Location: Okuto Island Agency – Training Docks
Time: Next Day | December 10
VMMMMM.
The freezing winter sea breeze blew hard across the concrete docks.
Gang Orca stood in front of a heavy steel dummy. His massive right fist vibrated wildly, blurring in the cold air.
Swooosh.
He threw a hard, direct punch.
THUD.
The metal barely scratched. Inside the dummy, a few gears cracked loudly. It was far from the total destruction they wanted.
"Ugh."
Gang Orca stumbled backward. He grabbed his own jaw and groaned. He squeezed his eyes shut.
Kaito walked over from the side of the dock. He held a digital tablet in his bare hands.
"You felt the recoil right in your teeth, right?" Kaito asked.
"My whole skull is ringing," Gang Orca grumbled. He rubbed his thick temples. "The shockwave went straight up my arm and into my neck."
"You locked your elbow on the impact," Kaito told him. He pointed at Orca's right arm. "You stood completely straight. You gave the vibration nowhere to go except up your spine."
Gang Orca dropped his hand. He looked down at his heavy boots.
Sigh.
"I have thrown a standard punch the exact same way for twenty years, Kaito," Gang Orca sighed. "Trying to change my basic stance right now feels completely wrong. My body naturally wants to lock the joint."
"I know," Kaito said calmly. "Breaking a twenty-year habit takes time. Drop your center of gravity. Bend your knees. When the recoil hits your blubber, push your weight down. Send the shockwave into the concrete."
Gang Orca widened his legs. He bent his knees and lowered his heavy body.
"Like this?" Orca asked.
"Yes," Kaito nodded. "Try it again. Slower this time. Internal Echo takes muscle memory. You can't rush it."
HUUF.
Gang Orca took a deep breath. His fist started vibrating again.
*-*-*
Location: Mainland Coastal Port
Time: Next Five Days| Midnight
SPLASH.
The black water of the harbor broke apart. The brand new Detnerat-Shield semi-submersible ship glided silently to the surface.
It didn't make a single sound.
On the docks, a black-market smuggling ring was loading wooden crates into a van.
"Heroes!" a smuggler yelled, pointing at the water.
"Damn! It's Gang Orca!" The gang leader panicked.
He grabbed a round metal canister from his belt and slammed it onto the concrete.
PSHHHH.
Thick, dark smoke exploded across the docks. It covered the entire area.
Usually, the maritime heroes would struggle to see anything in the smoke.
Gang Orca stepped off the submersible and onto the concrete.
Thud.
He planted his heavy boots on the ground and used his Seismic Sight.
He felt the fast, panicked micro-vibrations of the smugglers running away.
Gang Orca walked straight through the thick smoke. He reached out his massive hand and grabbed the gang leader by the back of his collar.
"Got you," Gang Orca rumbled.
The smuggling leader dropped his weapon, totally terrified.
Around them, Barnacle and Shira moved perfectly.
They executed their Pod Tactics through the smoke, using the terrain to corner the rest of the smugglers.
Nobody escaped.
*-*-*
Location: Okuto Island Agency – Breakroom
Time: December 18
CHATTER.
The agency breakroom was loud and warm. Coral had put up a cheap plastic Christmas tree in the corner.
Someone wrapped shiny red tinsel around the massive flat-screen TV.
The sidekicks sat around the tables, eating dinner and watching TV.
[And for my next song...]
The TV showed Episode 3 of the Japan's Got Quirk auditions.
A man stood on the stage. He made his ears twitch rapidly to play a classical music tune.
"Hahaha." Barnacle laughed out loud. "No way he makes it to the live shows with that."
"I don't know, Uwabami actually looks impressed," Iruka argued, pointing his chopsticks at the screen. "I am still rooting for the one-man band guy from the first episode."
Creak.
The breakroom door opened.
Gang Orca walked in. He looked completely exhausted. He grabbed a cold water bottle from the fridge and sat heavily on the couch next to Kaito.
