My World My Justice Ch.36 (Patreon)

I'm laying on the bed in Futaba's apartment; which is honestly too small since my legs are hanging awkwardly off the end, just staring at the ceiling, lost in way too many thoughts.

Yesterday and the day before with Rumi kept replaying in my mind on an endless loop. The beach competition, the arcade games, the boardwalk, that incredible restaurant, the penthouse suite, everything that happened after. I'm genuinely happy about it all, seriou

sly happy in a way I haven't been in either of my lives, but there's this persistent nagging feeling in my gut that I did something wrong. Not the date itself or what we shared, that was incredible, more than I could have ever imagined or hoped for.

But something else. Something I didn't say when I should have. Something I deliberately kept to myself.

We're together now, officially, as a couple.

So why do I feel like I screwed up?

"Hey, why the long face, big guy?"

I turn my head to see Futaba bouncing into her bedroom without knocking, because of course she wouldn't knock to enter her own bedroom, with a family-sized bag of chips in one hand and a soda can in the other. 

She happily skips over to the bed and, with no warning or hesitation whatsoever, plops herself down to sit cross-legged directly on top of my stomach. Size difference and all that, looks funny.

"You got your fancy date, and you even got lucky with our sexy choco bunny!" she announces cheerfully, popping open the chip bag with a loud crinkle. "More like you got yourself a choco bunny girlfriend! Seriously, if I was in your shoes, I'd be jumping for joy and running victory laps around the entire city! Maybe doing backflips off buildings!"

She stuffs a handful of chips in her mouth, humming happily while crunching away.

I look at the otaku girl for a long moment before pulling out my phone to type my response.

'Not regretting the date at all. It was amazing. Seriously, one of the best experiences of my life. Thank you so much for all the help.'

"Yeah, yeah, I'm that amazing, we've established this," she says with a dismissive wave, though she's clearly happy. "But then what's with all the moping like a sad protagonist? You're making me actually worried here, dude." She pauses, tilting her head. "Shouldn't you already be outside patrolling the city or punching bad guys or whatever? And wait…" She sits up straighter, chips momentarily forgotten. "Isn't today supposed to be a training day with Taylor? You know, your weekly mentorship thing?"

Oh, right….

'I forgot.'

Futaba sighs dramatically and puts down her snacks, adjusting her glasses before laying down flat on top of my chest, looking up at my face with unusual seriousness.

"Alright, go ahead, Daniel," she says, dropping the teasing tone entirely. "You know you can trust me with anything, so just tell me… What's actually got you down? Where's my big hammy hero who always fights to make everyone smile no matter what, huh? Because this isn't like you at all."

I press my lips in a thin line, debating internally for a moment, before typing out a summary. The whole date, everything that happened, obviously omitting spending the night with Rumi because I don’t kiss and tell, and then, most importantly, explaining exactly what I told Rumi about why I can't transform back at will. How I'm stuck filtering everything through the justice persona, how I can't control the dramatic speeches, how this normal version of me was pure luck and might never happen again.

Suddenly Futaba snaps to full attention, sitting bolt upright on my chest with wide, alarmed eyes.

"No way. No fucking way. Daniel, please tell me you didn't actually pull a complete asshole move here?!" Her voice is full of disbelief and rising anger.

I furrow my brows in confusion. ‘'What do you mean?'

"Did you actually tell her you and your True Might persona are like... different people?! Like some Jekyll and Hyde split personality bullshit?!"

My eyes widen at that and shake my head.

'I explained very clearly that I'm still the same person, always the same. There's no personality change or split identity or anything weird like that. It's just like a filter on how I express myself when I speak. That's literally it. Same thoughts, same values, same person, just different delivery.'

"And she accepted that explanation? She understood what you meant?"

'Yeah, she seemed to understand completely. We talked about it at length.'

