Chapter 3: Journey Towards Strength
After arriving home, Alex hurriedly ran towards his room. He wanted to confirm one thing: how much time was left before the cannon would start. After asking the system, Alex came to know that he and Deku were the same age, so he had 11 to 10 years before the cannon would start. Alex wanted to reach the same level of strength that Luffy had at Marineford. After making plans, Alex ran towards the backyard of his house, which looked like a jungle due to the numerous trees. Coming to a clearing, he started doing push-ups. However, after doing just ten of them, he found himself unable to move. Gritting his teeth, he pushed through the pain and continued doing his push-ups.
A few hours later, a kid covered in sweat was lying on the ground. Alex thought to himself that the road ahead would not be easy, but the fear of death was a good motivation for him to get stronger. Enduring the pain, he stood up and made his way back towards his house, completing his training for the day. Upon arriving in his room, he slumped onto his bed. The next day, Anna woke him up, and he started preparing himself for school. Anna tried to help, but he refused, saying that he was a grown-up man. Anna laughed at his words but didn't mind them. Soon, he was ready to go, and Anna drove him to school.
Upon reaching the school, he was surprised to see a green-haired boy chasing a blond-haired kid with hedgehog-like hair. Anna dropped him off with his homeroom teacher, and after sitting at his seat, Alex wondered what he would do in the future. He didn't want to be a hero like All Might, who was selfless and wanted to protect others. Similar to Luffy, he simply wanted to be in a position that represented ultimate freedom.
Just as he was lost in his thoughts, somebody pinched his ear. He looked up to see his class teacher glaring at him. Giving an awkward smile, Alex was scolded by his teacher. After listening to the banter from the teacher, Alex sat down. However, a mocking voice came from the backseat. When he turned to see who it was, he found Bakugo. Alex didn't get angry because he knew the nature of Bakugo. But when Bakugo mocked him about his parents, Alex's anger flared up. Even though he didn't know them, he had memories that were quite dear to the previous Alex.
In the next moment, Alex stretched out his hands to grab Bakugo and headbutted him, aiming for his nose. Bakugo, caught off-guard, got hit by the headbutt and created a ruckus in class. Quickly, the teacher came before Alex could attack again. Bakugo, who was lying on the ground, looked at Alex with intense hatred in his eyes.
After that, Alex was called into the teacher's office, while Anna was called to the school by Bakugo's mother. After hearing the reason behind the fight, Bakugo's mom apologized to Alex and punched Bakugo's head. Mitsuki, Bakugo's mother, then invited Alex to come to their home and play with her son. Although Bakugo wasn't happy with the idea, seeing his mother's smiling face and not-so-smiling eyes, he shivered and didn't speak.
The next day, while Alex was on his way back home, he was stopped by Bakugo and his friends. Bakugo was not convinced with their fight from the previous day. Alex and Bakugo stood in front of each other. Alex threw his arm back, preparing for Gomu Gomu no Pistol However, Bakugo ran towards him, preparing the blasts in his hands. Before Alex could recall his punch, Bakugo was already standing in front of him, and with a booming explosion, Alex was knocked back. He quickly thought of a way to counterattack and instead of using his pistol, he used his hands like a whip to strike at Bakugo. Bakugo was hit by the whip-like attacks several times, but he kept pushing forward, trying to get closer to attack Alex. Alex, who knew what was going through Bakugo's mind, attempted to make his attacks faster.
Soon, Bakugo, covered in bruises, was laying on the ground, panting, while Alex was barely standing after his relentless assault. However, there were burnt marks on his hands due to Bakugo's attempts to counter the attack with explosive blasts. Despite the pain, Alex managed to make his way back home. Anna, who saw his condition, hurriedly reached him and bandaged his wounds. Before she could ask Alex about what happened, he had already fallen fast asleep in her arms.
AN (The next chapter will feature a time skip.)