Location: Tokyo – Shishido Agency
Time: 09:00 AM
Lion Shishido paced aggressively across the carpet of his main office. He crossed his massive, furry arms.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
His heavy boots hit the floor repeatedly.
His lead sidekick, stood near the door holding a digital tablet.
"The three-month contract is officially over, Boss," the sidekick reported. "Mt. Lady is completely independent as of this morning. Her agency is fully staffed and running on its own."
Shishido stopped pacing. He slammed his fist into his open palm.
BAM.
"Finally!" Shishido yelled loudly, his lion mane bristling. "Hahaha... Call the Arisaka Consulting right now! I wanted to ask if he can choose me this time! I want the Golden Manager to contract me next!"
His sidekick sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Boss don't forget that Arisaka takes a vacation between major clients. His schedule is completely blocked out for the next few weeks or as long as he wanted. He is not taking any new contracts right now."
"A vacation?! I forgot about that" Shishido groaned, throwing his head back. "Gang Orca is pulling further ahead in the billboard charts every single week! The guy has an aquarium resort and a television show! I can't sit around waiting for a vacation to end! And mostly importantly other rising pros already caught up with me. I'm already way behind. Aside from me, those old guys Crust and Musha were the only ones who wasn't be able to contract with Kaito Arisaka."
Shishido pointed a massive finger at Ken.
"Gather the B-Team," Shishido ordered loudly. "Still the same as last time. Go set up a stakeout near the Arisaka Consulting building in Kiyashi Ward. The second you see him walk into his office, you call me. I am going to be the first person he sees again.
Sigh.
It would be good If I'm a lady don't you think? I'm pretty sure beautiful ladies will be priorities."
"....."
The lead sidekick just stared at his boss.
"Haha! I'm just joking!" Shishido laughed. "Just do it!"
"Yes, Boss. Proactive networking. Got it."
*-*-*
Location: Los Angeles, California
Richard Vance tossed a thick stack of viewership reports onto his sleek glass desk.
He wore a highly expensive tailored suit. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at the massive flat-screen television on the boardroom wall.
The screen was playing a replay of the *Japan's Got Quirk* series.
It showed a group of civilians casting giant shadows against a white screen, winning a hundred million yen.
Chloe, his executive assistant, stood near the desk holding her own tablet.
"Look at these numbers, Chloe," Richard said, tapping the paper on his desk. "A talent show in Tokyo just pulled in Super Bowl-level viewership. They absolutely crushed every single sitcom and drama on the market. The social media engagement is insane."
"The concept is highly viral, sir," Chloe agreed. "People like seeing normal civilians use their Quirks on television instead of just watching Pro Heroes fight."
Richard stood up from his leather chair.
"I want it," Richard stated bluntly. "I want the American franchise rights. We can call it *America's Got Quirk*. We will rent out a massive studio in Hollywood, get three pro hero judges, and open the auditions nationwide."
"I can start drafting a proposal for our legal team," Chloe suggested.
"No time for a draft," Richard ordered, waving his hand. "Find out who owns the production company in Japan. Call them right now. Offer them a massive royalty cut and full creative consultation."
Chloe typed rapidly on her screen.
"The show is produced by Shoowaysha Publishing," Chloe read from the file. "The lead director is Chitose Kizuki."
"Get her on a video call," Richard said. "Before a rival network in New York writes her a check, we are buying this show."
*-*-*
Location: Osaka – Commercial Street
Time: Few Days Later | 01:00 PM
The air smells with drywall dust and fresh paint.
Kaito stood inside a gutted, two-story building in the middle of a busy Osaka street.
He wore a yellow hard hat and a casual button-down shirt.
He was looking at a large blueprint spread across a makeshift wooden table.
The lead construction foreman stood right next to him, pointing a thick finger at the paper.
It was the exact same foreman who built the the branches of Golden Bites locations.
"We are running the grease traps straight down the back wall," the foreman explained. "The kitchen layout is exactly the same as the Naruhata branch. The fryers will sit on the left, the grills on the right. We can seat eighty people on the ground floor and another fifty upstairs."
"Make sure the ventilation hoods are completely soundproofed," Kaito told him. "We have residential apartments on the third floor above us. I don't want noise complaints from the neighbors."
"You got it, Boss," the foreman nodded, making a note on the blueprint.
"Kaito!"
A loud, booming voice echoed from the sidewalk outside.
Taishiro Toyomitsu squeezed his massive round body through the heavy plastic tarps covering the front doors.
He was off-duty, wearing a massive yellow hoodie and sweatpants.
Fat Gum walked right up to Kaito and slapped him hard on the back.
SMACK.
"Hahaha... You really did it!" Fat Gum laughed loudly, looking around the dusty construction site. "You are actually building Golden Bites down here in Osaka!"