"Okay, thank GOD you didn't pull that manipulative asshole move," Futaba says with visible relief, slumping slightly and putting a hand over her heart. "I would have actually broken my hand punching you in the face if you'd gone with that 'we're different people' bullshit to make her feel sorry for you or whatever. That would have been extremely fucked up and manipulative as hell, like sociopath-level bad."

'Yeah, I didn't even think about saying something like that. Why would I lie about something like that?'

"Good. So then why the long face again? What's actually bothering you if it's not that?"

I blink, reflecting on how to phrase this. After a while I explain I didn't feel comfortable crossing that line by revealing I can write and communicate normally when I'm True Might. It felt like too much. So I just didn't mention it at all. 

Futaba remains completely silent for a long moment, just staring at me.

Then she moves lightning-quick and pokes both my eyes with her fingers.

"WHAT TREACHERY IS THIS, NOBLE FRIEND?!" I yell, rubbing my eyes.

"THAT was an asshole move, Daniel," she says firmly, her voice carrying disappointment. "Not as bad as the other thing I mentioned; like, not even close, but still very much a dick thing to do. God... you're such a swell guy most of the time, but you sure as hell can be a complete dumbass too! Like, I could accept and even turn a blind eye to you using that consumable ticket to transform back for the date. But this? This omission? This I definitely won't let pass without calling you out... hard."

'I'm sorry?'

"Hey, don't apologize to me," she says, poking my chest repeatedly for emphasis. "Apologize to her. She's the one you kept something important from. She's the one who thinks she'll never get to have a normal conversation with you again."

I sigh heavily, rubbing my temples while thinking about Rumi again. Especially that heartfelt goodbye at the penthouse, which wasn't really a goodbye but at the same time felt exactly like one. The way she forced herself to smile through visible pain, the way her voice cracked and cried, pleading to not turn back. 

Fuck…

"That poor woman must be feeling sad right now," Futaba says more gently, her anger softening. "Like, a little heartbroken. She probably thinks she lost the 'real you' or the 'normal you' or however she's framing it in her head."

'But she didn't lose me at all. I made that very clear. I'm still the exact same person, just with a different way of expressing myself.'

"OBVIOUSLY, you idiot, but that's not the kind of loss I'm talking about here." Futaba groans in frustration, running her hands through her orange hair. "It's just... ughhhh, this is a woman thing, Daniel. You will literally never fully get it no matter how much I try to explain it to you. It's about the experience of connection, not just the facts of identity."

I don’t get it.

'You're probably right about that.'

"Yeah, well... at least now you recognize you made a mistake. That's something, I guess. First step to fixing it and all that."

'Yeah. I can be a real dumbass sometimes.'

"Damn right you can be," she agrees, but there's no real heat in it anymore. "At least you didn't outright lie to her face to manipulate her or impress her or get her into bed or whatever. If you'd done that, I would have literally head-butted you in the nose. Really fucking HARD."

'Noted.'

"Good policy honestly," Futaba says, then giggles suddenly, her mood shifting back to her playful self as she reaches over and ruffles my hair. "You truly are a hopeless dork, you know that? Like, maximum level dork. The last boss of dorks."

I merely roll my eyes.

She hops off my chest, grabbing her snacks again and heading toward the door.

"Come on, Daniel. There's still work to do! Maybe not epic villain fights right this second, but definitely hero work. People to help, patrols to run, sidekicks to train. Bunny girlfriend to eventually apologize to and pamper lots. Can't just mope around in bed all day feeling sorry for yourself."

I sit up with a sigh, feeling better after getting that off my chest. I didn't think getting called out would help me.

"Justice is rising to meet the day!" I boom automatically.

Futaba just bursts into laughter at the doorway, nearly dropping her chips all over the floor.

"There he is! There's my hammy hero!" She grins. "Now come on, we've got stuff to figure out. Including how to eventually explain to Mirko that you can actually communicate normally by writing when you're True Might. Because you absolutely need to tell her that, dude. Like, soon. We'll think of something smooth so you don't look like a complete asshole when you do." She pauses. "Well, less of an asshole, anyway. But that's a problem for later; right now, let's focus on today's work."

