Location: Houston, Texas – Downtown Sector
Time: Afternoon
Kaito walked down the busy street wearing a simple white t-shirt, dark sunglasses, and jeans.
He looked around the city.
People walked past him holding massive paper cups of iced tea. The buildings were tall, and the roads were incredibly wide.
He stopped near a food truck parked on the corner.
The side of the truck read "Big Red's Smoked Meats."
A huge line of locals waited on the sidewalk.
Kaito stood in line and watched the cook inside the truck.
"Order up!" The cook was a massive guy wearing a stained white apron. He also didn't use a standard grill.
FSSSH.
The cook opened his mouth and exhaled a thick, pressurized cloud of hot hickory smoke directly onto a raw slab of beef.
SIZZLE. SIZZLE.
The meat sizzled instantly. He used a smoke-infusion quirk to completely cook and flavor the beef in a matter of seconds.
He sliced the meat with a large knife and tossed it onto a paper plate.
"Next!" the cook yelled loudly.
Kaito stepped up to the window.
"I will take the brisket sandwich," Kaito ordered, pulling a few American bills from his wallet.
The cook handed him a heavy sandwich wrapped in foil.
Kaito found a small metal bench under a tree. He sat down, unwrapped the foil, and took a bite.
Nom. Nom.
The meat was incredibly tender. The sweet and spicy barbecue sauce dripped onto the wrapper.
"It's delicious.."
...
Next day.
This time Kaito sat in the middle row of the wooden bleachers. He held a large bucket of salty popcorn.
He was at a local Texas rodeo.
MOOOO.
Down in the dirt, a massive, angry mutant-bull kicked its back legs into the air.
"Haha.. Giddy up!" A local cowboy rode on the bull's back.
The cowboy pressed his legs tight against the bull's side. His jeans sparked lightly.
He used a magnetism quirk to stick his thighs directly to the animal's hide, absorbing the wild jumps without falling off.
BZZZT.
A loud buzzer went off. The cowboy lasted exactly eight seconds.
"Wow!"
"He lasted eight seconds, what a man."
The crowd cheered loudly.
Kaito clapped his hands, eating a handful of popcorn.
It was highly entertaining to see people use their quirks for local sports.
..
Two days later.
Kaito sat on the outdoor patio of a famous barbecue restaurant.
A large metal tray sat on the wooden table in front of him.
The tray was covered in sliced brisket, smoked ribs, baked beans, and thick slices of white bread.
RING. RING.
His phone vibrated on the table.
"Hmm?" Kaito wiped his hands with a napkin and picked it up.
It was a video call from Koichi.
Kaito tapped the green button and answered.
Koichi's face appeared on the screen.
[Kaito,] Koichi groaned through the phone speaker. [Please tell me your vacation is going terribly.]
Kaito laughed and picked up a smoked rib.
"I am eating the best barbecue of my life right now," Kaito smiled, taking a bite of the meat. "How is the temporary sidekick job going?"
Koichi wiped his sweaty forehead. The camera shook as he walked down a busy concrete hallway.
[I'm so tired,] Koichi complained. [Pam, Mark, and Sarah are running this new agency like a military base. I just spent the last four hours unloading heavy steel ramps from the delivery trucks. My arms are numb.]
"That builds character," Kaito joked.
[I need a nap, not character!] Koichi joked back. [They are converting these massive transport trucks into launch trailers for the new Interstate Fleet. I tried to join Cow Lady in her morning patrol in downtown block, and my boots almost melted to the asphalt. Dave is cutting cooling vents into my soles right now.]
Kaito took a sip of his iced tea.
"Just listen to Pam," Kaito told him. "She knows exactly how to handle the local logistics. You are there to learn their patrol routes and see how a massive highway fleet operates."
[I know, I know,] Koichi sighed heavily, looking at Kaito's screen. [I just wish I was sitting on a patio eating ribs instead of carrying metal plates. I have to go.]
"Good luck," Kaito grinned.
BEEP.
The call disconnected.
Kaito set the phone down and picked up another piece of brisket.
Step. Step.
A man wearing a Houston baseball cap and a grey t-shirt walked over to Kaito's table.
The man looked nervous. He kept looking at Kaito, then looking down at his phone screen.
"Excuse me," the man said politely. "Are you Kaito Arisaka?"
Kaito swallowed his food and wiped his mouth.
"I am," Kaito nodded. "Can I help you?"
The man's eyes went wide. He smiled massively.
"Oh man, I knew it!" the guy laughed. "I saw your picture in the news articles a few years back. The ones talking about Star and Stripe."
Kaito leaned back in his chair. "You follow the hero news?"
"Absolutely," the fan said eagerly. "Star and Stripe is our national treasure. She is the Number One Hero in America. The news said you ran her agency in the past and totally change her quirk tactics. We all noticed the difference after."
"She was already strong." Kaito replied humbly. "What I did was just a few changes."
"Still, it is an honor to meet you," the fan held out his hand.
Kaito shook it firmly.
"Do you mind if I get a quick picture?" the man asked, holding up his phone. "My friends are never going to believe I met the Golden Manager."
"Sure," Kaito agreed.