"I just finished the Chibi-Orca stream," Gang Orca groaned. "They put a digital Santa hat on the avatar. The kids made me sing a holiday song in a high-pitched dolphin voice. I feel ridiculous."
Kaito smiled and took a sip of his coffee.
"The results speak for themselves, Kugo-san," Kaito said. "The aquarium is packed with tourists on winter break. The live rescue shows are bringing in massive funding. The parents love you."
Gang Orca drank half his water in one gulp.
Sigh.
"I know," Gang Orca sighed, watching the TV. "The agency has never been this secure. I just hate the hat."
*-*-*
Location: Okuto Island Ferry Terminal
Time: December 24
ZIP.
Kaito closed his black travel bag. He stood inside the command center.
"I am heading back to Naruhata," Kaito told Gang Orca. "My family is doing a Christmas Eve dinner tonight."
"Have a good trip," Gang Orca smiled warmly. "The sidekicks have the local patrols totally under control. Enjoy the holiday."
"I will," Kaito said, picking up his bag. "Also, I am adding two extra days to our contract end-date. It compensates for my absence right now. You paid for a full three months, and you will get exactly that."
Gang Orca looked at him. He respected Kaito's strict professionalism.
"I appreciate it, Kaito. Safe travels."
Kaito walked out of the building and went straight down the wooden boardwalk.
HONK.
The massive ferry blew its horn. Kaito walked up the metal ramp and stood on the deck.
The boat slowly pulled away from the island, heading toward the mainland.
Kaito pulled his phone out of his pocket. He scrolled down and tapped a name.
RING. RING.
KACHA.
"Hello?" Koichi answered loudly. There was a lot of background noise on his end.
"Hey," Kaito said, leaning against the metal railing. "I am on the ferry right now. Let Grandma Saki know I am on my way."
"Awesome!" Koichi cheered. "The apartment is completely decorated. We already bought all the groceries. See you tonight!"
CLICK.
Kaito hung up the phone and put it in his coat pocket. The winter air was freezing, but he felt relaxed.
"Hmm... I'm turning 25 years old tomorrow."
*-*-*
Location: Naruhata Ward – Kaito's Penthouse Apartment
Time: December 24 | 07:00 PM
DING.
The elevator doors opened on the top floor. Kaito stepped out into the hallway carrying his black travel bag.
He walked up to his front door. He could already hear faint whispers and shuffling footsteps inside.
He knew exactly what was happening. He smiled slightly, turned the handle, and pushed the door open.
Kaito immediately widened his eyes and dropped his jaw, faking a perfect look of total shock.
POP. POP.
Confetti blasted through the air.
"SURPRISE!"
The massive living room was completely packed. Streamers hung from the ceiling.
A huge banner across the back wall read: "Merry Christmas & Happy Birthday Kaito!"
"My birthday is tomorrow."
Kaito laughed and stepped inside. He was genuinely touched. He had never celebrated anything with a crowd this huge.
"Doesn't matter kid, we can just celebrate it together with Christmas eve." Iwao talked near the window.
"Still I can't believe your birthday was Christmas day Kaito. What are the odds." Koichi quipped next.
Grandma Saki, Kimiko, Kenji, and their two-year-old daughter Emi stood near the kitchen.
Iwao stood quietly near the window with his wife and Tamao.
Makoto was talking with her older brother, Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi.
Koichi and his mother Shoko were setting down plates of food.
Kazuho and her mother were holding the empty confetti poppers. Soga, Rapt, and Moyuru were already eating snacks from the table.
"You guys," Kaito said, dropping his bag. "I thought this was just a quiet family dinner."
"Too bad," Soga laughed loudly. He walked over and slapped Kaito hard on the back. "You own the building now. We have to throw you a party so you don't raise our rent next year."
"I might raise yours anyway," Kaito joked back.
"Come eat!" Grandma Saki waved from the kitchen. "The food is getting cold!"
The apartment was incredibly loud and warm.
They all gathered around the massive dining table and the living room couches, passing around huge plates of roasted chicken, sushi, and holiday cakes.
After dinner, Kazuho and Makoto forced everyone to play party games.
