be careful," I added.
She didn't say anything.
Before it could go further, a low rumble passed through the room.
All of us went still.
Shadows moved across the window.
"…They're already here," I said.
That changed everything.
Cybele went pale. Tony straightened immediately.
I stepped over to the table and placed my hand on it.
Gold spread out from my palm instantly.
Not slow. Not out of control.
Just smooth.
And through it—I felt them.
Positions. Movement.
Intent.
I pushed.
The gold surged outward, catching them before they could react—
Then I stopped it.
Right there.
Everything locked in place mid-motion.
No spillover. No damage.
Just… done.
I let out a small breath. "…Alright."
Tony blinked once. "…Okay. That's new."
"Let's go."
No one argued.
The jet was already in the air by the time things finally slowed down.
Cybele grabbed my hand at some point and didn't let go. Her grip was still tight, even now.
"…We're good," I told her quietly.
She nodded, but she didn't look fully convinced.
Up front, Tony leaned back a little. "Not bad."
"…Could've been worse."
He snorted. "That's your takeaway?"
I didn't answer.
I just leaned back into the seat, letting myself settle for a second.
The quirk pulsed once in the background.
Calm.
Good.
Hydra wasn't done.
They were never done.
But that wasn't what I was thinking about anymore.
Japan.
Different place. Different heroes.
UA.
A small grin tugged at my face.
"…Yeah. That'll be interesting."
But even then—
Something else sat in the back of my mind.
"…All For One," I muttered quietly.
That wasn't something I could ignore forever.
But not now.
Right now—
Training.
If that gravity chamber worked the way I thought it would…
Yeah.
That'd change a lot.
"I'm going to get stronger," I said under my breath.
Beside me, Cybele shifted before pulling me into a hug.
She was still tense.
"…It'll be fine, Mom."
I wasn't even sure if I believed that.
But she needed to hear it.
She nodded faintly, and after a minute, her breathing slowed as she fell asleep against me.
I stayed still so I wouldn't wake her.
Outside the window, clouds stretched out endlessly.
I watched them drift by for a while before letting out a quiet breath.
"…Japan should be interesting."
To be continued…
Im planning on doing another time skip soon when he full assimilate into Japan.