Chapter 224 - 223: Aftermath

Location: Musutafu - Golden Bites Headquarters

Time: Last Night

FWIP.

Kaito and Makoto landed softly on the concrete roof.

Kaito deactivated his reality-warping field. The pristine white suit vanished. His dark tailored suit and black hair returned instantly.

They walked to the elevator and took it down to the ground floor.

The massive event hall was completely empty.

"Everyone already went back."

"It's already late and all of them were tired."

The catering staff had already packed the tables and swept the floors. The overhead lights were dimmed.

Kaito looked at Makoto. She smiled, holding her high heels in one hand.

"Let's go home, Kaito.."

"Let's sleep on Grandma's house this night."

They walked out to the parking garage. Kaito drove them back to Shizuoka.

VRRMM.

The highway was quiet.

Makoto fell asleep in the passenger seat halfway through the drive.

They arrived at the house. Kaito unlocked the front door slowly, making sure the metal hinges didn't creak.

They didn't want to wake Grandma Saki. They just quietly walked to their respective rooms.

...

Location: Shizuoka - Saki Residence

Time: Present Morning

Kaito walked into the kitchen. He stretched his arms. He reached for the heavy iron skillet hanging on the wall rack.

He planned to cook breakfast.

"Put that down."

Grandma Saki walked in behind him. She was already tying a green apron around her waist.

"I'm making breakfast today," Grandma Saki told him, pulling a mixing bowl from the cabinet.

"I can do it, Grandma," Kaito offered.

"Excuse me."

Makoto stepped right between them. She wore a dark blue apron.

She grabbed the iron skillet from Kaito's hand. She took the mixing bowl from Grandma Saki.

"Sit down," Makoto told them both, pointing at the dining area. "I am the new granddaughter-in-law. I want to show my skillset."

"..."

Grandma Saki stopped. A massive smile broke across her face.

She patted Makoto on the shoulder and immediately walked to the dining table.

Kaito laughed. He pulled out a chair and sat next to his grandmother.

"Since when do you cook?" Kaito asked.

Makoto turned on the stove burners.

"I enrolled in an culinary school a year ago," Makoto said, pulling ingredients from the fridge. "I knew I had to step up if I wanted to match your food."

She moved fast.

She didn't fry simple eggs.

SIZZLE. CLANG. CLANG.

She started prepping a French savory galette in one pan. She mixed a rich Indian spiced shakshuka in another.

VMMM.

She turned on the espresso machine for Italian coffee.

CHOP. CHOP. SLICE.

Kaito watched her chop vegetables at high speed.

He leaned his chin on his hand, genuinely impressed. "You're really getting better."

"Of course, I learned well..."

Grandma Saki picked up the remote.

CLICK.

The television on the wall turned on. The channel was set to Juzo News.

Reporter Taneo Tokuda stood on the screen.

He held a microphone outside the police barricades of the Golden Bites headquarters.

[The global phenomenon continues this morning!] Tokuda reported loudly. [The Famed Golden Manager, Kaito Arisaka, hosted the most exclusive birthday celebration in hero history!]

Kaito pulled his phone from his pocket. His screen was full of notifications.

BCD News in Washington ran the same exact headline.

News outlets from Singapore and Egypt posted live coverage clips on their feeds.

"You are worldwide," Grandma Saki noted, watching the screen.

The television cut to a recorded interview from last night.

Star and Stripe walked toward the cameras. Her entire family walked with her. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bate, her sister, Commander Agpar, and the entire pilot squad of Bros followed closely. They all carried sleek white robot docking cases.

[Kathleen!] a reporter yelled. [Why did you bring the entire military squad to Japan?]

Kathleen leaned into the microphone and laughed.

[This is a birthday party! Kaito is the best little brother the States could ask for! We wouldn't miss this for anything!]

The screen cut to Captain Celebrity. He held his young son on his shoulders. His wife walked next to him.

[The Golden Manager is a close family friend,] Captain Celebrity told the cameras. [I cleared my schedule the second he called me.]

The broadcast switched to Big Red Dot and Salaam. They stood together, praising Kaito's vision for the hero industry.

David Shield appeared next. He walked alongside Mr. Yaoyorozu.