FWEEEET.
Kazuho blew a small plastic whistle. "Okay, next round of charades! Grandma Saki, you're up!"
Grandma Saki jumped off the couch. She started acting out a movie, waving her arms and jogging in place with endless energy.
Koichi's mother, Shoko, sat on the couch next to Kaito. Kazuho's mother sat on the other side.
"I really don't understand it," Shoko said, watching Saki jump around the room. "Saki is older than all of us, but she moves like a thirty-year-old. She hasn't even broken a sweat tonight."
"She has better joints than I do," Kazuho's mother agreed, rubbing her own knee.
Kaito just smiled warmly and took a sip of his water. He didn't say a word about the cellular telomere treatments he provided her. He just liked seeing her healthy.
BONG. BONG.
The large grandfather clock in the corner struck midnight. It was officially December 25.
"Merry Christmas!" Koichi yelled.
"And happy birthday!" Makoto cheered, clapping her hands.
They moved to the center of the room for the gift exchange.
Soga handed Kaito a small box wrapped in terrible, crumpled newspaper.
"Open it," Soga grinned.
Kaito tore the paper off. He pulled out an incredibly ugly, neon green tie covered in cartoon fish.
"I saw you wearing those expensive suits to your corporate meetings," Soga said proudly. "I figured you needed an upgrade."
"I am never wearing this," Kaito laughed.
Naomasa walked over and handed Kaito a heavy paper bag. Inside was an expensive bottle of red wine.
"Makoto told me how much you work," Naomasa said, adjusting his tan trench coat. "You need to take a break once in a while. Drink it on your day off."
"Thanks, Detective," Kaito smiled.
Iwao walked past. He didn't bring a wrapped box. He just reached out and gave Kaito a firm, heavy handshake.
"Good work this year, kid," Iwao grunted.
Coming from the former vigilante now a rank four pro hero, it was a massive compliment.
Kimiko and Kenji walked over. Kimiko held a thick manila folder.
"I know it's a party," Kimiko smiled, sitting down next to him on the couch. "But I couldn't wait to show you."
She opened the folder and slid a few glossy photos across the coffee table.
Makoto, Naomasa, and Koichi leaned over to look.
The photos showed a brand new, fully constructed restaurant front in Tokyo.
The massive sign above the glass doors read "Golden Bites" in bright, clean letters.
"Wait," Koichi blinked, looking from the photos to Kaito. "Fast food? I thought you only did real estate and hero management."
"I like to branch out," Kaito said casually.
"The construction is completely finished," Kenji reported happily to the group. "The Detnerat-Shield automated grills are installed."
"We hired thirty civilians with minor object-manipulation Quirks," Kimiko added. "They can assemble the burgers, fold the boxes, and bag the fries without even touching the food. The health inspectors absolutely loved it. We open the first week of January."
Naomasa stared at Kaito. The detective was completely stunned by how fast Kaito was quietly building an empire.
"To the Golden Manager," Koichi smiled, raising his glass of soda.
"Cheers!" the family yelled together.
*-*-*
Location: Naruhata Ward – Kaito's Room
Time: December 25 | 02:00 PM
The apartment was finally clean and quiet. Kaito lay on the living room couch, staring at the ceiling.
[Sir,] Eve's voice spoke clearly through the apartment's ceiling speakers. [I am detecting a massive spike in incoming cellular traffic directed to your personal line.]
"Spike?" Kaito asked, sitting up. "From who?"
[Nighteye Agency,] Eve replied. [Mirai Sasaki ran a routine background cross-check in the hero network today. He accidentally located your actual birth records. He immediately disseminated a 'Happy Birthday' memo regarding the Golden Manager to all top-ranking hero agencies.]
Kaito rubbed his face. "Of course he did."
RING. RING.
Kaito's phone vibrated on the coffee table. He picked it up and answered.
"Hello?"
"HAHAHA! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAITO-SHONEN!"
All Might's booming voice completely shattered Kaito's eardrum.
Kaito pulled the phone away from his head, wincing.
