Location: Kashiya Ward – Cow Lady Agency
The boardroom was full.
Kaito sat at the head of the long glass table. Pam sat right next to him in her hero costume.
Her core American team sat across from them. Mark held his clipboard. Sarah tapped her digital tablet. Dave leaned back in his chair wearing his grease-stained apron.
Seven other logistics and support staff members filled the remaining seats around the room.
"Let's start with your public image," Kaito said, looking directly at Pam. "How do you honestly feel about your current ranking back in the States?"
Sigh.
Pam crossed her arms and let out a short sigh.
"I feel completely stuck," Pam admitted openly. "I built my entire hero identity around the dairy industry. The milk commercials, the farm aesthetic, the cow-print suit. It gave me a massive boost early in my career. Now I just can't seem to break into the top rankings."
Kaito gave her a reassuring nod. He completely understood her frustration.
"You did a great job building that brand from the ground up," Kaito told her genuinely. "It takes a lot of hard work to make the public recognize you nationwide. You succeeded. The issue is the mascot ceiling."
Pam tilted her head, listening closely.
"The public sees you as a friendly mascot for milk and cheese," Kaito explained, keeping his tone conversational and supportive. "Mascot heroes are great for local commercials. They rarely get viewed as top-tier heavy combatants. We need to evolve your image into something much more intimidating."
Kaito looked over at the PR Manager.
"Sarah," Kaito called out. "What happens if we pivot away from agriculture and push straight into American Heavy Industry?"
"...'
Sarah blinked, processing the idea.
"You mean construction?" Sarah asked, her eyes lighting up. "Automotive brands? Steel companies?"
"Yep," Kaito smiled. "Pitch Pam as the ultimate symbol of American torque and raw durability. We change the agency logo. We drop the cartoon cow face and use a sharp silver longhorn skull hitting an anvil."
Sarah started typing frantically on her tablet.
"I think the media would eat that up," Sarah said quickly, a massive grin spreading across her face. "We can also target energy drink sponsorships instead of dairy farms. It shifts her demographic completely."
Kaito turned his attention to the support gear tech.
"Dave," Kaito said. "If we are going for a blue-collar powerhouse look, what materials should we use for her new suit?"
Dave grabbed his stylus and started sketching on his screen.
"I can scrap the spandex," Dave suggested, getting highly engaged. "I can use puncture-proof denim. Heavy-duty Texas leather for the main chest plating. Maybe some steel-toed boots that can survive a building collapse."
"Add some shock-absorbing kinetic foam under the leather," Kaito proposed. "It keeps the rugged look while giving her real physical protection."
"Okay," Dave agreed immediately.
Kaito looked down the table at the Head of Analytics.
"Mark," Kaito said. "Let's talk about your operations. What causes Pam to lose the most arrest points back home?"
Mark looked at his clipboard.
"The map is just too big," Mark answered honestly. "America is geographically massive. If a villain attacks a bank in Nevada, and Pam is patrolling in Texas, she misses the fight. The local heroes get the arrest credit before she even gets close to an airport."
Kaito leaned forward and rested his hands on the glass table.
"Then we dissolve your stationary headquarters," Kaito told the room. "We stop waiting inside an office building."
"..."
"..."
"How does that work?"
"Is that possible?"
A few of the support staff members exchanged confused looks.
"Yes it is.... You build an Interstate Quick-Response Fleet," Kaito explained clearly. "You partner with a major truck manufacturer and build three high-speed tactical carrier vehicles and station them at major highway hubs across the country. Cow Lady lives on the road."
"..."
Pam's eyes went wide. She started picturing the setup in her head.
"When a crisis hits," Kaito continued. "Cow Lady gets loaded into a pneumatic launch-trailer. The truck hits the highway at top speed. She deploys directly from the moving vehicle straight into the disaster zone. We cover three times the normal territory of a solo hero."
MURMUR. MURMUR.
The staff members started talking over each other. The idea solved their biggest logistical problem.
A young man from the accounting team raised his hand in the back of the room.
"Mr. Arisaka," the accountant asked nervously. "How does she deploy from a truck moving at sixty miles per hour without causing a massive traffic pile-up?"
"Good question," Kaito smiled, appreciating the attention to detail. "The launch-trailer matches the highway speed. The back doors open, and Dave builds a specialized kinetic ramp. She charges out the back and maintains her forward momentum. The truck never even hits the brakes."
The accountant nodded, quickly writing the details down on his notepad.
Pam raised her hand next.
"This is an incredible plan," Pam said, leaning over the table. "It changes our entire game. How are we supposed to build a highway truck fleet and test new leather armor when we are temporarily stationed in Japan?"
"Japan is your prototype zone," Kaito explained calmly. "This is your soft launch."
He pointed to Dave and Mark.
