I am Revan Whitmore.
Class S.
Licensed Hero.
And, as strange as it may seem, I'm still trying to understand what all of this really means.
When I was officially recognized as a hero — even as the youngest in history — I thought things would slow down. That I'd have time to adjust. That the world would give me a chance to breathe.
It didn't.
The first call came less than 48 hours after my license was validated. A collapse in Istanbul. Twenty-three people trapped under concrete, steel, and fire. When I arrived, the sky was still gray with dust. The police looked up in silence as I floated down into the rubble.
"It's him," someone murmured. Not with fear. With relief.
In twelve minutes, all the victims were safe.
Since then… I've never stopped.
Africa, Asia, South America, remote islands in the Pacific — if there is pain, chaos, an emergency beyond human capacity… I'm there.
But what really stays with me isn't the number of lives saved.
It's what comes after.
In Thailand, I saved a group of fishermen in a boat overturned by a storm. One of them grabbed my shoulders, soaked, and cried. He didn't say a word. He just cried. His eyes said everything: fear, gratitude, awe.
In Ukraine, I evacuated civilians from a village under attack before the missiles hit. An elderly woman in a blue scarf looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "You're the first good thing to appear here in months."
In Brazil, a bridge collapsed with dozens of cars on it. I held it — literally — just long enough for everyone to get off. When the last child was safe, I let go and allowed the structure to fall. People applauded. But a little girl approached, handed me a flower made of paper, and whispered, "Thank you, mister."
[Headline – The New York Times]
"Revan Whitmore: The hero the world didn't know it needed"
"At 15, he is the only Apex-Class hero operating globally with an active license. He responds to emergencies like a one-man army."
[Headline – CNN World]
"Revan Phenomenon: Angel or Weapon ?"
"Experts debate whether his unregulated actions might interfere with national sovereignty — while citizens just want him to keep saving lives."
[Headline – Asahi Shimbun (Japan)]
"Revan arrives in Japan and reshapes U.A.'s landscape: Student or International Protector ?"
I no longer appear as a blur.
I don't run from cameras.
I don't hide my name.
I am Superman.
And everyone knows it.
Some fear me. Some try to control me.
But most ?
Most just want me to keep going.
One day, in the middle of Rome's airport, I was surrounded by children. They laughed, asked for autographs, showed me drawings. One boy, with a timid voice, said, "When I grow up, I want to be like you. But… not because you're strong. Because you help."
That hit me harder than any title.
Because strength without purpose is just a threat.
And I chose to be more than that.
I see the change.
Before, governments' eyes were filled with fear. Today, more diplomats seek meetings than veiled threats. There's still resistance. It's natural. No one wants to lose control to something that doesn't bow to old rules.
But the people ?
The people see me coming… and breathe a little easier.
And when someone asks, "What is he?"… no one answers "a weapon" anymore.
They say:
"He's a hero."
And if you ask me… does it weigh on me ? Does saving the world, day after day, chip away at me ?
I'll say yes.
But I'll also say it's worth it.
Because every time I get there in time… every time someone looks at me with hope instead of fear…
I know I'm on the right path.
Not because I want to be a symbol.
But because I chose to be human.
Even with all this power, this speed, this absurd strength…
What makes me a hero isn't what I can do.
It's what I choose to do.
And I choose… to be present.
For every cry.
For every tear.
For every person who silently waits for someone to arrive.
After everything… I needed to breathe.
The world doesn't stop. But sometimes, you have to. Or you break from the inside out, even if your body is made of steel.
Messages with Melissa have always been my anchor. She didn't need superpowers to remind me who I am. And after weeks without pause — an earthquake in Taiwan, wildfires in Colombia, a dam on the verge of bursting in Ethiopia — all I wanted was… silence. And her.
That's why, that afternoon, with the sky painted in shades of orange, I crossed the ocean in minutes and went straight to where I knew she'd be.
I-Island.
My landing was soft, silent. As always. The gravitational field I control lets me stop in the air as if the world is waiting for me.
Her apartment balcony was open, as usual. The glass slid to the side, and the scent of tea floated out.
Melissa already knew.
She always knows.
When I landed barefoot on the white balcony floor, she was already sitting on the ledge, hair in a loose bun, glasses in her lap, holding a steaming cup of tea. She smiled like I'd never been gone.
"You're late," she said, pretending to be serious.
I smiled sideways. "Had a bridge to hold up in Indonesia. Barely made it."
"Sorry, I get it. Had a building about to collapse here too. Made of cardboard. Lab model. Very dangerous." She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, and we laughed together.
I walked over slowly. She reached out her hand, and I took it without thinking.
"Want some tea ?" she asked.
"Only if it's with you."
We sat side by side on the balcony edge, legs dangling off the side, the breeze blowing slowly, smelling of sea salt. The sunset painted the sky with broad strokes of orange, pink, and gold. Below, I-Island glowed like a heart pulsing with technology.
She looked at the horizon for a while, then slowly turned to me.
"Are you okay, Revan ?"
That question always hits me. Especially coming from her.
"Depends on what 'okay' means," I answered with a sigh, staring at the dying sun over the sea. "People are alive. That counts as a win. But…"
Melissa waited. She never interrupts.
"…But sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough."
She frowned, worried. I continued.
"It's like every time I save someone… another part of me stays behind in that place. Every grateful look gives me strength. But it also pulls at me. Like they expect me to be everything. Always. And I… I'm not everything, Mel. I'm just… me."
She didn't say anything. Just took my hand again.
I gave it a light squeeze.
"It's strange, you know ? Being called a hero. I… wanted this, but it's hard. Sometimes I'm just trying not to mess up. Trying to do the right thing before the world falls again."
Melissa took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on mine.
"You don't have to be everything, Revan. And anyone who expects that from you… doesn't understand what it means to be human. Even if your body is made of light and steel, in here," she touched my chest, "you're still just a heart trying to beat in the right rhythm."
I smiled, but my eyes stung.
"Thank you for reminding me of that."
She rested her head on my shoulder.
"You're my best friend. Not because you save the world. But because, when everything goes quiet, you're still you."
We stayed there until the sun disappeared, saying nothing more.