"Thank you, Toshinori-san," Kaito said, rubbing his ringing ear.
"You should have told us!" All Might laughed loudly. "We would have sent a cake to the apartment!"
"I like keeping it quiet," Kaito smiled.
[Incoming Call: Pro Hero Endeavor,] Eve announced through the speakers. [Priority: High. Call waiting: 56+ active lines.]
"I have to go, Toshinori-san. Talk to you later," Kaito said, tapping the screen to switch lines.
"Hello?"
"Nighteye sent a memo," Endeavor's deep, voice came through the speaker. "Happy birthday. Stop keeping secrets, Kaito."
CLICK.
Endeavor hung up immediately. Kaito actually laughed out loud.
For the next two hours, the phone did not stop ringing.
Kaito sat on the couch, fielding calls from the biggest names in the country.
Best Jeanist called to wish him a highly fashionable year. Edgeshot and Ryukyu called to give polite, respectful greetings. Fat Gum and Ms. Joke yelled loudly over the phone, demanding Kaito come to Osaka so they could buy him a massive dinner.
Then the international and corporate calls hit.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAITO!" Star and Stripe screamed. The roaring sound of a military jet engine blasted through the background of the call.
Rikiya Yotsubashi, Chitose Kizuki, Skeptic, and Trumpet all called from the Detnerat headquarters.
They were genuinely disappointed Kaito didn't let them throw him a massive corporate gala in Tokyo.
Kaito used his high social intelligence to navigate every single call perfectly.
He joked with the heroes, promised the CEOs a drink next year, and thanked everyone for reaching out. He made every single person feel valued.
[Call queue is finally empty, sir,] Eve announced quietly.
Kaito tossed his phone onto the couch cushion and leaned back.
Huff-puff.
He looked around his quiet living room, completely overwhelmed and incredibly amused by how massive his network had actually become.
*-*-*
Location: Tokyo – Underground Hub
Time: Four Days Later | 11:00 PM
CHATTER.
CLINK.
The underground hub was loud and chaotic.
The server fans hummed loudly in the corner.
Hackers typed fast, tracking safehouse coordinates on the main digital map.
BANG.
The heavy steel doors flew open.
A person covered in cuts and grey ash stumbled inside. He collapsed onto his knees, breathing hard.
Spinner ran over and grabbed the guy's shoulder.
"What happened?" Spinner asked loudly.
"The Dust Guy," the thug gasped, his hands shaking. "We were just sitting in the East safehouse. He didn't even fight us. He touched the concrete wall and the whole thing just crumbled into grey powder. Then that freaks managed to recruit the others by offering them the serum. I barely got out the back window."
"...."
The entire bar went dead silent.
Compress stopped shuffling his cards.
Giran looked at his monitor. Another green dot vanished from the screen.
"We are out of time," Giran said quietly. He put out his cigarette in an ashtray. "I need the the strongest here."
FWOOSH.
A small blue flame danced on Dabi's thumb.
Dabi sat on a metal crate near the back wall. He looked completely bored.
He touched the fire to the edge of a wooden table, watching the wood turn black and blister.
Giran walked over carrying a heavy metal lockbox.
"I need your firepower, Dabi," Giran said.
Dabi rolled his eyes. He didn't even look up from the burning wood.
"Why?" Dabi asked lazily. "Because you guys are terrified of a skinny kid with a skin condition? Handle your own mess. I'm busy."
CLUNK.
Giran dropped the lockbox on the crate. He popped the metal latches open.
Thick stacks of yen sat inside, right next to a single black USB drive.
"I know you don't care about the network," Giran replied calmly. "And I know you don't care about the money. But you care about this."
Giran picked up the USB drive.
"This has Endeavor's private, updated patrol routes for the entire month," Giran told him. "Every single street he takes. Every blind spot on his route."
Dabi stopped burning the table. The blue flame vanished from his thumb.
He looked at the black drive. A slow, cruel smirk spread across his scarred face.