"Dave can source the heavy leather and design the new suit here. Don't forget the Detnerat-Shield company is also famous here." Kaito said. "Mark can buy a single transport truck and test the highway deployment routes using the Japanese interstate system. You iron out all the bugs in secret."
"I see... I see." Pam slowly lowered her hand. She completely understood the strategy now.
"When your three-month contract finishes," Kaito concluded. "And fly back to the United States. You drop the new heavy-industry brand, the new suit, and the new truck fleet on the exact same day. The American media won't see any messy transition phase. They will just see a fully finalized powerhouse suddenly dominating the highways."
Pam slammed her hands down on the glass table.
BAM.
She stood up from her chair. She was practically vibrating with pure excitement.
"Mark! Sarah! Dave!" Pam yelled loudly. "You heard Kaito! I want those new corporate pitch drafts ready to go! Call the Japanese automotive dealers and find us a truck to buy!"
The logistics team scrambled out of their chairs.
RUSTLE. RUSTLE.
They grabbed their tablets and clipboards and rushed out of the boardroom to start making calls.
Kaito stayed in his seat and watched them go to work.
*-*-*
Location: United States of America – Los Angeles
Time: 07:00 PM (Local Time)
ROAR. CHEER.
Fifty thousand fans filled the massive stadium seats. Bright spotlights swept across the stage.
Neon Rush stood right in the center. The energetic pro hero wore his glowing yellow suit. He pointed his microphone at the cheering crowd.
"Welcome to America's Got Quirk!" Neon Rush yelled.
The stadium shook with another massive wave of cheering.
"Tonight, our contestants are fighting for the five hundred thousand dollar grand prize!" Neon Rush announced. "Let's check in with our judges!"
High up in the VIP executive suite, Richard Vance looked down at the stage through the thick glass window. The wealthy network owner smiled.
His assistant, Chloe, stood next to him holding a digital tablet.
Down on the floor, the cameras panned over to the long judges' table.
Christopher Skyline sat in the middle seat. Captain Celebrity wore his heavy, star-spangled hero jacket.
He looked out into the front row and spotted his wife, Pamela. She was holding their three-year-old child.
Christopher smiled widely and waved at them. Pamela laughed and waved back. The toddler pointed at the stage.
"Captain!"
"IDOL!!"
The crowd saw the interaction on the big screens and cheered for the number 2 hero.
Sitting on Christopher's left was Electplant.
The veteran pro hero wore his green and yellow costume. He leaned back in his chair and flashed a casual peace sign.
Sitting on the right side was Silver Comet. The top-15 aerial hero wore a sleek silver flight suit.
"Mwahh~"
She blew a kiss to the cameras.
"Alright judges," Neon Rush called out. "Are you ready for the first act?"
"Bring them out, Neon!" Christopher answered into his desk microphone.
A young man wearing a baggy hoodie walked onto the stage. He looked incredibly nervous.
"Hi," the guy mumbled into the standing microphone. "I'm Jason. My quirk lets me clap my hands and create localized sonic booms. I am going to play a song for you."
"Let's hear it, Jason," Electplant said encouragingly.
Jason backed up a few steps. He raised his hands and clapped.
BAM. BAM. CRASH.
The sound was deafening. It completely lacked rhythm. He clapped faster, but the sonic booms just turned into loud, disorganized noise that physically hurt the ears.
The crowd started to boo slightly. A few people covered their ears.
BZZZT.
Electplant pressed his red buzzer. Silver Comet pressed hers a second later.
Jason stopped clapping and looked down at his shoes. He looked totally defeated.
Christopher leaned forward and spoke into his microphone.
"Hey Jason, look at me," Christopher said calmly.
The crowd quieted down.
"You have a really strong quirk," Christopher told him directly. "The raw power is definitely there. You just need to work on your timing and your rhythm. Take some music classes this year. Practice your beats. Come back next season and show us what you can do."
Jason looked up. He nodded, gave a small smile, and walked off the stage.
"Next up!" Neon Rush announced.
...
A few hours have passed and countless contestants already performed. Some of them didn't qualify and the other got the chance.
Next.
A shy young woman walked out holding three large buckets of paint. Her name was Maya.
"My quirk lets me manipulate the gravity of liquids," Maya explained softly.
She opened the buckets. She threw all the red, white, and blue paint straight up into the air.
FWOOSH.
The paint didn't fall.
Maya raised her hands and moved her fingers rapidly.
The different colors swirled together in mid-air. The liquid stretched and folded under her gravity control.
"..."
The crowd went completely silent.
In less than thirty seconds, the liquid paint formed a massive, highly detailed 3D sculpture of a bald eagle hovering above the stage.
"Woow!"
"That's a talent."
"Much better than the guy who slapped his belly."
