Here we are at Chapter 2! Before we begin, just wanted to thank thew few people who favorited and followed this story, your support gives me the motivation to keep writing. With that out of the way, let's get started!

"text" - regular speech

'text' - thoughts

(text) - scene change

"text" - character reading something

*text* - action

(The Boar Hat – Aoi-ku, Shizuoka)

Tucked away on the edge of a a quiet neighborhood stood a small, cafe/bar known simply as The Boar Hat. It was a cozy three-story building, made of mostly bricks, had big windows, and some ivy creeping some parts of the walls. Standing above the green front door hung a neon sign – a chubby pink boar lounging in a teacup, winking at passersby. Beneath the sign, in stylized cursive, reads: "The Boar Hat – Food, Drink, & Trouble." This lovely place is what the Liones family called home.

Melion strolled through the front door, the overhead bell chiming as he did so. The interior is rustic, with reclaimed wood walls and black steel girders that stick out from the already black ceiling. There are booths with plush leather seats lining a wall, and the center has round wooden tables with matching chairs. There is a long bar at the back with glass shelving and various alcohol bottles. The walls are decorated with various odds and ends: swords, hero posters, photos, and a framed boar plush known as Hawk Jr.

Business in the bar was relatively quiet, and there were only a handful of customers present. Knowing the regular clientele, they were either university students or underground heroes. Melion's aunts and uncles were tending to the customers (but we'll discuss them later). The silver-haired teen made his way to the steps that went up to the second and third floor, where he and his family resided. As he approached the stairs, a familiar face was sitting with a smug smirk.

The familiar face was a boy, who looked to be a about 12 or so. He had short, straight blaonde hair and blue eyes. He wore simple clothes: violet t-shirt and black shorts, and sported brown sandals. Not only that, but the boy had a small pair of white, feathery wings sprouting from his backside.

Solaad Liones

Fourth Child, Second Son (Melion's second youngest brother)

"You're in trooooble.~" the boy said in a sing-song voice. Melion rolled his eyes in response.

"I doubt it's that ba-"

"MELION ELRICK LIONES!" An angry woman's voice called from the second floor. Melion's grin changed to a worried smile, and Solaad's smirk became even more smug.

"Was nice knowing you big bro." He stood up and patted his brother's shoulder. "If you die, can I get your PS5?"

Melion quickly gave him a glance that said "shut up". Solaad snickered as he walked away. Melion gulped as he ascended the staircase. His heart beat with every step he took. He reached the top, stepping into the main living space of the Liones residence. It was a bit cozy and cluttered, a symbol of the family who lived in it. You had an open concept living room/kitchen. The living room had worn leather couches, a big TV mounted on the wall, and a massive coffee table stacked with books, game controllers, and mugs. The kitchen area had an industrial-yet-homey vibe to it. It had black countertops and hanging pots. Melion knew this kitchen was well stocked thanks to his mother. There was also a dining area, equipped with a big, creaky wooden table that could seat at least eight. On a nearby wall hung a corkboard covered in post-it notes, school schedules, mission alerts, and doodles. Near a big window is a little indoor garden of succulents, flowers, and one lone bonsai tree. Finally, there were wall-mounted frames capturing snapshots of the kids at various stages — training, birthdays, chaotic vacations.

But what captured Melion's nervous and sweaty gaze was the woman sitting on the couch, arms crossed and staring with a gaze that bordered on disappointed and murderous. She was an older woman, but had the face of a younger woman. She had long silver hair (which Melion inherited) and blue eyes. She wore a white dress with a pink cardigan.

Elizabeth Liones

Mother of the Liones Family

"Heyyyyyy, mom…" Melion greeted with a nervous smile, in a futile attempt to weasel out of the scolding he knew his mother was about to give him. "H-How's work?"

"Fine." she said, her stern gaze unwavering. "And how about you? Did anything…"exciting" happen to you today?"

"Exciting? Psshh, yeah right. Same old boring day! I wish something exciting happened today."

"Oh really?" Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow. "Then that's not you on the news fighting that sludge villain?"

