On one of the numerous landing sites on Earth, a certain duo of reporters awaited patiently.

"So can you remind me why we are here again?" Luis groaned in annoyance.

Skylar puffed her chest, her eyes sparkling in anticipation.

"Woman's intuitions!" She declared proudly. "I can feel that something newsworthy will appear!"

Initially the reporter duo had been on Triton, where they bore witness to part of Michael's feats and even created a viral video of him.

However, when the asteroid belt had been breached and Earth put into danger, they were forced to return to Earth. Both because going to Neptune was too dangerous and because humanity's interest would naturally shift toward Earth and the planets around it.

As a consequence, Michael's viral video was quickly forgotten, and any new footage they released wasn't popular. Humanity didn't find what happened at the edge of the solar system important anymore.

"Maybe the hero will return?" Skylar theorized hopefully. With her connections, she had learned that Michael had departed for Neptune, but the trail ended there. All she could hope now was that the man would return back to Earth and give them another newsworthy feat.

Luis sighed in dejection. "I really need a raise…"

Among the many shuttles that had landed today, one appeared more unique than the rest, considering that there were Grandmasters and a metallic beast riding aboard.

"We are back…" Michael muttered in awe as he observed the atmosphere.

"I am going to see how my little brother is doing. If you need me, give me a call." Enzo waved his hand.

"As agreed upon, I will take care of Cyberfang and search if I can make some modifications." Amelia said a moment later.

With each member of the crew going to deal with their problems, Michael headed to a particular location, Ava silently following him from behind.

In order to reach Michael's city, they took the metro.

Several hours later they got off, only to realize that the weather wasn't very good today, with rain starting to descend.

Putting a hat over their heads to prevent themselves from becoming drenched in the water, they headed towards the center of the city.

"So you live somewhere here?" Ava said, walking close to him.

Noting that she didn't receive a reply, she didn't press Michael for answers, guessing that he must be thinking about other stuff.

"It's here…" At some point Michael froze before a small coffee shop.

'So his family owns a small business…' Ava guessed.

"Do they know you are coming back?" She couldn't help but ask.

"No." Michael shook his head. "I wanted to keep it a surprise…"

Nodding thoughtfully, Ava patted him on the shoulder.

"I see… Well, go on then. I will remain here for now, since I don't want to intrude on your family reunion."

Taking a shallow breath, Michael stepped forward, putting his hand on the doorknob.

'Ironically, risking my life on the battlefield is less nerve-wracking than this.' He thought, creaking the door open.

Ding!

The bell positioned over the entrance chimed pleasantly as he entered.

Instantly the faint smell of chocolate drifted into his nostrils. Due to the rain outside, the place was currently void of any customers.

"Welcome to our humble—"

The woman that was busy cleaning the counter froze in shock the second her eyes settled on Michael.

"Mom? Did a troublemaker appear—"

Scarlett, who had been sitting on one of the tables waiting for customers to serve, found her breath hitch.

"..."

Thud!

Michael's heart beat loudly.

'This is not a mirage.' He thought, a lump forming in the back of his throat, making it hard to speak.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Slowly putting his hand over his hat, he took it off, positioning it close to his chest.

"I…I am back."

Crack!

At that moment Isabella, his mother, who was behind the counter, let go of the coffee cup she had been holding.

Ignoring the mess, she slowly took a few steps forward.

"...Michael?" Her eyes trembled, wondering if she was asleep.

Michael didn't shy away from his mother's gaze.

"Mom..."

Too shocked to utter a word, she got closer, gently putting her hands over his face.

"My boy… You really came back."

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him with all the strength she could muster.

"I am sorry for permitting you to go to war… When did you find the time to grow so much?" She said barely above a whisper, tears starting to seep from her eyes.

Swosh!

A second later Scarlett wordlessly pounced on her brother as she too took a firm hold of him.

Although Michael wasn't a clingy person, he found their closeness pleasant. Putting his hands behind their backs, he accepted their embrace.

They were warm, unlike their corpses that plagued his mind relentlessly.

By the way, their chests rose and fell as they took breaths. It was undeniable. They were alive.

"I am home." Michael said.

From their point of view, they hadn't seen him for a few months. While he himself had lost count of the years he had spent being separated from them.

"I bet you have a lot to talk about!" Scarlett exclaimed, being the first one to let go.

"Until you tell me everything in detail, I am not letting you rest!" She declared eagerly.

"Scarlett, your brother is surely tired. You can ask him for details later." Isabella reminded.

Michael waved his hand. "I assure you I am fine."

Unwilling to let Ava wait any longer in the rain, he opened the door, inviting her in.

"I… Um!" Ava clutched the side of her dress anxiously, her mind going blank.

'This is Michael's mother and sister! I have to make a good impression!' She told herself, finding it unusually hard to form a coherent sentence.

Clearing his throat, Michael introduced her. "This is Ava, a friend. We met on the battlefield, and since she doesn't have anywhere else to stay, I was wondering if she could crash at our place."

Isabella blinked a few times, her eyes going between Michael and Ava.

"...Oh? Just a friend, you say?" Slowly a mischievous smile began to spread over her face.

Meanwhile, Scarlett approached Ava, her eyes sparkling in excitement.

"You… You are so cute! I have some spare clothes just your size. Please, will you let me dress you up?"

Michael heaved a sigh of relief. At the very least it seemed that his family wasn't against the idea of letting Ava spend some time at their home.

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