Funny how the world can change so much… and at the same time feel like something I've seen before.
People here live around Quirks. Everyone grows up waiting for that moment — the sparkle in their eyes, the revelation that they're special. As if that instant defines who you'll be for the rest of your life.
I never had that. Neither did my parents. Quirkless. From the start. Invisible. Irrelevant. That's what most people think when they look at us.
But what no one knows… is that I'm not just from here. Nor exactly from another world like this one.
I came from a place where all of this was just fiction. Where there was an animated series called Ben 10 and another called Boku no Hero Academia. I watched every episode, knew every character, every twist. I knew who the number one hero was, the villains, the redemption arcs, the sacrifices.
And I also knew everything about the Omnitrix, about transforming into dozens of aliens and saving the world with the push of a button.
And then… I died. Not in an epic way. It just… ended. And when I woke up, I was a baby in this world. Quirkless. Child of Quirkless parents. No clock fell from the sky. No alien appeared. No symbol of peace took me by the hand.Just the memory. The knowledge. From both worlds.
For years I asked myself: why me ? Why remember all this if I can't do anything with it ? If I'm nobody here ?
The answer never came. But maybe… maybe the question is wrong. Maybe it's not "why me ?", but "what am I going to do with it ?"
I know real heroes aren't born just from power. They're born from choice. From courage. From sacrifice. And I know that not because I lived it — but because I learned it. Because I watched, studied, imagined every path, every choice.
I have an advantage no one here has: I know the patterns. I know how villains think, how heroes get lost, how the audience manipulates, how the system fails. I've seen it happen — not just as a spectator, but now as part of the story.
And even without a Quirk… even without the Omnitrix…
I'm still me. With memory, with mind, with will.
Gwen still talks to me sometimes. And Grandpa Max, even here in Japan, never stopped believing in me. They're all that's left from a past that never existed… but still shaped me.
We moved here when I was five because of my dad's work. Nobody cares about making life hard for Quirkless kids, so when the company needed someone to move urgently to Japan, they picked him.
Maybe this is my mission now. To show that even an ordinary person can change everything. That knowledge is also power.
[SCHOOL YARD – EARLY AFTERNOON]
The sky was clear at the start of the day, but now clouds were beginning to form, as if even the weather knew what awaited me. The school yard was always busy at this time — laughter, shouting, people showing off their Quirks like medals.
A boy with golden wings hovered over the drinking fountain just to cause trouble.
Another made small explosions with his fingers, as if reminding the world he could make noise.
And me ? I just wanted to cross the yard in peace.
I walked with steady steps, backpack half-torn on my back, trying to go unnoticed.
But it's impossible to be invisible when you're the only one born without a glow.
"Look who showed up… the 'Quirkless 10 !'" I heard the voice before I even turned my head.
Of course. Raito. Always him. His finger crackled with electricity just to show off. The others around were already laughing before the joke even landed.
I rolled my eyes. I wanted to ignore it, keep walking. But something inside me always forces me to respond. Maybe it's pride. Maybe just tiredness.
"That doesn't even make sense," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, even with my throat tight. "Number 10 has no context here. At least try to be creative next time."
They laughed louder. A laugh that wasn't free — it was taunting.
"Oh, look, he talks ! I thought the brain was considered a Quirk now too," mocked another, his skin turning into metal right before my eyes. It shone like it was something impressive.
I kept walking, trying not to look. Each step made the weight on my back feel heavier. One of them jumped in front of me, blocking my path.
"Where do you think you're going ?" he said with that disgusting smile.
"Quirkless have no place here."
"Yeah, they should study with 'normal' people, not with real ones," teased a girl, blowing a small gust of wind on my back. My backpack fell to the ground. They laughed again.
I bent down. Picked up the backpack slowly. Took a deep breath.
I didn't want to break. But inside me… it was burning. Humiliation, anger, shame — all mixed in a knot climbing up to my throat. I wanted to scream. Wanted to explode. But I couldn't.