"What are-" Before Melion could deny any further, his mum pointed at the Tv, which was showing the news, and on it, plain to see, was Melion. The news broadcast showed him and Izuku facing down the sludge villain, and then getting reprimanded by the pro-heroes.

"...that's not me."

"Melion."

"I'm serious, that's not me!"

"Stop it."

"It's probably one of those deep-"

"MELION ELRICK LIONES." Elizabeth boomed. Melion knew that meant "shut up". "Do you know how worried I was?" Elizabeth stands up walking towards him, her hands are shaking. Melion feels a pang of guilt. He also feel fear, as he sees a white aura flaring around his mother, and her eyes changing to gold with pupils resembling a triskelion. When Elizabeth's quirk comes on, you know she is pissed.

"First you don't answer your phone. That's fine. You were probably occupied. Then, I watch the news and see you fighting a villain?!"

She closed the distance between them in a blink. Her hand gently cupped his cheek, checking for bruises, worry overtaking the scolding for just a moment.

"You could've been killed, Melion. What were you thinking, jumping into something like that?" Melion felt the guilt increase seeing his mother like this. His smile faltered again.

"...I wasn't. It's just…" he took a deep breath. "Midoriya ran in to save someone, and... I couldn't just stand there and let him—"

"So instead, you stood in the middle of it like a second idiot?!" Her voice cracked slightly at the end. She was angry, yes. But more than anything, she was scared.

He looked away. "...I had to do something. I couldn't let him die. Or anyone."

Elizabeth let out a shaky sigh, pulling him into a hug before he could react. It was tight. Protective. Bone-crushing in that motherly way.

"You're so much like your father sometimes, it terrifies me." she sighed.

Melion blinked. "You mean strong?"

"I mean reckless."

"Fair." Melion chuckled.

She pulled back slightly, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Promise me something. I know you want to be a hero. I know you're brave. But promise me you'll at least try not to die before your first day at U.A."

Melion gave her a tired smile.

"Can't make any promises, but... I'll try."

She narrowed her eyes. "Melion."

He raised his hands defensively. "Okay, okay! I promise. Try not to die. Got it."

Elizabeth let out another breath and finally relaxed. Then immediately smacked him on the head.

"That's for scaring me."

"OW—! I said I'd try not to!"

"Try harder."

Melion rubbed the back of his head as he proceeded up the next set of stairs to the third floor, where the bedrooms were. He barely made it into the hallwaywhen a figure leaned against the wall with crossed arms.

The figure was a teenage girl, the same age as Melion. She was a spitting image of Elizabeth, with long silver hair and blue eyes. She wore a sailor uniform.

Ellatt Liones

Third Child, Second Daughter (Melion's Younger and Twin Sister)

"Hey, Sis." Melion lazily greeted. His sister didn't respond. "What? You wanna hit me, too?"

"No." She said as she stopped leaning on the wall and stood straight. "Mom's slap was for all of us."

"Hmm."

"But seriously, dumbass…what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking Mido was gonna get himself killed, so I made sure he didn't."

"But you're not a pro hero yet. You know vigilante acts, especially ones with your quirk are illegal. You're lucky the heroes didn't press any charges." Ellatt scolded.

"Hey, Mido and I were more heroes than the ones on the scene! At least we did something!"

"You could have died, Melion! That something would have been your last mistake!" Ellatt argued, raising her voice. Before she could continue scolding her brother, she took a deep breath, now speaking more softly.

"Look… I'm not trying to fight you. I get it. You wanted to help. Just… next time, don't act like being reckless makes you better than anyone else." Melion's smile turned into a solemn frown. Since he was home, he frowned more freely.

"Also, be sure to thank Dad. If it wasn't for him, Mom would have been right then and there, and a villain and you would be dead."

"You're welcome." another voice said. Melion and Ellatt turned to the source. At the other end of the hallway was a short man, no taller than five feet. He had short, messy blonde hair and green eyes. He wore a pair of pajama pants and a "#1 Dad" t-shirt, and was currently eating a bag of chips. And like his son, he wore a carefree smile.