The stadium erupted.
Christopher slammed his hand down on his green buzzer. Electplant and Silver Comet hit their green buzzers right after him.
"That is a yes from all three judges!" Neon Rush yelled over the noise.
Maya covered her mouth and cried tears of joy.
She released her quirk, dropping the paint safely onto a large canvas tarp on the floor.
BEEP.
"We will be right back after this commercial break!" Neon Rush told the cameras.
The bright stage lights dimmed down.
Christopher took off his earpiece and stood up.
"Let's grab a drink," Christopher said.
The three judges walked off the stage and headed down the quiet hallway. They entered the backstage VIP lounge.
The room had a few leather couches, a buffet table, and a large cooler.
Electplant walked straight to the cooler. He grabbed a cold water bottle and pressed it against the back of his neck.
SIGH.
"My lower back is killing me," Electplant groaned. He sat down heavily on a couch. "Sitting in those chairs for hours is way harder than fighting villains on the street."
Silver Comet grabbed a soda and sat down across from him.
"You are just getting old," Silver Comet teased him with a grin.
"Hehe.." Christopher laughed loudly. He leaned against the buffet table and opened a bottle of water.
"It is totally worth it," Christopher said. He took a long drink. "I honestly love this job. We spend all day chasing criminals and dealing with property damage. It feels really good to just sit down and watch everyday people use their quirks for fun and art."
"I agree," Silver Comet nodded. "That floating paint eagle was insane. I want to hire her to do a piece for my agency lobby."
CREAK.
The lounge door opened.
Richard Vance walked into the room. Chloe followed right behind him holding her tablet.
The network owner looked completely thrilled.
"Great job out there," Richard praised them.
He walked over and patted Christopher on the shoulder. "Don't forget the first episode will be aired this week."
"The crowd energy is great tonight," Christopher told him.
"The format is exactly what the public wants," Richard smiled. "People need a break from scary news. You three are keeping the mood perfectly balanced. And the fans absolutely loved that moment with your wife and kid, Skyline."
"That wasn't for the cameras," Christopher chuckled. "I'm just happy Pamela came out to watch."
Chloe handed Richard a fresh cup of coffee.
"Take ten more minutes to relax," Richard told the judges. "The next guy claims he can juggle flaming chainsaws using a magnetic quirk. We need your reactions fresh for that one."
Electplant laughed and shook his head.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
Christopher took another drink of his water. He felt completely relaxed and ready for the rest of the show.
"I really didn't expect it. The show from Japan got so much traction here in States." Silver Comet said while fixing her hair.
"Isn't better? People will be bored if they always see pros doing things. Now they can honestly use their quirks in a public talent show." Elecplant replied.
"You're right.."
*-*-*
Location: Kashiya Ward – Cow Lady Agency
Time: Next Day | 08:00 AM
The logistics office outside sounded completely chaotic.
RING. RING.
Mark yelled directions at the analytics team.
Sarah argued loudly on the phone with a PR firm. Dave was designing something down the hall.
Inside her private office, the heavy door blocked out most of the noise.
Cow Lady sat on the edge of her desk wearing a grey tank top and sweatpants. She bounced her leg, looking incredibly eager.
Kaito stood in front of her holding his digital tablet.
"I have been waiting for this," Pam grinned. "I did a few joint patrols with Mirko, Fat Gum and other pros over the last couple of months. They all told me that this exact meeting is the absolute best part of the Golden Manager contract."
Kaito chuckled and tapped the side of his tablet.
"I hope it lives up to the hype," Kaito said.
"It will," Pam assured him. "I always thought my quirk was super basic. I just turn into a cow, get massive, and push things out of the way. That is literally all I have been doing for years."
"You used raw strength to get into the top rankings back home," Kaito pointed out, keeping his tone encouraging. "Right now, we're going to look at your biology through a different perspective."
He turned the tablet around and handed it to her.
The screen displayed a highly detailed, 3D anatomical model of a bovine skeleton. The muscles and tendons were highlighted in bright red.
"I reviewed all of your past fight footage," Kaito explained. "You rely heavily on your transformed weight. You transform immediately at the start of a fight, and then you try to chase villains down the street."
Pam nodded, looking closely at the screen.
"That is my whole fighting style," Pam admitted openly.
"You carry five hundred extra pounds of dense bone and muscle the entire time," Kaito said. "It completely caps your top speed. Villains quicker would just run away from you."
Kaito reached over and tapped the screen.
The 3D model shifted. It showed a human skeleton running, then suddenly expanding into the minotaur form at the very last second.
"You need to sprint at the villain in your lighter human form," Kaito instructed. "You reach your absolute maximum running speed. Then, you activate your quirk the exact micro-second before you make physical contact."