'Thanks, Futaba. Really.'

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome." She waves dismissively. "Now get your giant ass up and go be the hero everyone needs. And maybe buy Mirko some flowers or chocolate or whatever romantic crap people do. I dunno, I'm not exactly that much of an expert either."

Time to be True Might again. 

----------------------------------------

-Buzzwing, Taylor Hebert-

Buzzwing was on patrol with Maple and Vista today, and while she felt a bit disappointed that her weekly training session with True Might had to be postponed, at least she could patrol with her friends!

Which was exactly what she was doing now; a simple patrol through southeast downtown. According to Vista, it was something about demonstrating safety and security, since this area had originally been Empire territory until they'd lost it almost a month ago. The PRT had increased their presence, and having Wards patrol here was supposed to show total control over the reclaimed territory.

Well, that's what she'd understood from Kaede's explanation, which had been a kind of secret because Vista clearly hadn't appreciated Maple sharing information to an independent so freely. But that was just Maple being Maple. Vista had clarified the full situation later, anyway.

So here they were, patrolling the avenue. Everything seemed normal. Even the bees she had flying overhead couldn't find anything wrong or unusual, so it looked like it would be a quiet day. After this patrol, they were planning to hang out and grab Fugly Bob's.

‘Maybe I can finally try the Challenger,’ Taylor thought, already imagining the massive burger as a small reward for herself, besides it was meat and meat was always good to grow more muscle.

But then the manhole a little further ahead exploded.

"HYAHHAAAHHHHH!"

A screaming man came rocketing out of the manhole opening, and everyone stopped to stare as he finally crash-landed on the road with a heavy thud.

The three of them immediately moved to investigate, falling into the formation they'd practiced. Yeah, they practiced how to fight as teams; it was so cool!

But as they got closer, they recognized the figure struggling to his feet, and Taylor felt Vista tense beside her with what could only be described as profound irritation.

It was the Toiletnator.

Naturally the trio immediately shifted into combat positions.

The villain reacted just as quickly, striking a dramatic pose despite the obvious pain from his landing. "AHAAAA! WARDS OF THE BAY! WE ENCOUNTER ONCE MORE IN THIS ETERNAL STRUGGLE BETWEEN CLEANLINESS AND CHAOS!"

Taylor swallowed her nervousness. This might be her very first real cape fight, so drawing on all the training she'd received, she took a deep breath and channeled her inner hero. "FIEND! Your reign of... of bathroom-related chaos ends today! We, the guardians of this fair city, shall not allow your villainous schemes to proceed unchallenged!"

‘Yeah, that's how he would say it. Though I need to increase my justice!’

The Toiletnator puffed out his chest proudly. "My sacred quest for four-ply luxury and extra-clean lemon-fresh bathrooms will NEVER cease! For I must venture to the docks and begin the GREATEST deep cleaning this city has ever witnessed!" He cackled maniacally, arms extended skyward. "The Almighty Protector of Potty has decreed it, and you SHALL NOT stand in the way of divine sanitation!"

Taylor blinked once. ‘That's... that sounds really dumb. Like, how is any of that even villain stuff?’

But then, glancing at her teammates, she noticed they were taking this completely seriously. Vista's jaw was set, and even Maple had her shield ready. Well, maybe because they'd lost against him a few times already. She couldn't really blame them if they wanted to regain some honor, although it was kinda surprising that Maple was taking it seriously too.

‘Okay. If they're taking this seriously, then I should too. True Might always says that no injustice is too small!’

Taylor straightened her shoulders and thrust her hand forward dramatically, calling on all her bees. "THEN FACE THE BUZZING WRATH OF JUSTICE! Your tyranny of toilet paper ends NOW!"

She sent her swarm of bees streaking toward the Toiletnator.