Meliodas Liones

Father of the Liones Family

"You really out there already making a name for yourself, huh?" He grinned, not unkindly. "Gotta say, jumping in to fight a sludge villain on day zero? That's very me of you."

Melion shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah, well…"

"Well, proud of you, kiddo. Stupid, but proud. Just remember something…" He tossed a chip into his mouth and spoke around the crunch. "Being a hero isn't about how strong you are—it's about knowing when to use that strength. And when to ask for help."

Then, the carefree smile turned into a stern scowl, the one more befitting of a father. ""And if you ever scare your mother like that again, I'll toss you into a demon realm time-out dimension for a week. Got it?"

"...Is that a real thing?"

"Wanna find out?~" Meliodas said, a smug grin instantly replacing the sternness.

""Nope!"" The Liones twins replied before scuttling off to their respective rooms.

(Dagobah Beach, two days later…)

The sun cast a golden hue over the vast expanse of Dagobah Beach, its once-pristine sands now marred by heaps of discarded appliances, rusted vehicles, and miscellaneous debris. The beach, long neglected, had become a symbol of urban decay. Melion and Izuku stood before the massive trash heap with confusion in their eyes.

"Uh, Mido? You sure this is the right place?" Melion asked.

"Yes!" Izuku said enthusiastically, clutching one of his notebooks to his chest. "All Might said to meet here. He has a plan to help me prepare for U.A."

"I was expecting a gym or training facility, not a... landfill." Melion said, looking around skeptically.

Before Izuku could respond, a gust of wind swept through, and a towering figure appeared before them. "Young Midoriya! And…Melion, was it? Glad you could join us."

"Hello again, Mr…er…Might."

"Alright." All Might walked past them. "Let's get down to business."

"To defeat the Hun?" Melion joked, to which All Might laughed heartily.

"Something in that same spirit!" All Might gestured to the trash-laden beach. "Young Midoriya…you are going to clean this beach!"

"What?!" Izuku shouted. "Why?!"

"Because you're not a vessel yet, my boy!" All Might answered.

"EHHHH?! But you said-!"

"YET. my boy. Yet."

"...oh."

"It's your body. Think of One for All as the sum of the peak strength of countless men! A body that's too weak wouldn't be able to withstand such raw power!" All Might explained.

"You are on the sknnny side, dude." Melion commented, before turning to All Might. "So, what? If you gave Mido One for All and he try to use it, what would happen? Break every bone in his body?"

"Haha, no, of course not!" All Might chuckled. "His limbs would fly off and he'd explode!"

"NOT MY LIMBS!" Izuku shouted in fear at the thought, while Melion winced and his smile quivered, thinking the same thing.

"So…this is the plan to help Mido? Train him by having him haul all this garbage. It's very Karate Kid-like, isn't it?

"Haha, I appreciate your pop culture references!" All Might commented. "But there's more to it! I found this park on the net yesterday. It was left like this for who knows how many years."

"Yeah…" Izuku continued. "Something about the ocean currents bringing in garbage, and then people dumping their own garbage here didn't help."

"Heroes these days only care about fame and glory." All might walked up to a rusty, old fridge and put his hand on it. He started putting force on it, and the old metal box started to creak under it. "But being a hero is all about volunteer work! No matter how unglamorous! Never forget that!"

With that, All Might crushed the fridge, exposing the view of the dirty beach's ocean. "Let's bring back this beautiful ocean view! This will be your first step to becoming a great hero!"

"I…I see."

"Young Midoriya," All Might's gaze shifted back to Izuku. "Do you know how long you have until the Entrance Exam?"

"Ten months…" Izuku answered. "So, I need to be a suitable vessel by then!"

"Oof, looks like you've got your work cut out for you." Melion commented.

"Correct, Young Midoriya! But do not fear, for I have it all planned out!" He hands Izuku some papers. "Behold! My self-designed 'Aim to Pass, American Dream Plan'!"

Izuku went through the papers, amazed and shocked at how much detail All Might had put into it.

"Listen, my boy…this is going to be super tough. You sure you're up for this?!"