Pam stared at the tablet. Her eyes widened as the physics clicked in her head.
"I keep my human running speed," Pam realized out loud. "And I transfer all that forward momentum directly into the sudden five hundred pounds of muscle mass."
"Yes," Kaito smiled. "It hits with triple the kinetic force of your normal charge. You will catch fast villains completely off guard."
Pam hopped off the desk. She looked absolutely thrilled.
"Wow. That's a good idea Kaito..." Pam laughed. "Let's call that... the Shift Ram!"
"Your choice." Kaito answered, nodding in agreement. "It fits perfectly. Now look at the next one."
He swiped the screen. The 3D model zoomed in on the bovine chest cavity and the thick vocal cords.
"In the wild, massive animals like bulls and bison don't just yell," Kaito explained. "They emit a low-frequency rumble."
Pam touched her own throat.
"We are going to train your diaphragm to emit a sub-sonic frequency," Kaito told her. "It will not break glass. The physical vibration targets the nervous system of anyone standing near you."
Pam looked at him in pure shock.
"Wait, really?" Pam asked.
"The vibration causes their muscles to involuntarily seize up for two full seconds," Kaito confirmed. "It leaves them completely wide open for a clean knockout punch."
Pam cracked her knuckles. A huge grin spread across her face.
"A built-in stun attack," Pam said, highly excited. "I didn't know my quirk can do that."
He pointed at the digital folders resting at the bottom of the tablet screen.
"That is just the start," Kaito told her. "We have four more paths to cover."
Tap. Tap.
He tapped the screen.
The 3D model shifted, zooming in on the lower legs and hooves of the minotaur form.
"Look at this joint structure," Kaito pointed out. "Cow legs are literally built to support massive weight while keeping explosive forward propulsion. We are going to put you through heavy weighted box jumps to train your Achilles tendons."
Pam leaned in closer to the screen. "To make them stronger?"
"To turn them into high-tension springs," Kaito corrected gently. "You crouch deep, load all your weight onto the back joints, and let the tendons snap back. You will launch yourself across three city blocks in a single, flat-line sprint."
"..."
Pam's jaw dropped.
"That completely covers my blind spots against ranged fighters who try to keep their distance," Pam realized. "I am calling that the Stampede Launch."
"Good name," Kaito nodded, typing it into the file.
He swiped the screen. The model focused on the heavy neck and skull.
"Next is your horns," Kaito said. "Right now, if you ram a reinforced steel door, you risk giving yourself a massive concussion."
Pam rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, I usually get a huge headache after hitting solid object."
"Because your neck absorbs the recoil," Kaito explained. "We are going to heavily condition your trapezius and core muscles. When you drop your chin and lock your spine into a rigid line right before impact, your horns become an unyielding extension of your body. You transfer all the shock directly into the target."
"And zero damage to me," Pam grinned, punching her open palm. "Anvil Thrust. Write that down."
Kaito smiled and added the name. He pulled up the fourth blueprint.
"Back to the hooves," Kaito said. "Bone gets denser the more physical stress you put on it. We are going to have you stomp on solid iron blocks every single day in the gym."
Pam blinked. "That sounds really painful."
"It will be at first," Kaito admitted honestly. "But your keratin hooves will become completely indestructible. When you drive your heel into the pavement in combat, the dense shockwave will travel through the ground and shatter the concrete up to fifteen yards away. It trips multiple targets instantly."
"Quake Cleat," Pam decided immediately. "I can use that to collapse villain escape tunnels too."
"Yes," Kaito agreed.
He opened the final folder. The 3D model highlighted the outer muscles of the chest, back, and arms.
"Finally, your defense," Kaito said. "Because of your massive size in that form, you are a huge target for physical projectiles."
"Yes, I get hit by flying debris and weapons all the time," Pam sighed.
"We are going to train your lats, pecs, and abs to contract simultaneously at maximum density," Kaito instructed. "It packs your muscle fibers tightly together. Your outer hide will become as dense as vulcanized rubber. Small-caliber bullets, knives, and iron pipes will literally bounce off your chest."
Pam crossed her arms, flexing her shoulders.
Pam said confidently. "I can just plow straight through a barrage without even slowing down to block."
Kaito locked the tablet and placed it under his arm.
"Those are the development plans," Kaito told her. "So, do you want to head out to the testing grounds and work on the truck deployment with Mark today, or do you want to hit the gym?"
Pam didn't even hesitate.
She grabbed her water bottle from the desk.
"Those guys can handle the rest," Pam declared confidently. "I want to hit the gym and train right now."
"Pace yourself," Kaito warned her with a small smile. "Changing muscle memory takes thousands of repetitions. You are going to be incredibly sore for the next few weeks."
"I can handle it," Pam laughed, walking out into the noisy hallway.
...
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