"I'll help," Dabi said, snatching the USB out of Giran's hand. "But I don't take orders from anyone here. I just want to test my flames on those mutated freaks he brings around."
"Fair enough," Giran nodded. He turned and walked across the room.
SCRAPE. SCRAPE.
Stendhal sat alone in a dark booth. He slowly ran a whetstone down the edge of his long katana.
Spinner walked up to the table. He gripped his massive knife-sword tight.
"Hey, Stendhal," Spinner said, trying to sound tough. "We are going after the Dust Guy tonight. Let's team up."
Stendhal ignored him completely. He kept sharpening the blade.
"Go away," Stendhal rasps coldly. "I don't care about your turf wars. I only care about cleansing the streets."
"Listen to me, man, we need—"
"Walk away, Spinner," Giran interrupted, stepping up to the booth.
Spinner grumbled under his breath and walked back to the bar.
Giran sat down across from Stendhal. He pulled a fresh cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
"You should care about this guy, Stendhal," Giran said quietly.
"I don't," Stendhal replied, checking the sharp edge of his sword.
"He talked about Hero X on his live feed," Giran said, watching Stendhal's hands. "He called your savior a hacker. He called this entire network a stupid fan club. He is actively hunting down the safehouses that fly Hero X's flag."
The scraping stopped.
"...."
Stendhal froze completely. He slowly raised his head. His eyes burned with intense, violent anger behind his cracked mask.
"A hacker," Stendhal whispered. The fanaticism dripped from his raspy voice. "He insults the savior who saved and cleansed the world."
Stendhal stood up from the booth.
"Very well then. He is a heretic," Stendhal declared, his voice shaking with absolute conviction. "I will purge him."
Giran hid a smile behind his cigarette smoke.
He had his best weapon locked in.
Giran walked to the main metal table in the center of the Hub.
Dabi, Compress, Stendhal, and Spinner gathered around him.
Giran pulled up a digital blueprint on his laptop. It showed an abandoned industrial warehouse near the shipping docks.
"This guy acts like he is playing a video game," Giran explained, pointing at the screen. "He grinds for levels. He constantly looks for high-tier loot to recruit better members. So, we give him a massive loot drop."
Compress leaned over the table. "You want to bait him."
"Exactly," Giran nodded. "My hackers will leak a heavily encrypted message onto the dark web right now. We will make it look like we just secured a massive shipment of experimental Detnerat weapons. We put the location right here at this warehouse."
"He has a warp gate guy," Spinner pointed out, tracing a line on the map. "They will just pop in, grab the crates, and leave."
"Let them pop in," Compress chuckled.
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a handful of small, smooth marbles. He rolled them across his knuckles.
"I can compress massive, high-yield explosives into these," Compress smiled. "We hide the marbles inside the fake weapon crates. Once they open the boxes, I release my quirk."
Dabi smirked. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets.
"I'll take the upper catwalks," Dabi said lazily. "When the bombs go off, I'll drop a firestorm on whatever is left moving."
Stendhal looked at the map. He memorized the front and back exits.
"No one escapes," Stendhal said coldly.
CLICK.
Stendhal slid his katana into its metal sheath.
He turned around and walked straight toward the heavy steel doors.
Dabi pushed off the table and followed him. Spinner gripped his sword tight and ran to catch up.
Compress tipped his top hat to Giran and joined the group.
They're ready to hunt a man-child down.
*-*-*
Location: Shizuoka – Grandma Saki's House
Time: January 1 | 08:00 PM
SLURP.
Kaito sat on the floor, holding a steaming bowl of buckwheat noodles.
Crackle.
The house was dead quiet, save for the crackling of the small heater in the corner.
Grandma Saki sat across from him, carefully eating her own bowl.
"You look tired, Kaito," Saki said, looking at him over the rim of her bowl. "You've been running back and forth to that island for weeks. You need to sleep more."
"I'm fine, Grandma," Kaito laughed, finishing the last of his noodles. "I have a lot of stuff moving right now. Burgers, real estate, hero stuff. It's a lot to keep track of."
