As I was heading back through the forest, I suddenly heard a sound behind me. Instinctively, I shifted my head and shoulder to the right—just in time to see a punch whiz past my face.
Reacting fast, I threw an elbow toward my attacker. They managed to block it, though not completely—I still pushed them back.
I turned, ready to launch a ki blast—only to stop short when I saw who it was.
"I wish you could've seen your face. It was hilarious."
Turned out, it was my brother—Daniel, a.k.a. Power Punch. The fact that he blocked my attack without much effort told me one thing: he was strong. Probably stronger than I'd given him credit for. Still, I doubted he'd even been using his full strength.
"You know," I said, brushing myself off, "if that punch had landed, you might've given me a concussion."
He shrugged, grinning. "But it didn't, did it?"
Typical Daniel. Always a bit of a joker. Seeing that smug expression made me want to punch him in the face—just a little.
"So," he added, "Dad said you want to be a hero now?"
"Yeah. I do. The Hero Association's the only place that can really help me adjust to and control my powers. That's the real reason I want in."
"If that's really why you want to become a hero," he said, nodding with approval, "then I'm all for it. Once we get home, you're packing your stuff. You're coming with me—to Hero City. It's the biggest city the Hero Association runs, fully funded by the government."
Hero City, huh? So that's where I'm going next.
Turned out, we were moving the whole family there. The city was built entirely for heroes—and for anyone who aspired to become one.
The drive was six hours long. Honestly, the longest six hours of my life. Every second, I was fighting the urge to just jump out the window and fly the rest of the way.
Apparently, Daniel had already prepared a house for us. According to him, there's no such thing as a truly secret identity—not anymore. The moment villains figure out who your family is, it's game over. He wanted to move us all before that could happen. That way, he could focus on saving people without always worrying about who might be coming after his loved ones.