Red Riot Is Dating My Mom! [EXCERPT]

BOOM!

Another building shook as Red Riot [Eijiro Kirishima], also known as the Sturdy Hero, braced himself. His hardened arms crossed in front of Deku [Izuku Midoriya] to block the villain’s strike. The streets of Musutafu were in chaos. There was shattered glass, overturned cars, and panicked civilians. But to Red Riot and the rest of the heroes, this was just another day at work.

“Bakugo, left!” he shouted, gritting his teeth as he pushed forward.

“Tch! Don’t tell me what to do!” Bakugo [Katsuki Bakugo—a.k.a. the Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight (but seriously, that name is way too long, so let’s just stick with Bakugo)]—snarled before blasting himself straight toward the villain with a thunderous explosion.

“Chargebolt, keep the civilians moving!” Deku called. His voice was steady even as the ground cracked slightly from the tremor.

“Got it!” Denki [Denki Kaminari], a.k.a. Chargebolt, gave a shaky salute before sprinting off and guiding a group of frightened people to safety.

Red Riot slammed his fist into the ground. The concrete splintered beneath his strength. “We can’t let him reach the station! Hold the line!” He exclaimed.

Meanwhile, far away from the chaos, a train pulled into Tatooin Station.

“Mom! Mom! We’re here! We’re really here!” Kiiro, a little boy about 6 to 7 years old, bounced on his seat. His little hands pressed against the window as the city skyline glittered into view. His messy hair stuck out in every direction, and his eyes practically glowed with excitement.

“Yes, yes, we’re here,” Aki, Kiiro’s mother, said with a small smile. Her short blonde hair framed her round, gentle face, brushing against her cheeks as she turned to her son. She was exhausted from the move, but she couldn’t deny how much she missed Musutafu—her hometown.

Aki Minamoto was a former U.A. student in General Studies. Like twenty percent of the population, she was quirkless. There were times when that fact brought her down, but she managed despite the difference. At least, she was happy. With her boy, Kiiro, by her side, she didn’t want anything more. She liked the normal life... Well, until today.

As they walked out of the train, Kiiro couldn’t help but ask, “Do you think I’ll be able to meet any of the heroes, Mom?”

“Maybe.” Aki smiled. “We’ll see, Kiiro...”

“YEY!”

“Phew!”

After settling into their new apartment—cleaning up and putting some of the things in order—Kiiro and his mom still had a dozen boxes left unopened. Aki sighed, ready to dive back in, when Kiiro finally tugged at her sleeve. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Can we go buy snacks now? Please?” Kiiro smiled warmly.

“Well… I guess we can take a break first.” Aki couldn’t resist his puppy-dog eyes and let out a soft laugh. “Alright, alright. But groceries first, then snacks. Deal?”

“DEAL!”

Just as Aki and Kiiro were about done with their shopping—buying ingredients for dinner, snacks, and beverages—the ground rumbled as soon as they stepped out of the store.

A deafening explosion roared in the distance, rattling the shop windows, and smoke quickly curled high up into the sky like a mushroom cloud.

Aki froze, her heart hammering as she almost stumbled. She immediately felt concerned. But for Kiiro, it was different.

“Heroes!” Kiiro’s eyes lit up like fireworks. He could see them—the heroes—floating in mid-air from where he stood. And like that, he was already running toward the sound before Aki could grab him.

“Kiiro! Wait! Stop!” she shouted. Panic rushed through her veins as she dropped their bag of groceries on the sidewalk. Then, without a second thought, she darted after him, pushing through the startled crowd.

Back at the battlefield, the fight ended in a final CRASH as Red Riot and his friends brought the villain down together. Dust and smoke blanketed the street, and sirens blared in the distance. The heroes stood tall—battered but victorious.

As the haze began to clear and as some civilians began to crowd the sides to check the aftermath (like nosy civilians usually do), Red Riot wiped the sweat from his brow. His hardened skin cracked back into flesh.

“Man, that was—” He was about to speak when suddenly…

“RED RIOT!!!”

A small voice rang out.

Red Riot turned, startled, just in time to see a little boy break through the crowd control barriers and sprint toward him. His arms were waving in pure, unfiltered joy.