The villain responded immediately, punching the air with both fists. "FEEL THE SOFTNESS OF FOUR-PLY!" Streams of toilet paper shot from the dispensers mounted on his wrists.

Right, those things can somehow trap her so she needs to dodge…

But Maple was quick, slamming her shield down in front of them. "Not this time, Toilet-guy!!" The toilet paper bounced harmlessly off her barrier instead of wrapping them up like it apparently had in previous encounters.

And just in time, Taylor's bees reached their target.

"OW OW OW OW! BEES?!" The Toiletnator shrieked, swatting frantically at the insects swarming around his head. "This is most unsanitary! HIIIIII—"

He suddenly yelped and fell forward, face-planting on the pavement.

Taylor looked to her side and found Vista with her hands on the ground, clearly having warped the space beneath the villain's feet.

"Nice one, Vista!" Maple cheered over her shoulder.

Taylor grinned and struck another heroic pose, one hand on her hip and the other pointing dramatically at the fallen villain. "FEEL THE STING OF JUSTICE! Your evil plans have been... bee-feated!"

 "Please don't start with the bug puns." Vista groaned audibly.

The Toiletnator scrambled back to his feet, refusing to surrender despite the setback. Somehow, he summoned a pair of plungers; one in each hand, and raised them high above his head like holy relics.

"My noble crusade will NOT be stopped by meddling teenagers!" he declared with surprising passion. "For cleanliness is next to godliness, and godliness SHALL prevail! The Almighty Protector of Potty has chosen ME to purge this city of substandard bathroom facilities, and I shall not fail in this divine mission!"

‘He's... actually pretty committed to this bit,’ Taylor thought with grudging respect. ‘It's a bit like my commitment to justice, just... different.’

Remembering True Might's lessons and her training with the wards, Taylor struck what she hoped was an inspiring pose and shouted, "JUSTICE WARRIORS, ASSEMBLE!"

Vista just stared at her, mouth hanging open in disbelief.

But Maple grinned widely and immediately struck a matching heroic pose beside her, shield raised high. "Yeah! Let's go, Tay-Tay! Time to flush this villain's plans down the drain!"

"...Did you seriously just make a toilet pun?" Vista asked, her deadpan tone cutting through the heroic atmosphere.

"Justice waits for no one!" Taylor declared, trying to maintain her heroic momentum. "And neither do we! CHARGE!"

‘True Might would be proud.’

"FOR JUSTICE AND CLEAN BATHROOMS!" the Toiletnator bellowed in response. "Wait, no—FOR CLEAN BATHROOMS AND THE DEFEAT OF JUSTICE! No, that's not right either—"

Vista sighed heavily. "Can we just get this over with?"

Toiletnator gasped dramatically before he flexed his arms. "Prepare to witness the power of PREMIUM QUILTED SOFTNESS!"

All three of them charged forward against the strongest villain the Wards have ever faced.

-------------------------------------------------------------

-Daniel, True Might-

I'm walking through the residential area with Taylor happily sitting on my shoulder, practically radiating pride. She's out of her costume right now, just wearing casual clothes but I can still feel that triumphant energy coming off her in waves.

Even though we didn't get to do our scheduled training session today; my fault entirely for forgetting in the emotional chaos of this morning, it came as a pleasant surprise that she, Vista, and Maple were able to defeat and apprehend the Toiletnator earlier this afternoon without my help. According to the detailed report Futaba sent me, Taylor's bugs were the defining factor in the fight. Her bees stinging broke the villain's concentration repeatedly, disrupting his attempts to use his bizarre toilet-themed powers, which gave their heavy hitter Vista enough time and openings to finally capture him with her powers. Also, apparently Maple improved her defensive capabilities, so she didn't get trapped or overwhelmed like in previous encounters.

I might have missed the actual fight itself but I made sure to show up for the aftermath to congratulate Taylor properly on her first real cape victory. Sure, it was a 3-versus-1 situation, but well... the Toiletnator has defeated full Ward teams and even experienced Protectorate members along with squads of PRT officers. The guy's legitimately skilled and dangerous despite being a complete joke villain.

