Evolving Infinitely From An E-Class Hero-Chapter 86: No More Secrets

This was the second time I spilled my story to someone. Luckily they’re all were really important people in my life.

My hands gestured crazily, trying to describe the chaos of the scenes and the events leading up to this very moment.

—Snake King’s attack, The red space, Q’urtona, the moment the Forever Core bonded with me and turned everything in my life upside down.

"... So, that was it. Fast forward a couple months later... I’m sitting before you here as Bionic, the SSS-Class hero, Rank 1."

My Mom sat across from me, her butt perched on the edge of her seat with her blue eyes totally locked on mine.

Her expression was stone wall, blank as ever, unreadable, like she was processing a puzzle with half other pieces missing.

The TV was still frozen on the newsfeed of me blasting off from the Tower D, with my golden black Forever Armor glinting in the sunlight.

The silence stretched for a few seconds and every passing second felt really heavy. Until she lifted her head, her blonde bun catching the dim light of the living room.

"Blondie," she said softly the let out a huge sigh. "You really didn’t need to hide all this from me."

"Huh..."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she raised a hand, silencing me. Then, her eyes softened, the stern mom glare of hers melted into something warmer and more nurturing like when she used to patch me up after I’d scrape my knees skateboarding around the sector.

"It’s not even about safety..." She continued. "I know you’re already in danger and you’re risking your life already as Skateboard Man. But now? You’re a lot stronger. You can take care of yourself... You’re safe... when I look at you, I no longer see my little blonde boy; I see a man — a growing one."

She paused, her lips pressing against eachother into a straight thin line.

"But keeping secrets like this?" She pointed towards the my chest, at the Forever Core.

"From me? That’s not how we do things, Reno. Not you and me... You’re the only thing I have left in this world, if you don’t tell me, who are you gonna tell?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

*Gulp!

I swallowed hard, saliva twisted weirdly in my throat. If I may say so myself, she wasn’t wrong. I have been giving excuses to having this conversation with her for weeks, and months, telling myself it was to have the privacy to level up.

But really, I just didn’t know how to explain that her skateboard riding, soda guzzling son was now the world’s first SSS-Class hero.

"Ahem, I’m sorry Mom," I said while awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck.

"I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark, it just... Everything happened so fast. But, I promise from now on; no more secrets."

Hey eyes searched for mine, like she was weighing whether to believe me. Then she nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Good, because I’m your Mom, Blondie. I can handle a little crazy, trust me I see it everyday at the medical lab in the ISA outlet lab I work in."

I smiled at her obvious joke. The tension in my chest eased a little bit and my expression brightened as a thought hit me, one that I was itching to share.

"On the bright side... Although I die join any guild, rest assured that money won’t be an issue for us again!".

My Mom’s eyebrows shot up as curiosity seeped into her eyes.

"Really? How?"

I leaned forward as the excitement danced inside replaced the earlier tension in my chest.

"Well... The higher a hero is up the ranks, the more units they get per heroic intervention. Something as simple as pulling someone from a burning building could net us units in the millions..."

"Millions Mom! And that’s without joining a guild. Imagine the kind of money I’d make if I signed with one!"

Her face lit up like a firefly with a genuine smile breaking through.

"Millions?" She repeated with a tint of disbelief etched in her voice.

"Reno... That’s, that’s really incredible!" She laughed gleefully, a sound I hadn’t heard in a while, and it absolutely warmed me more than the my Incinerate skill ever could.

But then, in that split second. Her expression changed, it shifted from a gleeful laugh to a serious face with a subtle smirk.

She usually had this expression when she was had that Mom wisdom kicking in.

"But don’t you dare let that money or this fame get to your head, young man."

"You’re Bionic now, sure, but you’re still Reno Renly that blonde kid from Sector D. It’d be admirable if you used that income to help others."

"The neighborhood’s still a mess from the Gravehowl incident. Sector D could use some work rebuilding. And philanthropy work— shelters, schools, hospitals. That’s the kind of hero I want my son to be..."

"Being a hero is not just about powers... A hero is expected companionate, selfless and courageous..."

"Yes yes yes yes! I know ma’am! That line has been overused by the ISA..." I said interrupting her.

She was totally right yet again, the Gravehowl incident was a few months ago and the aftermath of the event left lots of scars on the city and its people.

Half the apartment blocks increased in rent price because of the lack of apartment building that were demolished by Gravehowls onslaught and the maglev tracks near the market district were still under repair.

"Yes ma’am, I’ll do that... I’ll make sure the money goes where it matters..."

"Where it’s needed!"

"Isn’t that the same thing?"

"Don’t piss me off kid, you already lied to me..."

"Yes ma’am"

I said swiftly and then we shared a moment of laughter between ourselves.

She smiled after laughing and fir a moment, everything felt right. But then a thought crept into my mind. It was really sudden and heavy with an unbidden texture to it.

My smile immediately faded, and I stared directly at the floor in thought with my hands clenched into a fists.

"I wish Dad were here to see

what I have become... Whom I have become...".

The room went silent and my Mom’s smile vanished.