"Just take care of yourself," she said, reaching over to pat his hand. "You're twenty-five now. You can't just run on coffee and adrenaline forever."
Kaito smiled. He liked the quiet. No phone calls, no heroes, just a warm house and a full stomach.
*-*-*-*
Location: Naruhata Ward
Time: January 5 | 11:00 AM
The line stretched so far down the block that it wrapped around the corner.
Kaito stood on the sidewalk in a clean black suit, adjusting his tie.
Kimiko and Kenji stood next to him. Above them, the neon sign for "Golden Bites" buzzed with a bright, clean light.
"You nervous?" Kenji asked, grinning.
"I've handled hero agencies and real estate empires," Kaito said, looking at the massive crowd. "I think I can handle a fast food restaurant."
"Ready?" Kimiko asked, holding out the golden scissors.
"Yeah. Let's do it."
SNIP.
The red ribbon fell to the ground.
"Open it up!" Kenji yelled to the staff inside.
The doors swung open, and the crowd surged in.
It was absolute chaos, but a controlled one.
Kaito stepped behind the counter to watch his system in action.
A young kid, no older than eighteen stood at the grill.
He just stared at the patties, and his minor telekinesis quirk floated them from the raw tray to the grill, then flipped them at the exact perfect second.
A girl at the fry station barely moved her hand, and the fries just jumped from the basket into the paper bags like they were dancing.
"Order forty-five!" the cashier shouted, throwing a tray down.
"Got it!"
It was fast. No burnt meat, no wasted time, and the customers looked shocked at how quickly they were getting their food.
"What's going?"
"So fast."
Kimiko looked at the cash register, watching the numbers tick up.
She looked at Kaito, her eyes wide. "It actually works. It's really fast."
Kaito leaned back against the wall, watching the line move. "It's the future, Kimiko-san. This is just the beginning."
*-*-*
Location: Okuto Island – Training Docks
Time: January 15 | 09:00 AM
VMMMMM.
The air on the dock was freezing.
Huff-puff.
Barnacle was panting, his rocky skin dusted with frost from the morning air.
Kaito blew a sharp whistle.
"Again!" Kaito yelled. "Barnacle, you're bracing for the impact! Don't! If you brace, the force just stays inside your armor. Angle your shoulder!"
Barnacle wiped his face with a sleeve, frustrated. "I'm trying, Manager! But that drone is fast!"
Kaito walked over and tapping Barnacle's shoulder. "Your body is a wall. If the wall is rigid, it cracks. If the wall is angled, the force slides off. Try it. Let the drone hit your shoulder, not your chest."
Barnacle grunted and got back into his stance.
Another drone buzzed in from the sky, locked onto him. It dove at full speed.
Barnacle turned his body, dropping his shoulder just as the metal machine slammed into him.
CLANG.
The drone didn't shatter his armor. It bounced off him, spinning wildly through the air.
Shira was already moving. She launched a blade of water, slicing the drone's rotor clean off before it could recover. It hit the concrete, dead.
"YES!" Barnacle yelled, punching the air. "Did you see that, Manager?"
Kaito checked his stopwatch and smiled. "That's it. Keep that angle. Shira, stop aiming for the middle of the drone, aim for the rotor. That's the weak point."
"Got it!" Shira chirped, already prepping another water blade.
Gang Orca stood on the edge of the dock, watching. He looked at Kaito, then back at his team. "They're actually starting to look like soldiers."
"They're starting to look like professionals," Kaito corrected.
*-*-*
Location: Okuto Island – Agency Breakroom
Time: January 24 | 07:00 PM
The room was packed.
Someone had hooked the main agency TV up to a massive sound system.
The sidekicks were hunched over their noodles, eyes glued to the screen.
[Japan's Got Quirk!]
It was the final episode of the auditions. A guy on stage was doing a stand-up routine, mimicking every single hero in the Top Ten.
He did a perfect impression of Endeavor yelling at a store clerk, then flipped into a perfect impression of Best Jeanist talking about denim trends.
