Location: Classified HPSC Blacksite
Time: 11:00 PM
BEEP.
CLACK.
The massive steel doors slid open. Bright white fluorescent lights illuminated the massive underground room.
This was the new prison.
Tartarus was completely defunct. The Hero Public Security Commission built this classified blacksite to hold the worst threats in the country.
There were no dark, dirty cells here.
Thick, transparent containment boxes lined the sterile white floor.
The boxes were made of reinforced, high-grade polymers. Every single prisoner wore a heavy metal inhibitor collar locked tightly around their neck.
The villains could see each other perfectly through the clear walls. They could talk. They could shout.
"Hey! Keep it down over there!"
"Shut up! I'll kill you when I get out of this box!"
Dozens of lower-tier Tartarus escapees yelled across the room.
They all shared one specific physical trait. The pro heroes who recaptured them during the Global Raid made sure they wouldn't die and turn to ash.
Every lower-tier villain in the room was missing an arm.
The severed shoulders were completely healed over with thick scar tissue.
Further down the cell block, three specific boxes sat slightly apart from the rest.
The men inside these boxes had both of their arms fully intact.
Number Six sat cross-legged on the floor of his clear cell.
Nine leaned against the transparent wall of his own box right next door.
Mario Kugutsu laid flat on his back in the third cell, staring up at the bright ceiling.
A dark, glowing Covenant Mark rested clearly on all three of their shoulders. It proved their master was still alive and captured also.
Number Six aggressively scratched his neck right below the heavy inhibitor collar.
"I am going to tear his head off," Number Six muttered. He glared at the empty space in front of him. "That trash Old Man and his sidekick. They just got lucky shot."
Mario turned his head and looked through the thick glass.
"You lost to an old man and his sidekick wearing hoodie, Six," Mario laughed loudly. "Stop complaining. You got completely outplayed."
Number Six slammed his fist against the clear wall.
THUD.
"I said.... He got lucky!" Number Six yelled back.
Nine kept his arms crossed. He looked sideways at the two of them.
"Both of you need to be quiet," Nine said. His voice was completely flat and bitter. "So noisy."
Mario sat up and stretched his arms.
"Yeah, well, we all ended up in the exact same boxes," Mario grinned, completely unbothered by the prison. "Someones will break us out eventually. We just have to wait."
BZZZT.
The heavy blast doors at the far end of the room opened again.
"...."
The rowdy shouting from the lower-tier villains stopped instantly.
A squad of heavily armed HPSC guards walked into the room.
They guided a massive, hovering anti-gravity bed across the white floor.
A giant man laid strapped to the bed. He wore a massive inhibitor collar around his thick neck.
Tears streamed down his rocky face.
"Master," Gigantomachia cried loudly. His deep voice shook the room. "Master..."
The guards shoved the anti-gravity bed into a custom, oversized containment box.
CLANG.
The thick polymer doors locked shut behind the giant. The guards quickly walked back out of the room.
The cell block went totally quiet for three seconds.
Then, the villains erupted into loud laughter.
"Look at the size of this idiot!"
"He is crying like a baby!"
"Hey big guy! Did you lose your mommy?!"
The lower-tier villains mocked the crying giant mercilessly.
Number Six frowned, looking at the huge prisoner. "Who is that?"
"No idea," Nine replied, watching the giant cry. "He doesn't have the mark on his shoulder. He isn't one of the higher agents."
Mario stood up and walked right up to the glass of his box.
He stared intensely at the crying giant's rocky face.
Mario's eyes widened slightly.
He remembered this face.
Years ago, before he even received his Covenant Mark, Mario worked in the old Villain Factory.
He remembered walking past a dark corridor and seeing a massive, terrifying bodyguard standing right behind the master.
It was the exact same face.
Mario stepped back from the glass. He didn't say a word to Number Six or Nine. He sat back down on his bed.
'How did this guy get captured?'
*-*-*
Location: Naruhata Apartment
CLICK.
Kaito hit the send button on his laptop.
He leaned back in his desk chair and stretched his arms over his head.
"Eve," Kaito called out to the room.
[Yes, Boss?] the AI replied smoothly through the desk speakers.
"That was the final consultation file," Kaito said. "The contract for the French hero is officially closed. Update the global portal. Announce that all ten slots are complete and close the applications."