The two men were already discussing corporate logistics and Kaito's business acumen.

The domestic heroes took the screen.

Endeavor walked in his formal kimono. Shoto, Fuyumi, and Natsuo walked behind him.

[Arisaka is the foundation of the modern hero industry,] Endeavor said calmly. [He has my absolute respect.]

All Might filled the camera frame. Principal Nezu and Gran Torino were beside him and the rest of the UA faculty.

[Young Arisaka is a remarkable man!] All Might boomed. [A true friend to all of us!]

Edgeshot and Best Jeanist offered their own high praise to the reporters.

Then the camera cut back to a live feed of Sato X Reporter.

Fat Gum stood next to the reporter on the sidewalk.

Fat Gum held a compact, sleek docking case. He pressed a button on the side.

FSSSSSH.

A white housekeeper robot popped out.

It was small, roughly the size of a standard trash can, with the soft, marshmallow texture of a Baymax unit.

The robot rolled up to reporter. A blue light scanned the reporter's face.

[You are experiencing severe sleep deprivation and caffeine-induced heart palpitations,] the robot spoke in a calm voice. [I recommend sitting down immediately. I will brew chamomile tea.]

The reporter stared at the robot, completely stunned.

Fat Gum clutched his stomach and laughed hysterically on live television.

CLINK.

Makoto placed the plates on the dining table. The food looked like a cover photo from a Michelin-star magazine.

The smell of the spices filled the room.

Kaito picked up his fork. He tasted the shakshuka.

"This is perfect, Makoto," Kaito said.

Makoto beamed. She took off her apron and sat down next to him.

Grandma Saki took a sip of her espresso. She looked at the television.

The news anchors were still talking about the terrifying global influence of the Golden Manager.

Grandma Saki set her cup down.

"You have the whole world figured out, Kaito," Grandma Saki said casually. She picked up a piece of the galette. "With all this success, I really just have one request left."

Makoto looked up. "What is it, Grandma Saki?"

"I want to meet my great-grandchildren sooner," Grandma Saki replied.

CLATTER.

Makoto dropped her fork. It hit the plate loudly.

Her face turned completely red. She stopped breathing for a second.

They just confirmed their relationship a few hours ago on the moon. They hadn't even shared their first kiss yet.

Kaito leaned back in his chair. He burst out laughing.

"We will get right on that, Grandma," Kaito joked.

Makoto buried her red face in her hands, groaning into her palms while Kaito and Grandma Saki laughed together at the table.

...

Location: Unknown Underground Hub

Time: Same Morning

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

Heavy bass music echoed off the concrete walls. The underground subway hub smelled like stale beer and cheap pizza.

Hundreds of outcasts and vigilantes crowded the open floor. They threw dice against rusted train cars and yelled over the music.

Near the back platform, a folding metal table held a stack of empty pizza boxes.

Dabi sat in a plastic chair. His skin was clear and unscarred. He wore a dark leather jacket and took a large bite out of a Golden Bites burger. Together whith his his subordinates

Stendhal sat opposite to him, eating a slice of pizza.

Spinner hovered right beside them, constantly pushing a cup of soda toward Stendhal.

"You need more ice, Stendhal?" Spinner asked.

"I am fine, Spinner," Stendhal said, setting his pizza down.

Mr. Compress sat across from them, shuffling a deck of cards with one hand. Twice stood behind him, arguing with himself about which pizza topping was better.

Dabi swallowed his food. He leaned back and kicked his boots up onto the metal table.

"The scratch freak is quiet today," Dabi said.

Spinner laughed. "That man child knows we would could fight him in a draw right now."

"It's thanks to Dabi and Stendhal," Mr. Compress agreed. He flipped a card into the air and caught it. "He thought he could just use his subordinates to dismantle us. But thanks to Dabi and his Yakuza connection who had trigger drug supplies."

"I want to smash his face!" Twice yelled. "He seems like a nice guy!"

Dabi took a drink from his cup. The holiday week was peaceful. "Don't mention it. I almost got sidetracked from my goal because of that guy..."

Nobody wanted to fight today.

Another member standing near a large flat-screen television pressed a button on the side panel.