"No way," Iruka laughed, spitting out a bit of his soda. "That's exactly how Endeavor sounds when he's mad!"
"Look at Tiger!" Coral pointed at the screen.
Tiger, the sternest judge on the panel, was sitting in his chair, trying his best not to laugh.
He finally gave up, covered his face, and slammed the Golden Buzzer.
The breakroom went wild.
Gang Orca walked in from the command center, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked like he hadn't slept, but there was a genuine smile on his face.
"I finished the stream," Orca announced, tossing his digital headset onto the couch.
"How'd it go, Boss?" Barnacle asked, not looking away from the TV.
"The kids asked me to sing the Chibi-Orca theme song again," Orca grumbled, sinking into his recliner. "But... we raised enough funding today to replace the entire water filtration system in the aquarium."
Kaito handed him a cold soda. "Sounds like a win."
Orca popped the tab. "It is. I never thought I'd say this, but I don't mind the kids anymore."
*-*-*
Location: Coastal Highway
Time: February 2 | 02:00 PM
SCREECH.
A stolen truck swerved around a sharp turn on the highway. Gang Orca was already there.
He just stood in the middle of the road.
He swung his arms.
CLAAAP.
The shockwave blasted the truck's tires. It skidded to a stop, smoking.
Orca tried to follow up by chaining a slide into a strike, but he tripped on a loose rock. He wobbled, his heavy body tipping over.
He caught himself, but it wasn't graceful.
"Time!" Kaito called from his patrol car.
Orca stood up, looking at his boots. "I tried to slipstream into the strike. My head couldn't keep up with the feet."
Kaito walked over, not looking disappointed.
"Kugo-san, look at me," Kaito said, standing right in front of him. "Three months ago, you couldn't touch a target from fifty yards away. Today, you stopped a truck with your hands and walked through a smoke bomb. You're trying to perfect moves that usually take years. You're doing fine."
Orca let out a long breath. "I just wanted it to be perfect."
"It'll get there," Kaito said. "Your body knows the techniques now. Your brain just needs to remember it. We keep going."
*-*-*
Location: The Rusty Anchor Seafood Restaurant
Time: February 20 | 08:00 PM | 3 Month Contract Ends
The restaurant was loud.
It was the last night. The entire staff had rented the place out. It smelled like garlic, roasted fish, and cheap beer.
Barnacle and Iruka were in the middle of a shrimp-eating contest. Coral and Kelp were laughing so hard they were falling off their chairs.
All the rest of the sidekicks are there and other personnels on both the aquarium and the agency are present.
Kaito sat at the head table. Gang Orca wasn't wearing his hero gear. He just looked like a big guy in a plain shirt.
Clank. Clank.
Orca tapped his glass. The room went silent.
"Three months ago, I was worried this agency was going to go under," Orca started, his voice deep and steady. "I was stuck in my own head. I thought I knew how to run things."
He looked at Kaito.
"You came in here and turned everything upside down. You gave us new gear, new tactics, and a reason to actually believe we could compete on the mainland. You proved to me that even a veteran can get better if he's willing to listen."
The sidekicks stood up, glasses raised.
"To Kaito!" Shira shouted.
"To the Manager!" Barnacle added, his mouth full of shrimp.
"To Kaito!" the whole room cheered.
Kaito smiled, clinking his glass against Orca's.
*-*-*
Location: The Wooden Docks
Time: 10:00 PM
The ocean air was cold and biting.
Kaito stood on the edge of the dock, listening to the waves.
Gang Orca walked out and stood next to him. They didn't say anything for a long time.
"You're heading back to Tokyo tomorrow?" Orca asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah," Kaito nodded, looking at the dark water. "I have a lot of work to do. The burgers, the real estate... it never really stops."
Orca held out his massive hand.
Dap.
Kaito took it. It was a firm, solid grip. No fake stuff.
Just two professionals who had gotten the job done.
"If you ever need backup on the mainland," Orca said. "You call me. My team is ready for whatever."
"I will, Kugo-san" Kaito promised.
...
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(9 Advanced Chapters)