Chapter 5: Peter's New Little Sister
Mikoto stared at the mountain of chicken rolls piled on her plate, then at Aunt May's warm look that said, "This child is starved, eat more." With no other choice, she quietly picked up the pace.
Her esper-level metabolism was burning through energy nonstop, so her appetite at the moment was nothing short of impressive. To the Parker couple, her enthusiastic eating only confirmed the tragic scenario they'd imagined — this poor girl probably hadn't had a proper meal in ages.
Naturally, Aunt May added a generous scoop of mashed potatoes onto her plate.
Dinner ended, and Aunt May gently pulled Uncle Ben into the bedroom.
"Ben," she murmured as she closed the door, lowering her voice though her tone carried firm resolve, "I want to adopt Mikoto."
Ben Parker didn't look surprised. He held her hands, his gaze soft and reassuring.
"I was planning to talk to you about that tonight too. Didn't expect you to bring it up first."
He exhaled, a tremor of lingering fear and relief in his voice.
"May… that child saved my life. We can't leave her wandering the streets. She deserves a home, a real family. She deserves to go to school like Peter and live like a normal kid."
"That's exactly what I thought!" May's eyes grew misty again. "We can't let her go back to the kind of nightmare she came from."
Their thoughts aligned perfectly.
Soon, the couple returned to the living room with solemn expressions.
"Mikoto," May bent down so she was eye level with the girl sitting on the sofa.
"We'd like… for you to stay. To become part of our family. Would that be alright?"
Afraid she'd refuse, Ben quickly stepped in.
"You don't need to change your name or call us mom and dad. Just call us Uncle Ben and Aunt May, like Peter does. We'll handle the paperwork, help you get legal identification, and make sure you can attend school and live like any other child."
Mikoto looked at the pair of kind faces, their sincerity almost overwhelming.
She didn't understand how they arrived at this conclusion, but their intentions were crystal clear — genuine, gentle, and without a shred of hesitation.
And in this unfamiliar world, she had no relatives, no money, and nowhere to go. Staying with them was undoubtedly the most practical choice.
The Parkers weren't wealthy, but they were good-hearted, patient, and decent people. For a dimension traveler who needed a stable "anchor point" to settle down and observe her new world, they were unnervingly perfect.
And besides…
Mikoto's eyes flicked toward Peter, who still looked stiff and unsure of how to breathe, then back to Uncle Ben and Aunt May.
With her power, keeping this little family safe wouldn't be difficult at all. Anyone who wanted to pick on them would have to answer to the coins in her pocket first.
That thought eased the tension that had been lodged in her heart since she arrived in this world. At last, she found a place she could settle.
She nodded.
"Alright."
And just like that, the next phase of Misaka Mikoto's life was decided by two well-meaning guardians in the next room.
For her, it was probably the first, and luckiest, thing to happen since landing in this unfamiliar world.
Peter Parker stood in the corner of the living room, rigid like a streetlamp, unsure what to do with his hands or feet.
He had just stepped out of his room when he overheard the whole exchange: Uncle Ben and Aunt May's heartfelt "adoption announcement," and the girl who saved his uncle — Misaka Mikoto — agreeing without hesitation.
So… he suddenly had a little sister?
A sister two years younger than him, who looked cool, and... seemed very capable?
"Uh…" Peter finally gathered the courage to speak. He scratched the back of his head, offering a shy, awkward smile.
"Welcome, Mikoto. I'm… I'm Peter Parker."
Mikoto looked up at the boy who was a head taller than her. He had kind brown eyes, wore an old T-shirt with scientific formulas printed on it, and exuded a harmless, scholarly air.
It was hard to imagine that such a seemingly weak boy was another member of this family.
"Hmm."
Mikoto simply nodded, unsure what else to say. In Academy City, she was used to letting her power and presence speak for her. Confronted with this pure, untainted family warmth, she felt a little at a loss.
"That's wonderful!" Aunt May clapped her hands, delighted to see the two kids finally talking.
"Peter, now that you're a big brother, you have to take good care of Mikoto."
"I… I will!" Peter nodded quickly, his eyes shining behind his non-prescription glasses.
For the first time in his life, he had the title of older brother. A fresh sense of responsibility surged within him. He looked at Mikoto with the earnest sincerity only a teenager could muster.
"If anyone at school ever tries to bully you, tell me!"
Mikoto glanced at him, thinking: We'll see who's bullying who. Still, she didn't voice it.
That night, the Parker family worked together to transform a storage room into a proper bedroom.
Uncle Ben carried down a sturdy single bed from the attic. Aunt May laid clean sheets and bedding that smelled of sunlight. Peter contributed a bookshelf and a desk lamp of his own.
The room was modest, simply furnished, but bright and welcoming. It radiated the warmth of home.
"Sorry for the trouble, Mikoto," Aunt May said as she arranged the pillow. "Our home is small, so this is the best we could do for now."
"It's fine. It's already more than enough," Mikoto replied, standing at the door and looking at the soft bed. Compared to the streets she had feared she might end up on, this was a thousand times better.
As night deepened, Mikoto lay on the bed, hands behind her head, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Everything that happened during the day was like a bizarre movie.
One kick to a vending machine had opened the doorway to a new world. She'd gone from the familiar streets of Academy City to this place called New York. Penniless, nowhere to go, expecting to start a hardcore survival mode… only to be adopted by a kind elderly couple because of a single act of courage.
Life's highs and lows had never been this intense.
She couldn't go back. That world with Gekota, Kuroko, Uiharu, Saten, and… that idiot.
Thinking of them left a tight knot in her chest, a sense of suffocating melancholy.
But Misaka Mikoto wasn't the type to wallow in sadness. She shook her head, tossing aside the messy thoughts.
Since she was here, she might as well make the best of it. Worrying wouldn't help. She'd take it step by step. At least now, she had a "home" and a "big brother" who seemed decent enough.
Just as she was letting her thoughts settle and preparing to force herself to sleep, a soft blue light suddenly illuminated the room.
Mikoto tensed instantly. A tiny spark flickered across her bangs. She shot upright, assuming a defensive stance, eyes fixed on the glow.
The light coalesced rapidly into a semi-transparent, high-tech virtual panel. Lines of text floated clearly within her vision:
[Congratulations, Guardian Faction Player Misaka Mikoto, successful survival confirmed.]
[Detected Player Action: Saved key story character "Ben Parker," prevented death, Reputation +3000.]
[Detected Player Action: Gained high affinity with key story characters "Ben Parker," "May Parker," and "Peter Parker," Reputation +2000.]
[Detected Player Action: Formed "Family" bond with the Parker family, officially integrated into the world, Reputation +3000.]
[Current Total Reputation Points: 8000]