[Updating the servers now. Should I set your status to unavailable?]
"Yes," Kaito nodded. "Set my status to vacation mode. Route all incoming agency emails to the holding folder. I am taking a break."
[Status updated. Enjoy your time off, Boss.]
Thud.
Kaito closed his laptop. He spent the last three days finalizing the online contracts after wrapping up his three-month physical job with Shishido.
He was completely done with hero work for a while.
RING. RING.
His phone vibrated on the desk.
He picked it up and smiled when he saw the caller ID.
"Hello, Grandma," Kaito answered.
"Kaito," Grandma Saki's warm voice came through the speaker. "Your three-month job with the lion agency is over, right? I saw the news. They are bragging about zero property damage on television."
Kaito chuckled. "Yes. The contract is over. I just finished my online paperwork tonight."
"Good," Saki told him. "Then pack a bag and come down to Shizuoka tomorrow. You work too hard. You need a proper home-cooked meal."
"I will drive down first thing in the morning," Kaito agreed happily.
"See you tomorrow, Kaito. Drive safe."
Kaito hung up the phone. He walked over to his closet to pack a small duffel bag.
*-*-*
Location: Shizuoka Prefecture
Time: Next Day | 08:30 AM
The morning sun shined brightly over the busy highway.
Kaito sat behind the steering wheel of his car.
BEEP. BEEP.
TOOT. TOOT.
Then it is.orning rush hour traffic right outside the city limits. Cars were backed up for miles.
Kaito didn't want to wait.
VWOOP.
The entire black car instantly shrank down to the size of a toy.
He drove the tiny car right under the massive tires of the stopped trucks, weaving through the gridlocked traffic without making a single sound.
He found an empty stretch of road near the city exit.
VWOOP.
Kaito grew the car back to normal size and drove right into Shizuoka.
He cruised down the main commercial avenue.
"Hmm? Is that.."
A massive, towering office building caught his eye. The exterior was completely painted in bright red and yellow.
A huge, recognizable logo sat near the top floor.
Golden Bites Corporate Headquarters.
Construction crews were taking down the final scaffolding around the front entrance.
"I didn't even notice, the headquarters was already finished."
VRMMM.
Kaito smiled and kept driving.
He turned into the quiet residential neighborhood and parked his car in front of Grandma Saki's house.
Slid.
Before he could even knock, the door swung open.
"You made good time!" Saki smiled brightly.
She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.
Grandma Saki looked eighty years old, but she moved like a thirty yea rold.
She walked quickly to the kitchen, grabbed a hot pan, and expertly flipped a piece of grilled salmon.
Kaito dropped his bag by the stairs and sat down at the small dining table.
Saki set a plate of hot rice, grilled salmon, and fresh miso soup right in front of him. She sat down across from him with her own plate.
"Eat," Saki ordered warmly.
Kaito picked up his chopsticks and took a big bite of the salmon. It tasted incredible.
"I drove past the new Golden Bites building," Kaito mentioned, swallowing his food. "It looks huge."
"Yes," Saki nodded, taking a sip of her tea. "Kimiko and Kenji are working very hard. I eat at the fast food restaurant once a week. The menu is great, Kaito. Everybody loves it."
"Glad to hear it," Kaito smiled.
Tap. Tap.
Saki tapped her chopsticks against her bowl.
"Can you add a spicy chicken sandwich to the menu?" Saki asked directly. "The burgers are good, but I want something with a little more kick to it."
Kaito laughed out loud. "Sure Grandma, I will expand the menu."
*-*-*
Time: 10:00 AM
DING DONG.
The front doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Kaito stood up from the table.
He walked over and opened the front door.
Kimiko and Kenji stood on the porch. Kimiko held a small pink diaper bag. Kenji held the hand of a very energetic three-year-old girl.
"Uncle Kaito!" Emmy yelled happily.
She let go of her dad's hand and ran straight at Kaito's legs.
Kaito crouched down and caught the little girl, lifting her up into the air.
Emmy giggled loudly, grabbing Kaito's face with her small hands.
"Hey Emmy," Kaito smiled, putting her down safely inside the hallway. "You got a lot taller."
Emmy instantly ran past him and bolted straight into the kitchen to find Saki.
"Kaito," Kenji smiled, walking inside. "Good to see you."