Kinda weird how the scale of powers works in this world sometimes. A joke villain whose theme is toilets shouldn't be that powerful or threatening, but here we are.

"So, um…" Taylor starts hesitantly, adjusting her position on my shoulder and gripping my costume for balance, "what's going to happen to the Toiletnator now? Like, serious jail time or probation or community service or what?"

"Fear not, my young justice seeker!" I boom enthusiastically, gesturing broadly with one hand while keeping her steady with the other. "Justice has been delivered on this glorious day! The villain has been apprehended and the innocent protected! But remember, justice must also be measured and fair in its application! One cannot bring down the same hammer of righteousness upon all villains and evildoers alike! The punishment must fit the crime, as the noble scales of justice demand!"

I pause for dramatic effect, letting the words sink in.

From what Oracle told me, the Toiletnator will actually be released by tomorrow's dawn with minimal charges, aka, nothing. Since he's not truly evil or violent; more of a nuisance and the PRT essentially keeps him around specifically to help train the Wards and familiarize them with the chaos and unpredictability of cape fights that will inevitably come when they graduate to the Protectorate. A controlled introduction to villainy, or more like a strange living training dummy with actual powers. But I'm definitely not telling that to Taylor since I don’t want to minimize her achievement.

"It is our sacred duty as bringers of justice to deliver the evildoers to our justice system!" I continue with the usual fervor. "For the justice of process is equally important as the justice of action! We are not vigilantes dispensing our own punishment, but heroes upholding the law!"

Also, this should help prevent her from escalating too far in the future, teaching her clear boundaries and limits as a cape. We're still educating this girl to be the best hero she can possibly be, after all. (And avoid her becoming the queen of escalation)

"So he's like... a joke villain?" Taylor asks thoughtfully. "I remember many people saying he was a true joke villain but the only ones I knew about before were Uber and Leet, and well... yeah."

Yeah, those absolute shitheads. But they're already somewhere in South America now, having abandoned Jin. I wonder what happened to them after they fled. Hopefully, one of the capes from over there kicked their collective asses and threw them in jail.

"Villainy is no laughing matter, but we can measure those who commit evil against the scales of justice!" I declare firmly. "That is why we need to control and temper our righteous fury when facing these lesser villains! We are beacons upon this land to lead by example of our greater justice!"

Taylor seems to accept this explanation, though she looks a bit troubled, her brow furrowing. "Do you think... Do you think I was too excessive with the bee stings? I mean, I kept them going pretty much the entire fight without stopping. He's probably covered in welts right now."

Yeah, the poor guy was pretty red and swollen when they brought him in, but he wasn't in any real danger. And he's actually more resilient than one would expect given his absurd power set, so he'll be fine. Plus Vista didn't find anything wrong, otherwise she would have absolutely stopped Taylor or called it out.

"Your heart is in the right place for worrying even about your foes, young Taylor!" I say warmly, patting her head gently with my free hand. "This compassion, this concern for even those who oppose you and stand against justice; this is the mark of a true hero! Yes, we must always be mindful and careful in using our powers to spread justice! We are examples for all to see, beacons of hope and righteousness shining in the darkness! Always remember that, young Taylor! Power without restraint is tyranny and villainy, but power tempered with mercy is true justice!"

Well, something among the lines at least.

"Okay!" She says brightly, her earlier concern melting away completely, replaced by renewed determination. "I'll remember that! Justice with mercy!"

"But still!" I boom enthusiastically, unable to contain my pride for this teenager. "This was a magnificent victory for the cause of justice! Your first true triumph against the dark forces of villainy! Let’s express our fire within our hearts!"

“FOR JUSTICE!”

"For JUSTICE!" Taylor echoes with a laugh, pumping her fists in the air.

We both laugh together as we continue walking, the sound echoing through the quiet residential street, and eventually reach her house. I can see her already waiting on the front porch with a proud smile on his face. What a swell guy, probably prepared something for her.