"Yes, Taishiro," Kaito smiled, brushing some dust off his shoulder. "We open in three weeks."
Fat Gum cheered, throwing his massive hands in the air.
"Finally!" Fat Gum yelled happily. "Do you have any idea how much money I spend taking the bullet train to Shibuya on my days off just to get a double cheeseburger? It was killing my wallet!"
"You requested it after all. I figured you needed a local spot," Kaito joked.
"It's not enough. You need to open one in every single prefecture," Fat Gum encouraged him completely seriously. "If I have to chase a villain across the country, I want a guaranteed food stop waiting for me when I catch him."
"If I let you eat at every branch, the company is going to go bankrupt," Kaito laughed.
"Hey, I pay full price!" Fat Gum argued playfully.
"I will get you a VIP discount card," Kaito promised. "Twenty percent off."
"Make it thirty and I will do free security for the grand opening. It's free advertisement." Fat Gum bargained with a huge grin.
"Deal," Kaito agreed, shaking the massive hero's hand.
They stood around for another ten minutes, just chatting casually about the city and the hero industry.
Fat Gum was genuinely excited to have his friend expanding into his territory.
*-*-*
Location: Tokyo – Naruhata Apartments
Time: 07:00 PM
The three-story apartment building was bright and lively.
Kaito walked through the front glass doors.
Several civilians were checking their mailboxes in the lobby.
A young couple carrying groceries waved at him.
"Good evening, Landlord," the young man smiled.
"Good evening," Kaito replied smoothly.
He walked over to the front reception desk.
Aoi, the building receptionist, was typing on her computer. She looked up and smiled.
"Welcome back, Kaito," Aoi greeted him. "The plumber fixed the sink in room 204. And we had two new rental applications come in today for the empty room on the second floor."
"Leave the files on my desk upstairs," Kaito told her. "I will look at them tomorrow."
"Will do. Have a good night," Aoi said.
Kaito took the elevator up to his private penthouse on the top floor.
CLICK.
He unlocked the door and walked inside. The apartment was quiet and clean.
Kaito took his suit jacket off and threw it over the back of a chair.
Thud.
He sat down heavily on the couch.
"Let's finish it today." Kaito said as he took his laptop.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
He then spent the last four hours wrapping up an online Quirk consultation for a Rank 18 Pro Hero in Australia.
Sending.
Finally, Kaito sent the final hundred pages of documents over the secure server of the Pro Hero.
His workload for online slots was completely clear.
Then.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Hmm? Who is it?" Kaito stood up and opened the front door.
"It's me." Makoto walked inside holding two large plastic bags smelling like spicy takeout food.
She wore a casual jacket and jeans.
She walked straight past him, dropped the food on the coffee table, and collapsed face-first onto the couch.
Thud.
"I am completely exhausted," Makoto groaned into the cushions.
Kaito locked the door and walked over. He started unpacking the takeout boxes.
"Rough day at the agency?" Kaito asked.
Makoto rolled over and sat up. She grabbed a pair of chopsticks and a box of noodles.
"Barely," Makoto complained playfully, taking a bite of her food. "Managing a Rank 4 Pro Hero is insane. Old Man Iwao refuses to look at his calendar. Koichi keeps sliding around the office breaking the coffee mugs. And Kazuho is a fully-fledged sidekick now, so I have to approve all of her patrol routes and sign her public appearance forms."
"You are their manager," Kaito reminded her, eating his own food. "For years."
"I know, I know," Makoto sighed. "I love it. I just wanted to relax. I still remember the first time I met you guys. I've been following the Naruhata Vigiliante in secret for my thesis."
"Yes, so much time has passed." Kaito remembered.
Swiip.
She took another bite of noodles and pointed her chopsticks at Kaito.
"By the way, I missed the live finale of the talent show," Makoto said. "I was stuck at the police station filing paperwork for a group of villains that Koichi and Kazuho managed to caught. I had to watch the replay on my phone."
"It was a good show," Kaito told her.
"It was massive," Makoto agreed. "There were rumors that says an American studio just bought the franchise rights from Shoowaysha."
"They must've negotiated a very good deal," Kaito smiled.
Makoto put her empty takeout box down on the table. She looked at Kaito.
"So, Mt. Lady's contract is officially over," Makoto noted. "What are you doing next?"
"Nothing," Kaito answered honestly. "My schedule is empty. I am taking a break."
Creak.
Makoto leaned back against the couch cushions.
She tried to make her face look completely casual.
"Well," Makoto said smoothly. "I've been working for months now. I can take some days off from the agency."
She looked at him.
"..."
"..."
"Do you want to go to America?" Makoto asked. "Just a normal vacation. No agency work. No Quirks used. Just traveling normally."