The man leaned in, held his phone up, and snapped a quick selfie with Kaito in the background.
CLICK.
"Thank you so much, Golden Manager," the fan waved, walking away from the patio. "Enjoy the rest of your meal! Welcome to Texas!"
Kaito smiled and waved back. He picked his fork back up and continued eating his lunch.
...
Location: Houston – High-End Shopping District
Time: 03:00 PM
BZZZZZ.
The air conditioning inside the boutique made some noise.
Meryl Hope stood in front of a tall, full-length mirror. She wore a bright yellow sundress and brown leather sandals.
She held a wide-brimmed white cowboy hat in both hands. She placed it gently on her head and tilted the brim up slightly.
A young female store clerk walked over holding a stack of folded jeans.
"Does this look too ridiculous?" Meryl asked, turning her head to check her profile in the glass.
"It actually looks great," the clerk smiled.
The clerk stopped walking and looked a little closer at Meryl's face.
"Wait," the clerk asked, her eyes going wide. "Are you Meryl Hope? From the BCD morning news?"
Meryl laughed and turned around.
"Yes, that's me," Meryl confirmed casually.
"I watch your broadcast all the time while I get ready for work," the clerk said excitedly. "What are you doing all the way down here in Texas?"
"Escaping the studio," Meryl joked.
"Huh?!" the clerk bewildered with surpise-pikachu face
"I'm kidding. I had to fly in for a regional BCD media convention. I just spent two days sitting in crowded panel rooms listening to executives talk about viewer ratings. The convention finally ended this morning."
"Haha, You got me.. You definitely need a break after that," the clerk agreed.
"I really do," Meryl nodded, taking the hat off. "I have the rest of the week completely to myself. I am taking a short vacation. I will take this hat, please."
Meryl followed the clerk over to the front counter.
"I want to take some good pictures for my social media while I am in the city," Meryl said, pulling her credit card from her purse. "Do you have any local recommendations?"
BEEP.
The clerk scanned the price tag on the hat.
"You should definitely visit the Houston Advanced Science and Space Expo," the clerk suggested. "It is a huge public museum just a few blocks away. They have these massive space shuttle engines on display."
"A science museum?" Meryl asked, handing over her card.
"The architecture is gorgeous," the clerk explained, swiping the card. "The entire main lobby is made of tinted glass. The natural lighting in there is absolutely perfect for photos. A lot of tourists go there just for that."
"That sounds exactly like what I am looking for," Meryl smiled, taking the shopping bag from the counter. "I will definitely check it out in a couple of days before I fly back home."
Meryl waved goodbye and walked out the glass doors, eager to enjoy her free time in the city.
"Nice meeting you Ms. Hope.."
"Likewise."
...
Location: Unknown Underground Warehouse
Wolfram sat at a rusted metal table.
Swordkil, Nobu, Daigo and the rest of the subordinates stood directly across the table from him.
A digital tablet rested on the metal surface.
The screen glowed bright blue, displaying the complete architectural blueprints of the Houston Advanced Science and Space Expo.
Wolfram tapped his metal finger on the screen.
TAP.
"The target is right here," Wolfram stated, pointing at a small square on the map. "The restricted R&D wing. They are holding a high-tech energy condenser inside. I need that specific piece of hardware to finish building my quirk amplification device."
Swordkil leaned over the table. He wore a dark tactical vest, his heavy prosthetic arm-blades resting at his sides.
"We have the Humarise funding now," Swordkil said, his voice rough. "We can afford to deal with the extra heat this job is going to bring down on us."
Wolfram looked over at Nobu.
"Can you get us inside the vault?" Wolfram asked.
Nobu stared at the blue map. He wore a dark grey mask over the lower half of his face.
"The vault door is two feet of solid steel," Nobu pointed out. "The walls are reinforced with a titanium mesh grid."
"That doesn't answer my question," Wolfram said coldly.
"I can bypass it," Nobu confirmed. "My quirk will warp us straight through the solid wall. But we have a major problem."
Nobu reached down and traced a glowing line on the tablet screen.
"The vault has internal motion sensors," Nobu explained. "Those sensors are hardwired directly to the main security desk out in the public lobby. The second I warp us into the room, the system will trip. The front guards will notice it and maybe hit panic button, and the local pro heroes will swarm the building in minutes."
Swordkil crossed his metal arms. He looked at the layout of the front lobby.
"Then we take the lobby first," Swordkil proposed directly.
Wolfram looked at his field commander. "Go on."
"I will take a squad of the Masked Guards through the front doors," Swordkil planned. "We lock the main exits. We draw our weapons and force all the civilians to the floor. We keep the security guards away from the desk so they cannot touch the panic button."
"You want to take a museum full of tourists hostage," Daigo clarified.
"Yes," Swordkil reasoned. "Once the lobby is entirely secured, you warp into the vault and grab the condenser. We walk right out the back loading dock before anyone pros even arrived."
Wolfram stared at the blueprints.
"Good. Keep it contained," Wolfram ordered. "I don't want a massive fight with the local pros. Just lock the doors, grab the hardware, and get out."
Swordkil nodded firmly.
Wolfram leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.