"Welcome back, Boss," Kimiko teased him, taking her shoes off.
"I told you to stop calling me that," Kaito laughed, leading them into the living room. "You are the CEO."
They sat down on the comfortable couches.
Saki walked in carrying a tray of fresh green tea.
Emmy sat on the floor, playing with a small wooden block toy from Saki's coffee table.
Sip.
Kenji took a sip of his tea.
"The corporate headquarters is officially opening next week," Kenji gave a quick business update. "We finished the interior painting yesterday."
"I saw it on the drive in," Kaito said. "It looks great."
Kimiko pulled a small folder from her bag.
"We are also wrapping up construction on the new branch right near U.A. Academy," Kimiko added. "We expect a massive lunch rush from the hero students there. We are currently interviewing five different candidates for the regional manager position."
"Pick someone who handles stress well," Kaito advised casually. "Those kids have big appetites."
"We will," Kimiko agreed.
Saki sat in her armchair and watched them talk. She loved having the house completely full of people.
"So, Kaito," Kimiko asked, leaning back. "Are you taking another wild hero contract next?"
"No," Kaito shook his head. "I am just going to hang around the house for a while and bother Grandma."
*-*-*
Location: Shiketsu High School – Faculty Boardroom
Time: Monday | 09:00 AM
The Principal of Shiketsu High School sat at the head of the dark wooden table. He wore his signature peaked hat.
Six senior instructors sat around the table.
They all stared at the large digital monitor on the wall.
The screen displayed the official passing rates from last year's Provisional Hero License Exam.
[Ketsubutsu Academy: 80%.
U.A. Academy: 20%.
Shiketsu High School: 0%.
Isamu
Seai
..
.]
BAM.
A heavily scarred combat instructor slapped his hand flat on the table.
"Fifteen percent," the scarred instructor grunted angrily. "We recruit the best Quirks in West Japan. We have huge budget. How did Ketsubutsu pass everyone again last year?"
A female instructor sitting across from him sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"We tried copying their three-man squads during the actual exam last year," she said quietly. "We told our students to group up. It failed completely."
"It was bad," the scarred instructor complained loudly. "I put a wind-based kid and a fire-based kid in the same group. The wind blew the fire back. He burned his own teammate right in the middle of the arena."
He leaned forward and rubbed his face.
"Our kids have huge egos. The second another school picked a fight, our front fighter ran forward to punch them. The support kids got left behind. The whole system broke in two minutes."
The Principal adjusted his hat. He looked at his frustrated teachers.
"Just grouping three teenagers together fails without the formula behind it," the Principal stated calmly.
"..."
The room went quiet. The instructors looked at the Principal.
"Ketsubutsu hired the Golden Manager two years ago," the Principal reminded them. "Kaito Arisaka calculated the blast radiuses, the friction levels, and the personalities for over a hundred students. He built those squads to match perfectly. We do not have his syllabus."
The scarred instructor frowned deeply.
"We can't do that kind of planning," the scarred instructor admitted flatly. "That guy handles top pros like Star and Stripe and All Might. Our staff can't replicate his work."
The female instructor checked her digital tablet.
"He finished his physical contract with Lion Shishido last week," she reported, reading a hero news forum. "His schedule is completely open next."
The scarred instructor stared at the fifteen percent on the screen.
He hated losing to Ketsubutsu. They needed to fix this before the new second-years took the exam this year.
"We need to hire him," the scarred instructor muttered. "If he can save our students for the upcoming exam, Golden Manager is a must. If Ketsubutsu can contract him, we can be next."
"As far as I know, UA Academy also didn't ask Arisaka for help. Maybe this is our chance." Someone added.
"Yes, with the right plan and our students have the best quirks in the west. We would be able to surpass both of them." another continued.
The Principal nodded firmly.
"I will contact Arisaka Consulting," the Principal decided. "Hopefully Mr. Arisaka can help us."
*-*-*
Location: Shizuoka – Grandma Saki's Backyard
Time: Two Days Ago | 08:00 AM (Flashback)
Saki kneeled in the dirt near the back fence.
She held a small metal trowel, digging up weeds around a tiny, basic vegetable patch she made herself.
Kaito stood on the back porch. He held a warm cup of coffee and watched her work.
Clack. Clack.
"Grandma," Kaito said, looking at the small patch of dirt. "That garden is a little small."
