It had been a week of warm days and cool evenings in Queens, and Kai had slipped back into routine like a shadow fading into pavement.
He biked the same blocks. Delivered the same meals. Laughed with the same neighbors.
Normal life.
No alien transformations. No HYDRA monstrosities. Just the rhythm of wheels on asphalt and the weight of a bag over his shoulder.
He liked it.
Tony's New Toy
On the fourth morning, Kai got a quick message on his burner phone from Tony:
"Just stabilized a new element. Might name it Starkium or something equally narcissistic. You'd be proud. Stay out of trouble, Wristwatch."
Kai had chuckled, heart light. The genius billionaire in his lab, cracking science like it was a puzzle box. If anyone could invent a new periodic table, it was Stark.
The world kept turning.
Even Bruce Banner had been sighted recently, leaping across the Canadian border on the news. Locals called it a "green comet." Typical Hulk.
But none of that mattered today.
Today, Kai had deliveries.
Manny's Deli – Late Morning
"Last bag, kid," Manny said, handing over a neatly packed brown paper sack. "Special one."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Special?"
Manny nodded toward the address scrawled across the top of the receipt.
20 Ingram Street. Queens. Parker Residence.
"Nice folks," Manny added. "Sweet kid. Said you helped him a while back."
Kai paused.
He remembered. Months ago, a group of middle schoolers had been hassling a younger boy outside a comic store. Kai had stepped in, didn't even need the Omnitrix. Just words. Calm and firm. The kind of strength that doesn't need to punch.
The kid had thanked him and bolted.
Small moment.
He never expected to see him again.
Ingram Street – Noon
Kai pedaled up to the small, tidy house with the green door. He balanced the delivery bag and rang the bell.
Ding-dong.
A moment later, the door swung open.
Kai blinked.
Standing in front of him was a young woman, maybe twenty-one, in a "Queens College" sweatshirt and pajama pants. She had a kind, slightly tired smile and hair tied in a loose bun.
"Hi," she said. "You must be the delivery guy."
Kai cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. From Manny's."
The woman smiled warmly. "I'm May. Just in tim—oh, wait—"
Before she could finish, two small heads peeked around her legs.
One of them was Ned, wide-eyed, clutching a half-finished LEGO set in one hand.
The other was Peter Parker, no older than eight, in a science camp T-shirt and socks with Saturns on them. He stared up at Kai for a second… then his face lit up.
"It's you!"
Kai blinked. "Me?"
"You helped me outside that comic store last month! You told those older kids to back off!"
Kai scratched his neck, embarrassed. "Oh. That was nothing."
Peter beamed. "It wasn't nothing. You didn't even get mad. They ran away 'cause you were so calm. I told Ned you were like a real superhero."
Kai chuckled. "I just talk a lot. Helps sometimes."
May came back with a tip in an envelope and offered it with a soft smile. "Thanks for what you did for Peter. You didn't have to, but you did. That means a lot."
Kai took the envelope with a quiet nod.
"You've got a good kid," he said, then smiled at Peter. "Smart, too."
Peter puffed his chest a little. "I'm gonna build an AI when I grow up. Like Mr. Stark!"
Kai raised an eyebrow. "You know about Stark?"
Peter looked at him like he'd asked if the sky was blue. "He's only, like, the coolest engineer ever."
Ned nodded furiously. "He made a suit with a mini-reactor! And missiles!"
Kai smirked. "Not very useful for math homework, though."
Peter grinned. "Not yet."
Kai turned to go, but Peter called out one more time.
"Wait! What's your name?"
He paused.
"Kai."
Peter tilted his head. "That's cool. Are you gonna be around again?"
Kai smiled. "I live around here. So yeah. Probably."
Peter's voice dropped conspiratorially. "If you ever need help building tech, I know where we keep the soldering iron."
May laughed. "Alright, mini-Stark. Go finish your sandwich."
Back to the Streets
Kai biked away from Ingram Street with a soft smile that wouldn't fade. The air smelled like cut grass and sidewalk chalk. Kids played with water balloons on the corner. A dad tossed a frisbee into the street. A car honked cheerfully.
Peaceful. Honest. Normal.
And somehow… even though he carried a galaxy's worth of power on his wrist, right now, he felt just like anyone else.
That mattered.
Back on his favorite rooftop, Kai sat cross-legged with a sandwich in hand and the Omnitrix peeking from beneath his sleeve.
He looked at it.
It didn't pulse. Didn't flicker.
Just glowed.
Calm.
Peter Parker's words came back to him.
"You're like a real superhero."
But he didn't feel like one. Not yet. Maybe never. He didn't have a cape. He didn't fly around in a fancy suit. Most of the time, he just rode a bike and smiled at strangers.
But maybe that was the point.
Maybe the world didn't need more gods.
Maybe it needed someone to deliver food on time. To tell a kid he mattered. To walk away from a fight instead of throwing the first punch.
Maybe heroism wasn't always loud.
Sometimes, it was quiet.
And that was enough.