I carefully set Taylor down on the sidewalk, and she waves enthusiastically at both of us.

"Thanks so much, True Might! See you next week for our justice training!"

"Fear not, young Taylor! Justice shall return to guide your righteous path once more!" I declare, thumping my chest.

Danny gives me a nod of acknowledgment, and I wave back at both of them before launching myself into the air with a powerful leap, traveling across the rooftops in massive bounds like I always do.

I'm making my way through the city, checking various neighborhoods and areas for any signs of trouble or people needing assistance, when I suddenly spot a familiar figure sitting on top of a low three-story building, legs dangling over the edge casually.

Mirko.

My heart does a stupid little flip in my chest.

Obviously, I change trajectory and drop down onto the rooftop beside her with a heavy thud that announces my arrival clearly.

She looks over her shoulder at me with that characteristic smile, but I can see something different in her eyes now. "Hey, big guy."

"Greetings, noble rabbit of justice!" I greet her with my usual enthusiasm. "What brings you to this particular rooftop? Perhaps taking a well-deserved and righteous break from spreading too much justice across our fair city?"

She snickers at my theatrical phrasing, shaking her head with amusement. "Yeah, something like that. Not really much action lately worth my time; even going deep into Empire territory where it should be dangerous, I can't find anything worth fighting. Everything's too quiet. So yeah, I'm just sitting here enjoying the view and taking it easy for once."

That's... extremely unusual for her. The Mirko I know actively seeks out fights and challenges. And this particular rooftop doesn't even have that great of a view compared to taller buildings, so she's clearly not here for the scenery. Something is definitely bothering her, and I have a sinking feeling it's about our time together…

Okay, who am I trying to fool? It's definitely about that. And what Futaba lectured me about this morning keeps echoing in my head.

I think for a moment, then strike upon an idea to cheer her up. "Perhaps a competition once more to reignite the fires of justice within our hearts! A race across the rooftops to test our speed! Or perhaps you feel compelled to once more perform a test of strength! A mighty—"

"Not today," Mirko interrupts gently, still looking out at the city rather than at me. Her ears are drooping noticeably. "I just want to sit here for a bit and not think about fighting. Is that okay?"

Damn… This is very unlike her usual aggressive nature. She never turns down a challenge.

Yeah, I can definitely get the hint. 

"Then I shall accompany you in this peaceful vigil!" I declare, carefully sitting down beside her on the edge of the building, my legs dangling over the side next to hers. "For even the mightiest warriors of justice must rest their spirits occasionally and find moments of peace!"

The rabbit heroine grins at that. "I'd love that."

I settle in next to her, and almost immediately she wraps her arms around my much larger arm and rests her head with a contented sigh. 

I really need to figure out how to break the news to her about being able to write and communicate normally when I'm like this. This omission was definitely an asshole move, especially after Futaba's harsh but necessary lecture this morning. But I'm genuinely terrible at thinking of smooth ways to bring up something like this.

Should I just be direct? Rip the bandaid off? Or ease into it somehow?

Some people walking on the street below notice us sitting together and start pulling out phones to take pictures, but whatever. The public definitely took plenty of pictures over the past two days of me powered down with Rumi, and very likely people will put two and two together soon enough if they haven't already. The internet is probably already buzzing with speculation. We're going to stay here exactly like this, and I don't care about the photos or the speculation or whatever gossip and shipping will spread on PHO, anyway.

"Thanks for staying, my big guy," Rumi says quietly.

And that simple statement, full of genuine gratitude and affection, makes the guilt twist even harder in my gut.

I need to tell her. Soon.

But for now, I just sit here with her, letting her lean against me, watching the city together as the sun starts to set and the lights begin to twinkle to life.

