Disclaimer: Ishinomori's, not mine

Notes: Spoilers for 'The Hero'

--

Overall, it was going a lot better than Jet thought it would.

He had tried but couldn't come up with a decent way to introduce Albert to Jimmy when they picked him up from school. "Jimmy, this is Albert Heinrich. He and I were experimented on, cryogenically frozen, and helped to bring down the world's biggest death merchant together." Then there was the somewhat-better-only-not-really "Jimmy, this is Albert Heinrich. He and I were making out like crazy earlier today, only you probably still call it 'making kissy face'.". Plus, while anyone who'd been around him long enough knew there was a very warm-hearted man underneath the gruff exterior, those who didn't only saw the gruffness. So he'd been ready for a disaster when they made it to the schoolyard, but all Heinrich did was stoop down to Jimmy's height, smile and say, "Hey there. I'm Albert, Jet's friend. Do you want to stop and say hi to your mom before we go home?"

So here he was now, watching as they walked a little further ahead of him, Jimmy dragging a stick across the familiar chain link fence as he went on about the comics books he had saved up for. Jet seriously doubted Albert had so much as opened the cover of a comic in his life, but he was listening to Jimmy with rapt interest. Jet quickened his pace a little, wanting to get in earshot.

"... I like him, but he's not nearly as cool as 002."

Oh crap.

Albert's eyes widened just a bit. "002? Who's that?"

Crap crap crap...

"You've never heard of him?" He glanced and smiled at Jet, as if to say, 'Don't worry, your secret's safe with me!'. "He's only the invincible cyborg! He can fly because he has jet engines for legs, and stopped the Black Ghost-- Black Ghost is a bad guy, by the way-- all by himself!"

Craaaaaaaaaap...

"Really." He was speaking to Jimmy, but looking at Jet. Albert's expression was unreadable; that was never a good sign. "This 002... he sounds like quite the hero. Boy, I'd sure like to meet him."

"Maybe one day you will!" Jimmy replied as mysteriously as a little boy could while dashing into the diner to greet his mother.

Albert waited outside with Jet.

"I can explain. Really."

"Go ahead. But forgive me if I seem a little flustered, I've never been in the presence of a superstar before."

"Shut up, Heinrich."