Chapter 90

Lying in bed, sleep eluded me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Izuku's determined face, Akira's quiet resolve. They were so young, full of potential, and now they were being thrown into the grinder.

I thought about my past life, about Peter, and the countless battles we fought. I had the power of Superman, the ability to fly faster than a speeding bullet, to crush steel in my bare hands. But even with all that power, I couldn't protect everyone. And now, in this new life, I was once again grappling with the same feeling of helplessness.

A memory surfaced – a conversation with Tristan about my overprotectiveness of Izuku.

"You can't control his destiny, Anos," Tristan had said, his voice calm and steady. "He has to walk his own path, even if it's a dangerous one."

He was right, of course. But knowing that didn't make it any easier.

With a groan, I sat up and grabbed my phone. Peter was probably still awake, tinkering with some new gadget in his lab.

Anos to Peter: Hey, you up?

Peter to Anos: Always, when am I not? Something wrong?

Anos to Peter: Just… thinking. About responsibility. About protecting people.

Peter to Anos: Heavy stuff. Wanna talk about it?

Anos to Peter: It's complicated. My little brother… he's a hero in training. And he's about to get thrown into a war.

Peter to Peter: Rough. Reminds me of when I first started out. The world's not ready for heros to go to war, only the villains. I bet you want to stop him?

Anos to Peter: More than anything. But I can't. They wouldn't let me.

Peter to Peter: That's tough, man. But you gotta trust him. Trust that he'll make the right choices.

Anos to Peter: Easier said than done.

Peter to Peter: I know. But you're not alone. Be there for him when he needs you. That's all you can do.

Peter's words were a lifeline. Talking to him, even just through text, helped to ground me. He understood the burden of power, the constant struggle to balance responsibility and self-preservation.

I spent the rest of the night lost in thought, replaying moments from Izuku's life in my head. His unwavering determination, his selfless nature, his unwavering belief in the power of heroes. He was a good kid, a better person than I could ever hope to be.

As the first rays of dawn peeked through my window, I knew I had to make a choice. I couldn't stop Izuku from fighting, but I could make sure he wasn't alone. I could use my resources, my connections, my... other life to protect him from the shadows.

The next morning, I arrived at Dark Red headquarters earlier than usual. The team was already up, preparing for their day.

"I need your help," I said, my voice firm. "Izuku and Akira are going into a war. I can't sit back and do nothing."

They looked at me, their faces a mixture of concern and determination.

"What do you need us to do?" Simon asked, his eyes unwavering.

"I need you to watch over them," I said. "Keep them safe. Provide backup if they need it. But most importantly, don't let them know we're there."

Avis raised an eyebrow. "You want us to be shadows?"

"Exactly," I said. "I need you to be their guardian angels."

A smile spread across Lexi's face. "We can do that."

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Kyu added, her eyes glinting with determination.

I knew I was asking a lot of them. It was dangerous, and it could put them in harm's way. But I trusted them with my life. They were the best of the best, and they would do everything in their power to protect Izuku and Akira.

As I looked around at their faces, I felt a surge of gratitude. I wasn't alone in this fight. I had a family, a team, a force to be reckoned with.

The war was coming, but so were we. And we would be ready.