Dust motes danced in the pale moonlight filtering through the grimy window of your cramped apartment. The fluorescent hum of the dorms felt like a lifetime ago, replaced by the rhythmic creak of the old building settling around you. Rejection emails sat unopened on your laptop screen, mocking testaments to a path that no longer felt like yours.
A lone tear traced a path down your cheek, landing with a soft plop on the worn leather of your hero costume. Artemis, the prodigy, the one All Might deemed worthy of One For All, reduced to a forgotten name on a dusty application pile.
But the tear was quickly followed by a spark. They didn't want you? Fine. You'd be a hero on your own terms. No flashy agencies, no leaderboard rankings, just you and the streets, the forgotten corners where heroes rarely walked.
With newfound resolve, you slipped into your silver suit, the familiar coolness a comforting embrace. It wasn't the top-of-the-line gear your classmates sported, but it was yours. It held the sweat and grime of countless training sessions, a testament to the hero you'd always been, even if they'd forgotten.
Tonight wouldn't be about taking down supervillains with flashy quirks. It would be about the little things - rescuing a lost cat from a rooftop, calming a panicking civilian during a mugging, apprehending petty thieves before they could escalate.
You slipped out of your apartment, the city air thick with the smells of street food and exhaust. The familiar anonymity was a strange comfort. Here, amongst the shadows, you were just another face in the crowd, but tonight, you were their hero.
The night unfolded in a blur of adrenaline and small victories. You disarmed a purse snatcher, his face pale with surprise when he realized he wasn't facing a kid fresh out of UA, but a seasoned hero with a steely glint in her eyes. You recovered a stolen dog, the frantic owner showering you with tearful gratitude that warmed you from the inside out.
As dawn painted the sky with streaks of orange and pink, you stood atop a building overlooking the city. The familiar rooftops where you once trained with All Might felt different now, a symbol of a past you weren't clinging to anymore. You were carving your own path, one selfless act at a time.
Your phone buzzed. Not a rejection email, but a news notification. A headline flashed: "Mysterious Hero Thwarts Purse Snatching Spree in Downtown District." A smirk touched your lips. Maybe they wouldn't forget your name forever.
The city lights twinkled below, beckoning you with the promise of another night of quiet heroism. Artemis, the prodigy, might be gone, but in her place stood a hero forged in rejection, a testament to the fact that greatness could bloom even in the shadows. You were the hero the forgotten corners needed, and that, you decided, was more than enough.