-------------------------------------------

Bonus scene: A hero’s transformation

-Collin Wallis, Armsmaster-

Colin was back at the Rig, which was strange considering his suspension still had two weeks remaining. But he wasn't going to question the request; if they needed him for something, it was clearly important enough to override administrative punishment.

People greeted him as he moved through the corridors and he returned their acknowledgments with professional nods. Several seemed pleased to see him back, which was... unexpected. He'd never paid much attention to how others perceived him beyond work.

Soon he reached his workshop door. He didn't bother changing into his armor since the call hadn't specified operational deployment, and civilian clothes were more comfortable for extended technical work, anyway.

When he entered, he stopped short.

Two Armsmasters were already working. One stood at the massive whiteboard, rapidly writing out complex equations involving wave propagation and dimensional stress markers. The other was carefully welding a delicate circuit component, the precision of movement and angle of approach exactly matching his own technique down to microscopic detail.

Jin's clones. Of course.

Colin's eyes immediately tracked to the whiteboard, scanning the equations. Then to the schematics spread across his primary workbench, the familiar design elements combined with significant new developments triggering immediate comprehension.

His Endbringer detection system. The project he'd been developing for years, attempting to create early warning capabilities that could give cities precious time; potentially hours, to evacuate before those monsters arrived.

Work mode engaged instantly, pushing aside everything else. Colin moved to his reference shelf, pulling down a thick notebook filled with his own dense handwriting. His clones would have left detailed notes to catch him up on progress, maximizing efficiency by eliminating redundant explanation time.

He began reading rapidly, eyes tracking across pages of technical specifications, theoretical breakthroughs, implementation challenges, and solutions. The progress was impressive. Massive leaps forward from where he'd left the project months ago. His clones had been working continuously during his suspension, leveraging the uninterrupted time to make advances that would have taken him far longer working alone around patrol schedules and administrative obligations.

Before he could fully process everything, one of the clones tossed his helmet across the workshop without looking away from the delicate welding work.

Colin caught it reflexively and immediately put it on. The visor hummed to life, HUD systems initializing, connecting seamlessly to the workshop's network. Data streams flooded his vision; project timelines, component specifications, testing protocols, benchmarks.

"We called you in to help finish," the clone at the whiteboard said, still writing without pause. "Final integration requires the original. Our dissolution timeline is approaching, and this needs to be completed."

Colin nodded, already moving toward the detailed schematics to identify where his contribution would be most valuable. But something caught his attention, design elements he didn't recognize since they weren't part of his original methodology, elegant solutions to problems he'd been struggling with for months.

He went back to the notes, flipping through pages rapidly until he found the relevant entry.

Requested technical consultation from Baby Head - Commando team. Specialized assistance with dimensional stress detection arrays and pattern filtering algorithms. Contribution attached - see schematics 17B through 29C. Implementation notes follow.

Colin stopped, genuinely surprised. Baby Head was the tinker primarily occupied with containing the Machine Army in Tennessee. If it wasn't for his constant, exhausting efforts, that threat would have already spread to North Carolina and potentially beyond, consuming entire cities in its relentless expansion. 

That he'd taken time to provide technical assistance on someone else's project was... significant. Humbling, actually.

Colin examined the relevant schematics with fresh interest, his mind rapidly parsing the novel approach. Addressing a fundamental bottleneck that had been frustrating his progress for months. The dimensional stress patterns that Endbringers generated were incredibly subtle, requiring detection systems sensitive enough to identify them without generating constant false positives from normal parahuman activity or natural electromagnetic fluctuations.

And Baby Head provided the solution. Colin should have seen it himself, the logic was obvious now, but he'd been suffering from tunnel vision on the primary detection array, missing the forest for the trees.

"How long until dissolution?" Colin asked his clones.

The one at the whiteboard checked his wrist. "Four hours, seventeen minutes. We're stable until then, but productivity will decline significantly in the last thirty minutes as coherence degradation accelerates."

"We've already contacted Dragon. She's standing by to provide computational support for final integration testing. Her access processing power will be essential for running the full simulation scenarios; we need to verify detection capability against historical Endbringer’s attack data." The other clone added without looking up.