"Yes!" Izuku didn't even wait a second to respond. "I won't let you down."

Melion stepped forward, placing a supportive hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Hey man, you won't be alone. Ya got me…for moral support. I mean, I'd help, but this is your training."

"Uh, thanks, Melion."

(Some five months later…)

Izuku's training was going well. Every day before school, he would come to the beach to move the trash, and later, after school, he would move the trash and do exercises with All Might. During this, Melion kept his word and provided moral support. When he wasn't doing that, he was doing his own training.

On one specific day, the sun is setting over Dagobah Beach, casting long shadows over the cleared sections. Midoriya's gone home for the day, and All Might left earlier after reviewing their progress. But Melion stayed behind. The air is quiet except for the crashing waves.

Melion stands shirtless in the center of a cleared area, breathing heavily, sweat glistening on his back. His jacket lies folded neatly nearby, and his usually bright, casual eyes are shadowed. He lifts his hand—black energy flickers to life. His irises darken to pitch black.

With a grunt, he hurls a tendril forward. It pierces a pillar of trash with a crack. Another tendril follows, then another—until he's whipping and striking with a controlled fury.

But the more he pushes, the more his form changes.

First, his hands and forearms turn black and nails sharpen, then black horns begin to grow, curling slightly out from his head. His sclera turns black, irises glowing faintly red. His breath gets heavier. The tendrils writhe without clear command now, lashing around him like hungry serpents. Melion sees his reflection in the rusty metal of a beat-up car. His face falls, his eyes fill with fear.

'No no no..too much. This is too much! Control…control it!" He clenches a fist. The energy snaps inward, the tendrils pulling back—but the demonic features remain. He stares back at his reflection in the rusted piece of metal.

"Look at you…just a monster playing hero." he said softly to himself. He touches his horn with two fingers, almost contemplative. Then he covers it with his hand like it's something shameful. A beat of silence.

Suddenly, the tendrils lash out again, this time without his command, striking the sand with a loud boom. He falls to one knee, gripping his shoulder in pain.

"No…not now. Not here. I'm not losing to you." Melion gritted his teeth. He forces himself to breathe. Slowly. In. Out. The horns retract. His arms return to their normal color and his nails return to normal. The tendrils calm. The glow fades. His face shifts back to something more human. Suddenly, words from the past started echoing.

"Monster!"

The word echoed in his skull. Not just one voice. Dozens. From school. From neighbors.

A boy crying because his tendrils scared him. A girl who called him a villain. That one time

someone said:

"Why can't you be more like your sister?"

'Why does it always have to be like this?' Melion took a seat in the sand, his head bowed as he contemplated his situation. 'Why does it do this to me? Ellatt and Mom's quirks light up like the damn sun. Me? I grow fangs. Claws. HORNS. I want to fight. I want to help. But every time I let this power out, it twists me into something else. Something they all look at sideways. I don't want to scare them. I just want to be strong—without becoming a monster.'

Melion's thoughts shift to his father. He had inherited his father's quirk. "You're his son," they always tell him. But he doesn't grow horns when he fights. He doesn't lose control. He doesn't scare people.

"So why do I?" Melion muttered.

"If I could just say it out loud…"

He pictured Midoriya beside him. The way he listens, the way he'd say something uplifting like, "That doesn't make you a monster. That makes you human."

But the words never come. Because Melion's never been good at saying how he really feels. Smiles are easier.

He stands up, brushing sand off his pants. Wipes the sweat. Grabs his jacket, pulling it back over his body like armor—more emotional than physical. He walks away from the beach, never once looking back at the broken pillar or the place where he almost lost control.

And that does it for Chapter 2. Feels a little shorter than I wanted, but I think got this part of the story across. This chapter hopefully sheds more light on Melion's character, and why he was so hesitant to act in the previous chapter. Also, I wanted to show the events of the canon story were still happening, but also wanted to deviate away a bit and show the story of the OC. As you can see, I have established an inner conflict that I tried to explore with my past iterations of this story. As always, let me know what you think. Leave a review, or facorite/follow the story. Thank you for supporting and I will see you all in Chapter 3.