I stood up. Faced them. My chest hurt, but I kept my voice steady.
"I'm here because I deserve to be. Because I study. Because I pass the year. Even without a Quirk, I'm still better than many idiots who think having power is the same as having value."
Silence. For a second. Just one. Then came the laughs, louder, sharper. But I saw it. I saw in one of their faces that my words hit something.
One pushed me. I stumbled, fell on my back. The ground was rough, hot. It hurt.
But not as much as the look of contempt they threw at me.I stayed there for a moment. Looking at the sky. The clouds had thickened. The world felt heavier.But I got up. I always get up.
"One day," I said, brushing the dust off my clothes, "you'll need someone who thinks. Who understands. Who doesn't depend on a gift to do something great."
They didn't answer. Just looked at each other. Raito spat on the ground, pretending indifference, and walked away. The others followed. The laughter continued, but quieter now.
I was alone. Again.
The sky got grayer. The wind started blowing harder. The backpack weighed on my shoulders. And my chest… too.
It hurts. Pretending it doesn't hurt is a lie. Sometimes, I just wished I had the Omnitrix. Just for a second. Just to shut them all up. But I know I can't think like that. I know that's not the way.
[LATE AFTERNOON – WAY HOME]
The way home was never long, but today it seemed to drag. My steps were heavy, as if every word said in the yard had turned into stone and stuck to the soles of my shoes.
The neighborhood streets were calm. Some windows open, smell of rice in the air, younger kids running with shiny toys, pretending their Quirks were the strongest in the world. I almost smiled. Almost.
Two blocks before home, I passed that old cluster of trees. No one paid much attention to them — just a forgotten patch of green among buildings, with a dirt trail I knew well. Whenever I needed to cool my head, that's where I went.
I entered without thinking. The sound of dry leaves under my feet was almost therapeutic. The wind blew stronger there, carrying the smell of wet earth, late afternoon.
The sky, once gray, began to darken for real — heavy clouds, a sign of rain.
That's when I saw it.
A light tore through the sky.
At first, I thought it was a plane. But it made no sense — it was too low. And fast. A trail of fire and smoke cut the sky like a blazing blade.
I stopped. Eyes fixed on that thing approaching, losing altitude fast. And then… it changed direction.
It turned. Literally turned. Swerved from a straight course and curved toward the forest.
"No way…"
That's what I thought. Or rather, what I whispered. Loudly. Instinctively. That wasn't just an ordinary meteorite. Not with that maneuver. Not with that greenish glow. Not with that energy that gave me chills even on my skin.I dropped my backpack without thinking. And ran.
My heart raced, branches scratched my arms, but I didn't feel it. Adrenaline took over.
The sound of my steps mixed with the growing wind, the crackle of leaves being trampled, the muffled noise of something… something huge… tearing through the sky above me.
A light shone between the trees, growing stronger. The ground started shaking. The impact was near.
I ran like I never had before. Images of everything I knew — from the other world, from fiction, from the impossible — swirled in my head like a whirlwind.
'This can't be. I don't believe it.'
But it was.
The air still smelled of burnt metal and wet earth. The smoke danced in the air like veils, and every step I took toward the crater made the ground creak beneath my feet. My heart beat faster with every second, as if trying to warn me: something is wrong here.
The center of the crater was deep. Down there, partially covered by stones and loose earth, was a black capsule with green details, steaming. The shape was familiar.
Almost the same as images from the first Omnitrix crash… But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The capsule opened with a dry snap, releasing a cloud of green vapor. I took a step back. I expected to see the watch. Expected that circular glow, that call of destiny I had imagined a thousand times in my head.
But that's not what came out.
From inside the capsule came… a creature.
It floated, with transparent wings that vibrated like glass blades, emitting a high-pitched sound that made my teeth ache. It had a long metallic body, blue with glowing circuits, and bright green eyes fixed on me. It had three pairs of long legs, sharp as needles, and a sort of retractable stinger at the tip of its abdomen.