Kaito thought about it for two seconds.
"Sure," Kaito agreed easily. "I haven't been to the States in a while. It sounds fun. Let me ask Grandma if she wants to tag along."
Makoto froze for a micro-second, but she kept her face completely neutral.
Kaito pulled out his phone, dialed the number, and set it on the coffee table on speakerphone.
RING. RING.
["Hello?"] Saki's warm voice came through the speaker.
"Hey, Grandma. It's Kaito. Makoto is here too."
["Oh! Good evening, Makoto dear!"] Saki greeted happily.
"Hi, Grandma Saki," Makoto smiled, leaning closer to the phone.
"I'm taking a break from work," Kaito explained. "Makoto and I are heading to America for a week. Do you want to come with us? We can do some sightseeing."
["Oh, that sounds lovely,"] Saki sighed. ["But no, thank you, Kaito. I went camping with you, then to your birthday party, and we just had a lot of trips. Right now, I just want to tend to my garden."]
"You're completely sure?" Kaito asked.
["I am sure. You two young people go have fun by yourselves,"] Saki said. Her tone carried a very subtle, knowing edge that Kaito didn't catch. ["Have a safe flight."]
"Alright, Grandma. Goodnight," Kaito said.
BEEP.
The call ended. Kaito put his phone back in his pocket.
"Just the two of us, then," Kaito said.
Makoto smiled normally on the outside.
"Great. I will book the flights," Makoto said calmly.
Inside her head, Makoto was completely screaming and cheering. She was doing backflips.
She had visited Grandma Saki in Shizuoka three days ago just like always.
Grandma Saki planned this exact scenario while drinking tea in the kitchen.
Saki literally told her: 'Ask him on a trip. If he calls to invite me, I will refuse so you two can be alone.'
'Thank you, Grandma,' Makoto thought happily.
*-*-*
Location: Musutafu – A Random Office Building Rooftop
Time: Saturday | 09:30 PM
The city lights glowed brightly below them.
Izuku Midoriya sat on the concrete ledge of the rooftop. His legs dangled casually over the side.
PURR.
Kuro rested comfortably on his lap, purring quietly in the cool night air.
All Might stood right next to him. He was looking down at the busy street traffic.
They had been doing this for almost a month.
A few times a week, All Might met up with Izuku after finishing his teaching shifts at U.A. Academy.
They watched the city together. All Might showed the young vigilante how to track patrol routes, spot blind spots, and read crowd behavior before a crime even happened.
All Might checked his phone.
"We should wrap this up," All Might joked, looking down at Izuku. "If you miss your ten o'clock curfew, your mother is going to actually kill me."
Izuku laughed.
"She would definitely try," Izuku smiled, scratching Kuro behind the ears. "Thanks for tonight, All Might. Spotting that mugging three blocks away before the guy even pulled a knife... your observation skills are crazy."
All Might smiled back. He stepped away from the ledge and sat down heavily on the concrete right next to Izuku.
He dropped his loud, booming public voice. He looked completely serious.
"We have spent a lot of time together this past month, Midoriya-shonen," All Might said quietly. "I have watched you work. I have seen how you think."
Izuku stopped petting Kuro. He looked at All Might, sensing the sudden shift in the mood.
"I have a secret," All Might revealed. "Only a very small handful of people in the entire world know about it."
Izuku frowned in total confusion.
"Wait," Izuku said awkwardly. "Why are you telling me? I am just a normal teenager."
All Might chuckled.
"Haha... There is absolutely nothing normal about a kid who fights villains in dark alleys for three years," All Might pointed out.
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, unable to argue with that logic.
All Might looked out at the city skyline.
"My Quirk is like a sacred torch," All Might explained. "It cultivates power. It stockpiles it. Then, it is handed down to the next person."
"..."
"..."
Izuku's eyes went incredibly wide. His brain started working at a million miles an hour.
"Handed down?" Izuku asked, totally confused. "How is that even scientifically possible?"
"Generations ago, there was a man with the power to steal and give Quirks. He is the ultimate evil, and he is currently locked away in a prison cell right now," All Might explained. "He forced a power-stockpiling Quirk onto his younger brother, thinking the boy was completely Quirkless. But the brother had a hidden, innate Quirk of his own. The ability to pass a Quirk on."
All Might held up his fist.
"The two powers fused together," All Might said. "It created One For All. I am the eighth wielder."
"..."
Izuku stared at him. He processed the insane history lesson.
"If you can pass it on," Izuku asked, tilting his head. "I think there are plenty of amazing Hero Course students with strong Quirks who could use that stockpiled power. Or you could choose from the other pro heroes like Endeavor, Best Jeanist and others."
All Might slowly shook his head.