"Everyone... Prep everything and get the gear ready," Wolfram instructed them. "You hit the Expo in two days."
...
Location: Japan – Yaoyorozu Estate
Time: Evening
CLINK.
Mr. Yaoyorozu set his water glass down on the dining table.
He picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth. He looked across the table at his wife and his daughter.
"I had lunch with a few business associates today," Mr. Yaoyorozu said casually. "The rumors going around the top hero families right now are pretty interesting."
Mrs. Yaoyorozu looked up from her plate.
"Oh?" she asked. "Is this about their sons?"
"Yes," Mr. Yaoyorozu nodded. "It seems Enji Todoroki and the Iida family are taking things very seriously for their youngest sons."
Momo stopped cutting her steak. She gave her father her full attention.
"Endeavor and the Iida family?" Momo asked, genuinely curious. "What are they doing?"
"They both just paid millions of yen for private quirk development contracts," her father answered. "They hired Kaito Arisaka."
Momo's eyes widened slightly.
"Arisaka?" Momo repeated. "The Golden Manager?"
Mr. Yaoyorozu confirmed. "They aren't just paying for basic physical training. They bought complete, custom blueprints for Shoto and Tenya. They want their kids to have a solid combat foundation and quirk developments for their future."
Mrs. Yaoyorozu took a sip of her wine.
"That makes sense," she said quietly. "The hero industry is getting a lot more competitive lately. The old training methods aren't enough anymore. With the emergence of the Golden Manager. The standards now are so high."
Mr. Yaoyorozu leaned forward resting his arms on the table. He looked directly at Momo.
"We want the best for you, Momo," her father told her honestly. "We can easily afford his fee. But it is entirely your choice. Do you want me to reach out to his company?"
Momo looked down at her plate.
She thought about her Creation quirk.
"I think I need it," Momo admitted, her voice sounding a little frustrated.
She looked back up at her parents.
"I spend all day reading encyclopedias," Momo explained. "I know the chemical makeup of hundreds of objects. But when I actually try to use my quirk in the training room, it's not enough."
Mrs. Yaoyorozu smiled warmly at her daughter.
"You just need some guidance, sweetie," her mother reassured her. "You have the knowledge. You just need someone to help you apply it."
"Yes," Momo agreed, sitting up a bit straighter. "I need someone to help me organize my quirk development better. I want to try it."
Mr. Yaoyorozu smiled. He looked very proud of his daughter for recognizing her own limits and asking for help.
"Then it is settled," Mr. Yaoyorozu said. "I will have my secretary submit a formal inquiry through the Arisaka Consulting website portal tomorrow morning."
Momo smiled and picked her fork back up. She felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders.
...
Location: Houston Advanced Science and Space Expo – Main Lobby
Time: Two Days after
BZZZT.
"This main engine right here burned a million pounds of solid fuel in exactly two minutes," the tour guide explained through a small portable microphone. "That is the exact thrust you need to leave the atmosphere."
A small boy in the front row raised his hand. "Did it go to the moon?"
The tour guide laughed. "No, kid. This one hauled cargo up to the orbital station."
Kaito stood in the back of the tour group. He looked up at the metal thrusters.
In his past life, he only ever saw things like this on a television screen. He never got the chance to actually walk inside a real space facility.
He really enjoyed looking at normal, human science up close.
A few feet away from the crowd, Meryl Hope stood next to a glass case holding an old astronaut suit.
She wore her white cowboy hat. She held her phone up and smiled at the camera.
FLASH.
She checked the screen and smiled. The lighting inside the glass room was really good.
Four men stood near the back of Kaito's tour group.
They wore thick, long trench coats. They completely ignored the tour guide.
Tap.
One of the men checked his watch. He tapped his earpiece once. He gave a short nod to the other three.
They walked away from the crowd and headed straight for the front glass doors.
CLACK. CLACK.
Heavy metal deadbolts locked the main exits.
The sound echoed across the tile floor. People turned their heads.
The four men dropped their long coats onto the floor.
They wore dark tactical vests and full-face respirator masks.
They raised suppressed military rifles and pointed them directly at the tourists.
"Nobody move!" one of the guards yelled loudly. "Get on the ground right now! Do not make a sound!"
"What's going on?"
"A villain?"
The tourists gasped. A few people screamed and started running toward the side hallways.
BAM. BAM.
A guard fired two quick shots into the ceiling. White drywall chunks fell onto the floor.
"I said get on the ground!" the guard roared.
The crowd immediately dropped. Mothers grabbed their kids and pulled them down.
The two museum security guards raised their hands and dropped to their knees.
CLATTER.
Meryl Hope dropped her phone. She fell to her knees behind the astronaut display. She was shaking.
She covered her mouth with both hands to keep herself from screaming.
Kaito crouched down on the floor. He kept his head low, hiding with the terrified tourists around him.
He looked at the guards.
Their vests and their grips on the rifles. Strict tactical discipline.
SIGH.
Kaito let out a a short sigh.
"I literally coated myself in a passive probability-alteration field just to avoid this exact kind of random villain attack," Kaito murmured to himself, staring at the tile floor. "Unbelievable."
...
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