Colin nodded, deep satisfaction settling over him.

Just the work itself. The results that mattered.

"Then let's finish this," he stated, moving to his primary workstation with renewed purpose.

The three versions of himself worked in perfect synchronization, no communication necessary beyond brief technical confirmations. They understood each other's thought processes implicitly, anticipated actions before they happened, divided tasks with optimal efficiency that would have been impossible with any other collaboration partner.

Hours blurred together in that unique state of flow that only came from truly challenging technical work. Equations were solved, components integrated with microscopic precision and son. Dragon's voice came through periodically, her analysis confirming their theoretical projections or suggesting minor calibration adjustments.

The clones began showing visible signs of instability around the four-hour mark but they pushed through with grim determination, focused on completing the project before dissolution became inevitable.

Colin felt a strange gratitude toward these temporary versions of himself. They'd dedicated their entire brief existence to this work with no possibility of recognition or reward beyond the satisfaction of completion.

Finally, as dawn light began filtering through the workshop's top windows, Colin stood alone. 

But the work was done.

He watched the primary monitor as the system executed its initialization protocols. Lines of code scrolled past, confirmation signals pinging across integrated subsystems, sensor arrays initializing and calibrating across the continental detection grid.

Then the screen flashed green.

ENDBRINGER DETECTION SYSTEM - ONLINE CONTINENTAL COVERAGE: ACTIVE SENSITIVITY THRESHOLD: OPTIMAL FALSE POSITIVE RATE: 0.0003% ESTIMATED WARNING TIME: 47-89 MINUTES

Colin stared at the words, exhaustion finally crashing over him as the adrenaline of focused work dissipated. His legs simply gave out, and he slumped unceremoniously to the floor, back against his workbench.

It was ready. 

After years of development, countless iterations and failures, and invaluable contributions from Baby Head and Dragon, it was finally finished.

It didn’t even seem real.

He should report this to Director Piggot immediately. Submit the technical documentation for review, begin the process for integration into the national alert system. This might save thousands of lives when—not if, but when—the next Endbringer attacked.

But he didn't. Instead, he pulled off his helmet with trembling hands and discovered his face was damp and warm.

Was he crying? Tears of joy?

He'd always thought that was media exaggeration, empty sentiment for dramatic effect. Yet here he was, actual tears running down his face as he watched his life's most important work come online. Not because it would make him famous, not because it would elevate his standing or prove his superiority.

But because it would save lives. Real people, with families and futures, who would have time to evacuate because of this system. Children who would grow up because their parents got forty-seven minutes of warning instead of none.

That mattered more than any recognition ever could.

"Congratulations, Colin," Dragon spoke up, getting his attention. "This is remarkable work. You should be very proud of what you've accomplished today."

"What we've accomplished," Colin corrected quietly. He took a shaky breath, composing himself. "I couldn't have done this without your help, Dragon. Or Baby Head's contribution. Or Jin's clones. This wasn't... it wasn't just me."

Admitting that should have felt like diminishing his achievement. Instead, it felt right. Honest.

"You're welcome, Colin," Dragon replied, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "And I'm glad you're back. The workshop wasn't the same without you."

Colin managed a tired smile, still sitting on his workshop floor like an exhausted child rather than a professional hero. He didn't care about the undignified posture. Nobody was here to see it, anyway.

However, his eyes caught on a package sitting near the door, something that must have arrived while he was working. He pulled himself to his feet with effort, every muscle protesting the hours of intense concentration and minimal movement.

The package was addressed to him, the return label indicating it came from Baby Head.

Colin opened it carefully, revealing a single mechanical belt with a golden hexagon that had a screen. There was a note attached in surprisingly neat handwriting.

His name is Ace, take care of him. - Baby Head

Colin held the belt carefully and much to his surprise a simple pixelated face flickered to life.

“Howdy, partner!”