CLICK.

The volume went up. The local news broadcast cut through the heavy bass music.

[...The Golden Manager, Kaito Arisaka, hosted the most exclusive birthday celebration in hero history!]

Dabi looked at the screen. Kaito's face flashed on the news, standing next to Endeavor and All Might.

Dabi scoffed. He threw his burger wrapper onto the table.

"Look at this garbage," Dabi said. "A corporate suit rubbing shoulders with fake heroes."

Stendhal crossed his arms. He stared at Kaito on the television.

"Men like him are the problem," Stendhal stated. "He turns justice into a business. He protects the rich and ignores the streets."

"He just fills out paperwork and takes all the credit," Spinner agreed.

"He ruins everything!" Twice shouted, pointing at the TV. "I want a suit exactly like that!"

Footsteps hurried up the metal stairs to the platform.

A low-level information broker ran up to the table.

He was out of breath. He stopped right in front of Giran. Giran stood near the edge of the platform, smoking a cigarette.

"Boss," the broker panted. "I was checking the civilian forums."

Giran blew out a puff of gray smoke. "What did you find?"

"Rumors," the broker said quickly. "Civilians walking near the commercial district late last night. They heard something. A loud, echoing snap. They said it sounded like a shockwave."

"..."

The table went completely silent.

Mr. Compress stopped shuffling his cards. Spinner dropped his cup.

Dabi pulled his boots off the table and sat up straight.

Stendhal gripped the edge of the table. He knew exactly what that sound meant.

"Get ten guys," Giran ordered. "Find the exact street corner where they heard it. Check every alleyway."

The broker nodded and ran back down the stairs.

Giran looked at the rest of the table.

The entire platform buzzed with energy. The street thugs nearby heard the order and started cheering.

Hero X was their idol. He was the reason they built this underground alliance.

Spinner grabbed a can of beer from the cooler. He held it up high.

"To Hero X," Spinner said loudly.

Dabi grabbed his cup. Stendhal raised his soda. Twice cheered.

"To Hero X!" they yelled together.

They clinked their cups over the metal table. They toasted to the mythical vigilante, completely ignoring the television screen directly behind them, where Kaito Arisaka's face was still broadcasting to the entire country.

...

Location: Tokyo - Clean-Room Agency Briefing Room

Time: The Next Day | Dec 27

Kaito walked into the briefing room holding his digital tablet.

Susugu Mitarai, Ayumi, Kenji, Taro, and Shiro sat around the long white table.

Susugu wore a plain gray tracksuit instead of his heavy washing machine armor.

The sidekicks looked incredibly happy.

"Arisaka-san," Ayumi said quickly as he walked in. "Thank you again for the invitation. My parents almost fainted when they saw the housekeeper robot start cooking dinner."

"My apartment has never been this clean," Kenji added with a laugh.

"Glad they are helping," Kaito said, pulling out a chair at the front of the room. "The holiday break is over. We have an agency to train."

"..."

The room immediately went quiet. The sidekicks sat up straight, pulling out their notebooks.

Kaito tapped his tablet screen. He sent a batch of encrypted files directly to the sidekicks' devices.

BEEP.

The tablets on the table lit up.

"I just sent the individual quirk development plans for all twelve sidekicks in this agency," Kaito told them. "Ayumi, your plan focuses entirely on foam density manipulation. Kenji, yours requires deep-water pressure resistance training. Read the files. The training regimens are mapped out day by day."

The four lead sidekicks opened their files. They started reading the documents, their eyes going wide at the detailed breakdowns of their own biology.

"WOAAH!"

"I can still do this?"

"I can still get stronger."

"Why can't I think of this direction.."

"As expected by the Golden Manager..."

Kaito connected his tablet to the main wall monitor.

"Susugu," Kaito said.

Susugu looked up at the screen.

"During our first meeting, you established a hard rule," Kaito started. "No acid. No lethal force. You are a rescue specialist. You want to protect civilians and secure villains without permanently injuring anyone."

"That is correct," Susugu nodded firmly.

"You already have your base kit," Kaito said. "You can create massive bubbles for float-cushion rescues, you can lift heavy debris with high-pressure streams, and your bubbles have a natural sterilization effect for medical triage."