"If a person who already has a Quirk takes One For All, the sheer volume of the stockpiled energy will physically break them," All Might told him directly. "It will burn through their life force. They will die young. The Quirk needs an empty vessel to survive. It needs someone Quirkless."
All Might looked at Izuku.
"Just like I was."
Izuku gasped loudly. "You were Quirkless?!"
"I was," All Might nodded warmly. "And I have been looking for a successor. Someone with a pure heart who wants to save people. Someone who knows what it feels like to be weak."
All Might held his large hand out.
"I want to give my power to you, Midoriya-shonen."
"..."
"..."
Total silence fell over the rooftop.
Izuku completely stopped breathing. The absolute Number One Hero in the world just offered him the strongest Quirk on the planet.
This was the exact thing he dreamed of having since he was four years old.
...
Deep inside the One For All mindscape, a quiet room opened up.
The past users sat in their chairs. They watched the conversation eagerly through a floating window.
Yoichi, Nana, and Daigoro all leaned forward, waiting for the kid to accept the ultimate power.
...
Back on the roof, Izuku looked down at his own hands.
He stared at the thick, calloused scars covering his knuckles.
He looked at the heavy, custom-built metal bracers strapped to his wrists.
He looked at Kuro.
MEOW.
Kuro purred softly.
The black cat gently nudged Izuku's hand with his wet nose. The cat didn't push him either way. Kuro just supported him completely.
"..."
Izuku took a massive, shaky breath. He closed his eyes.
When he opened them, the nervous fanboy was completely gone. The hardened, veteran street vigilante looked back at All Might.
"I am honored," Izuku said quietly. "You have no idea how much hearing that means to me."
Izuku slowly shook his head.
"I'm sorry All Might, I have to say no."
"..."
All Might froze completely. His large hand hung awkwardly in the empty air.
"No?" All Might asked in pure shock.
"I spent the last three years fighting as a vigilante," Izuku explained, keeping his voice incredibly steady. "I bled on the concrete. I spent hundreds of hours in my bedroom inventing my electric bolas and my suit. I relied on Kuro to polymorph into martial artists and scientists to teach me how to fight and create."
Izuku stepped back from the ledge and stood up.
"Technology is advancing every single day," Izuku said, looking All Might in the eye. "I fought for three years believing a Quirkless kid could make a difference. If I take your power right now, it means I didn't actually believe it. It means I gave up on who I really am."
Izuku bowed deeply.
"I am going to take the U.A. Entrance Exam. Whether I am accepted in the support or the hero department." Izuku declared loudly. "I want to pass it using my brain, my gear, and my partner. I am so sorry to refuse you....
And also.. I will become the number one hero in the future."
All Might stared at the bowing teenager.
"..."
"..."
His jaw physically dropped.
...
Inside the Vestige realm, absolute chaos broke out.
"Is this kid crazy?!" Daigoro Banjo yelled, grabbing his head in complete disbelief. "He just turned down One For All! Just like that manager Kaito."
Across the circle, Kudo and Bruce just grinned.
"Look at his eyes," Kudo said, crossing his arms with massive respect. "He wants to walk the hardest path possible."
"He has absolute guts," Bruce agreed.
...
Back on the physical rooftop, All Might sat in stunned silence.
Most kids would have ripped his arm off to take the Quirk.
Izuku turned it down to stay true to his own identity.
And because All Might was still in his absolute prime, he didn't feel any desperate pressure to force the Quirk on a successor before he died.
A massive, booming laugh erupted from All Might's chest.
"HAHAHAHA."
Thud. Thud.
All Might stood up and slapped his heavy hand down on Izuku's back, nearly knocking the teenager forward.
"Stand up, kid!" All Might grinned widely. "You do not need to apologize to me!"
Izuku stood up, totally confused by the reaction.
"Your conviction is incredible," All Might praised him. His blue eyes shined with absolute respect. "You want to prove it can be done. I respect that."
All Might crossed his massive arms.
"I will support your decision." All Might said warmly.
All Might pointed a thick finger at Izuku. His smile faded into a very serious expression.
"But I want to make one thing very clear, Midoriya-shonen," All Might said. "If you ever hit a wall your technology cannot climb. If you ever face a villain your gear cannot handle... the offer remains open. The torch will be waiting for you."
"..."
"..."
Izuku felt a massive wave of relief wash over him.
His resolve was completely set.
"Thank you, All Might," Izuku smiled brightly. "I won't let you down."
...
[A/n]
Had an overtime work, watched the anticipated Spiderman: Brand New Day in theaters, then sleep a few hours, and lastly made a chapter.
Is it worth it?
DAMN it's worth it. Haha. The movie is really great.
...
Support the journey here:
patreon.com/Dr_Chad
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