It looked like a cross between a mosquito, a robot, and a nightmare.
The thing rose in the air, hovering in front of me. The wings left sonic trails in the wind. I froze.
Then it spoke.
With a mechanical, emotionless, deep, inhuman voice:
"Tennyson located. Initiating docking."
"What ?!" I backed away instinctively. "N-no ! Wait ! What the hell is this ?!"I turned to run. Branch, stone, anything in my way — didn't matter. I just needed to get out of there. But the buzz of wings came after me, fast. Too fast.
I felt something touch the back of my neck.
A second later, the pain.
"AAHH !!"
I screamed, stumbling forward and falling hard to the ground. The pain was sharp, like a needle pierced straight into my spine. My muscles locked up. My whole body burned inside.
"N-no… stop…" I tried to turn, punch, kick, do anything, but my arms barely obeyed.
The thing injected something into me. I felt the liquid enter, hot, like liquid fire spreading at the base of my skull, down my spine. My body trembled. Blurred vision.
Everything spun.
And then, without warning… the mosquito backed off.
It hovered in the air for a second… and exploded.
BOOM!
A blue light filled the space, and metal shards flew everywhere. I threw myself on the ground, protecting my face as best I could. When silence returned, only embers and smoke remained.
No sign of it. No functional trace. As if it had never been there.
I stayed there, gasping, sweaty face, broken breath. My neck still burned, throbbing. Heart racing. Mind panicking.
"What… was that ?"
Silence.
Then, only the sound of leaves falling… one by one.
I stood up, sweating, heart still pounding in my chest.
In front of me, among broken roots and disturbed earth... something was shining in the center of the newly formed crater.Something that seemed... impossible.
[BEN'S HOUSE – NIGHT]
The front door creaked as I pushed it open. The warm light from the living room hit me like a harsh contrast to the metallic cold still lingering on the back of my neck.
I entered slowly, trying to look normal... which was almost impossible with my trembling legs and sweat sticking my shirt to my body.
"Son ?" my mother's voice came calmly from the kitchen, as always. "Is that you ?"
"It's me..." I murmured.
She appeared at the doorway, wearing an apron tied at her waist and holding a wooden spoon. The smell of dinner filled the room — rice, vegetables, something roasting. On any other day, my stomach would have growled.
Today, it didn't.
"You look pale..." she frowned, coming toward me. "Are you okay ?"
My dad got up from the couch, putting the TV remote aside. He wasn't one to show much emotion, but the serious look on his face betrayed his concern.
"Did something happen at school ?"
I tried to open my mouth. Think of an answer. Lie. Say it was just another day of bullying, that I had tripped, that I'd slept badly... anything.But all I could do was shake my head.
"No... it was nothing." My voice came out low and choked.
"Want some dinner ? I made those potatoes you like," my mom offered with a forced smile, trying to lighten the mood.
"No... not hungry. I'm going to my room."
I didn't wait for an answer. I climbed the stairs slowly, feeling each step like a ton. The weight of what had happened was still stuck to me like dirt that doesn't come off, as if something inside my body had woken up... and was now watching me from within.
I closed my bedroom door, threw my backpack into a corner, kicked off my shoes, and threw myself back onto the bed. I didn't even care the light was on. I just stayed there, staring at the ceiling, feeling cold sweat run down the side of my face.
The back of my neck was still throbbing.
My eyes were burning.
My mind... a storm.
The image of that metallic mosquito repeated in a loop: the sound of wings, the mechanical voice, the needle, the pain, the heat... the explosion.And, deep inside my mind, a whisper that wasn't mine:
"Docking complete."
After that, all I remember is exhaustion taking over, sinking me into the mattress as if the whole world had pushed my body down against it.
And before I could organize a single thought...
Darkness took me.