MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat-Chapter 852: Daddy, Take me there

The flight to Singapore went smoothly from the moment they boarded.

The airport staff guided families to their seats, the pilot gave the usual announcements, and the plane lifted without any delay.

Damon was relieved. Traveling with a child was unpredictable enough, and he didn't want extra stress added to the trip.

Ava sat between her parents at first, kicking her legs with restless energy. She looked out the window as the plane climbed higher.

"Daddy, we're in the sky. If I jump, can I touch the clouds?" she asked with complete confidence.

"No," Damon said, buckling her belt properly again. "Sit still."

Ava nodded like she understood, then immediately pointed at a random seat. "Is that man a ninja? He looks like a ninja."

The man was just wearing a black hoodie and headphones.

Svetlana shook her head. "Ava, please. Inside voice."

"I am inside voice," Ava whispered loudly.

The next hour went like that. Questions, comments, and toddler logic. She was excited about everything, the table tray, the seatbelt, the light above her seat. She asked why the plane didn't have a steering wheel she could use. She asked why the pilot didn't greet her personally. She asked why clouds didn't fall.

Eventually, her energy faded. She leaned against Svetlana, holding her toy, and fell asleep halfway through asking if the moon had a bathroom.

Svetlana relaxed once Ava stopped moving. She placed an arm around her daughter and rested her head back. The pregnancy made her tired easily, and the long week of preparing for the trip added to it. Within a few minutes, she was asleep as well.

The cabin felt calm. Passengers were reading, watching movies, or resting. The soft hum of the plane ran under everything.

Damon fastened his seatbelt and closed his eyes. With both of them asleep, he entered his simulation. The system space replaced the airplane instantly. The mat under his feet, the striking pads, the dummies, everything he needed appeared around him.

He worked through takedown defense, guard passes, and counter combinations. He visualized Shenil's entries, the way the man loaded his right hand, and the patterns from his past fights.

When he came out of it, the cabin lights had changed to the brighter setting for landing. Passengers around him were waking up or stretching. The flight attendants were walking through the aisle, checking belts and seats.

Svetlana rubbed her eyes and exhaled quietly. Ava was still half-asleep, holding her toy with one hand and reaching blindly for Damon with the other.

"Daddy… are we in the dragon place?" she mumbled.

The pilot announced the descent. The plane tilted slightly, and Damon looked through the window. The lights of Singapore glowed below, organized streets, clean patterns of buildings, and the coastline reflecting the plane's passing shadow.

The moment they stepped outside the airport, Ava's energy snapped back like someone flipped a switch. She pointed at everything she could see, the tall buildings, the trees, the lights, even the luggage carts moving around.

"Daddy look! That building is shiny! That tree is shiny! That car is shiny!" She pressed her face to the window as they walked. "This place is shiny!" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Damon couldn't blame her. Singapore looked unreal. Clean streets, tall buildings that looked like they belonged in a movie, and a skyline that felt modern in every direction.

He had to admit it himself.

It looked like the version of the future people imagined when they were kids.

They got through customs quickly and picked up their rental car. Damon hired a driver to make things easier, especially with the bags and Svetlana's pregnancy.

Once they sat inside, Ava immediately stuck her face to the car window again, tapping the glass each time she saw something new.

"Daddy, take me there."

"Daddy, what is that?"

"Daddy, that one looks like a spaceship. Can we go inside?"

"Daddy, that man is walking too fast—does he know you are here? Should I tell him?"

Damon laughed under his breath. "We'll go wherever you want. Just breathe."

Ava nodded seriously, then pointed again. "There. And there. And also there."

Svetlana rested her head on the seat, but her eyes were also glued to the view outside. The lights reflected off her eyes and the corners of her mouth lifted as she took everything in.

Damon glanced at her. "How do you feel?"

She let out a small breath. "A bit hungry," she admitted. "And… this place is beautiful. I didn't expect it to look like this."

He nodded. "Yeah. It's something else."

The driver merged onto the main road, giving them a clear view of the city. The tall buildings stacked with lights, the organized roads, the clean structure of everything, it was the kind of place that made first impressions without trying.

Ava kept tapping the window, whispering "wow" every few seconds.

Svetlana placed a hand on her belly and smiled softly, watching their daughter's excitement and the city passing by.

They reached the hotel, and Damon found himself impressed again. He felt like he kept praising everything, but the place deserved it.

The infrastructure, the layout, the organization, everything looked clean and modern. He rarely cared about that kind of thing, yet even he noticed it.

They checked in without any trouble and took the elevator up. When the door opened to their room, Damon paused. Calling it a "room" felt wrong. It was closer to a small apartment. There was a living area, a small kitchen space, a large bedroom, and a second room on the opposite side.

Ava rushed in the moment the door unlocked.

"I pick this room!" she shouted, pointing at the first door she saw.

She then stopped, spun around, and pointed at the other room.

"No—actually I pick that room!"

She ran to the living room and stretched her arms.

"Wait… I LIVE HERE."

Svetlana sat down on the couch, tired but smiling at Ava's enthusiasm. She wanted to tell her to calm down, but... again, she understood her excitement, she was young and it was a new place.

Damon placed the bags near the wall and helped her adjust the pillows behind her back.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked quietly, keeping his voice calm so she could relax.

Svetlana leaned her head back. "Something simple. Maybe rice and chicken… or noodles." She rubbed her stomach lightly. "Something warm."

Ava popped her head out of the bedroom doorway.

"I want ice cream."

Damon looked at her. "We just got here."

Ava nodded seriously. "Exactly. The perfect time."

Svetlana covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Damon shook his head.

"I'll order food first," he said, pulling out his phone. "Then we'll see about the ice cream."

Ava crossed her arms like a tiny adult. "You always say that."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Because you always ask for ice cream."

Ava gasped like she'd been exposed. "Don't expose me, Daddy."

She ran off again, checking every corner of the apartment as if she was inspecting it herself.

Svetlana watched her with a soft smile. "At least she's happy."

Damon nodded. "Yeah. She's having the time of her life."

He moved closer, brushing a hand over her arm. "You okay? Anything else you need?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Just tired. The flight, the walking, everything."

He sat beside her, letting her lean against his shoulder for a bit while Ava continued her "inspection" of the place.