Saki looked up and wiped some dirt from her forehead.
"It gives me enough vegetables and fruits for harvest," Saki smiled.
"Hmm... But we have a massive backyard," Kaito pointed toward the empty grass. "We can expand it. We can build a full, climate-controlled greenhouse. You can grow a lot of vegetables and fresh fruits all year round."
Saki stood up and dusted off her knees. She looked at the wide, empty space.
"That sounds wonderful," Saki said. "Are you going snap to make it pop out of the ground?"
Kaito shook his head. He took a sip of his coffee.
"No," Kaito answered honestly. "I want to build it with my hands. I just want to do normal, physical work and spend the days outside with you."
Saki's smile grew wider. She loved that answer completely.
"Okay then," Saki agreed, rolling up her sleeves. "Where do we start?"
*-*-*
Location: Shizuoka – Saki's Backyard
Time: Present Day | 10:00 AM
RUMBLE.
BEEP.
BEEP.
A massive Detnerat delivery truck slowly backed into Saki's residential driveway.
Kaito and Saki stood in the empty backyard waiting for it.
Kaito called the Detnerat supply line yesterday afternoon. He gave them his name.
The operator panicked the second he realized the Company Auditor was calling him. The operator fast-tracked the entire order.
WHIZZ.
The truck doors opened. Four delivery workers jumped out.
"Good morning sir!"
They quickly carried heavy wooden crates into the backyard and set them on the grass.
Kaito ordered thick aluminum framing beams, massive sheets of military-grade tempered glass, and a complete smart-climate hydroponic water system.
The workers bowed deeply to Kaito and drove the truck away.
Kaito grabbed a crowbar and popped the top off the largest wooden crate.
"Alright," Kaito said, pulling out a thick aluminum beam. "Let's build the base frame."
Grandma Saki walked over.
"Let me take this.." She grabbed the other end of the heavy metal beam. She lifted it easily.
Her back and shoulders showed absolutely no strain.
SLIDE.
The glass back door of the house opened.
Little Emmy ran out onto the grass.
She wore small denim overalls and held a bright yellow plastic toy hammer in her right hand. Kimiko dropped her off an hour ago to run errands.
"I help!" Emmy cheered loudly. She ran straight toward the metal frames.
"Come here, Emmy," Kaito laughed, kneeling down in the dirt.
He held a thick metal bolt against the aluminum frame.
Emmy raised her yellow plastic hammer and hit the bolt.
BOP.
Kaito quickly tightened the bolt with a real metal wrench.
"Perfect hit, Emmy," Kaito smiled.
"Hehe..." Emmy giggled.
She turned around and ran to the next corner of the frame, waiting to hit the next bolt.
Kaito and Saki spent the next few hours assembling the heavy metal skeleton of the greenhouse.
They worked together smoothly. They talked about the weather, the neighbors, and the new Golden Bites menu.
*-*-*
Time: 02:00 PM
CLICK.
The wooden side gate of the backyard open.
Makoto walked in.
She visited Saki regularly every week to check on her.
Makoto stopped in her tracks.
She looked at the massive metal frame standing in the middle of the grass.
Then looked at Kaito kneeling in the dirt, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Kaito?" Makoto asked, completely surprised. "When did you get back?"
"A few days ago," Kaito smiled, holding a wrench. "I on vacation."
Makoto looked at the metal pipes scattered all over the ground. She looked at Saki holding a leveler against a tall beam.
She set her purse down on a lawn chair.
Makoto kicked off her high heels and rolled up the sleeves of her white dress shirt.
She walked straight over to Kaito and grabbed a spare wrench from the red toolbox.
"Hold that pipe steady," Makoto ordered playfully, stepping right up to the frame. "You are putting the joint on backward."
"I am definitely putting it on right, Makoto," Kaito argued, laughing as he adjusted his grip on the metal pipe.
"Geez, let me sound like an experienced expert in structural engineering." Makoto joked.
Emmy ran over with her yellow hammer. She hit Makoto's metal beam.
BOP.
"Good job, Emmy," Makoto smiled down at the little girl.
The four of them spent the entire afternoon working under the sun.
Kaito carried the heavy tempered glass panels and slotted them into the frame.
Then they ran the thick rubber water lines for the hydroponic system along the bottom edge.
It was a perfect day.
...
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