Kaito tapped the screen.

Kaito explained. "We are expanding them. Your new combat kit will focus entirely on absolute environmental suppression and defense."

TAP.

The screen displayed five detailed mechanical blueprints and biological diagrams.

"Technique one. High-Density Micro-Foam Armor," Kaito read from the screen. "You will train your skin pores to release dense, low-moisture foam instead of hollow bubbles. This foam acts like non-Newtonian fluid. It absorbs kinetic impacts. You can coat yourself in it to block punches, or spray it on the pavement to instantly glue a rushing villain's feet to the floor."

Ayumi looked up from her tablet. "That completely shuts down villains."

"Technique two." Kaito continued. "You will alter the chemical slickness of your soap. You flood a street with a millimeter-thin layer of this fluid. It removes all physical traction."

Taro leaned forward. "Wait. My quirk is frictionless sliding. If the boss coats the street in that fluid, I can glide across the combat zone at high speeds while the villains can't even stand up."

"Yep," Kaito pointed at Taro. "It's a synergy."

Kaito swiped to the next slide.

"Technique three." Kaito said. "You infuse high-pressure air into small bubbles and spin them rapidly. When they hit an incoming projectile, they pop violently. It acts as a concussive shockwave to shatter rocks or deflect knives."

Wash wrote quickly in his notebook. He was absorbing every word.

"Technique four." Kaito said. "This is basic saponification chemistry. We will train your quirk factor to adjust the pH level of your foam on command. If a villain uses acid or toxic gas, your alkaline foam binds to the molecules and neutralizes the threat instantly."

"Wohoot..." Kenji whistled low. "That makes us completely immune to chemical attacks."

"Technique five. Is Bubble Sensors," Kaito finished the base list. "You quirk suspend thousands of microscopic bubbles in a static field around your body. They act as a 360-degree radar. If a villain enters your blind spot, they pop a micro-bubble. You should be able to sense the air displacement and react before they even swing."

"..."

"I haven't think in that direction, Kaito. I never expected my bubbles can also be used that way.." Wash said with emotion.

The sidekicks stared at the monitor.

The Golden Manager just mapped out a way to turn a soap quirk into an untouchable fortress.

Tap.

"Haha... There's two more." Kaito tapped the screen one final time. Two massive diagrams appeared.

"These are your Ultimate Moves," Kaito told Susugu.

Susugu put his pen down and looked at the screen.

"Ultimate One. It is like an absolute wall," Kaito said. "You quirk will release a massive torrent of dense bubbles that interlock into a honeycomb dome over a city block. Because bubbles distribute pressure evenly across curved surfaces, a massive kinetic attack like a falling building hits the dome and the energy spreads out across millions of bubbles. The outer layers pop and its inner layers hold."

"It is an unbreakable bunker," Ayumi realized.

"Last one," Kaito said, pointing to the final diagram. "You quirk will unleash a single, hyper-durable bubble and trap may trap any villain inside it. The bubble is filled with high-pressure soapy fluid. The villain is then suspended mid-air. They have no leverage to run or jump."

Kaito looked directly at Susugu.

"The foam cuts off the oxygen supply inside the sphere," Kaito explained. "Fire quirks die out instantly. Physical attacks are slowed to a crawl by the liquid resistance. You neutralize an A-Rank threat without even a throwing a punch."

"So what do you think?"

Susugu sat back in his chair. He stared at the wall monitor.

"..."

He finally saw the path to the Top 15 and above.

He just needed to control the entire battlefield.

"This is brilliant, Arisaka-san," Susugu said. His voice was full of genuine amazement.

"It requires a massive amount of physical training," Kaito warned him. "You have to train your skin pores to change the chemical makeup of your soap. You have to train your lung capacity to compress the air. You need heavy-duty pressure chambers and high-end chemical analysis monitors."

Kaito disconnected his tablet from the wall.

"The equipment is expensive," Kaito told him. "Do you want to rent the equipment for the next three months, or do you want to buy it for the agency?"

Susugu didn't even hesitate. He looked at Ayumi.

"Buy it," Susugu ordered. "Buy all of it."

Kaito smiled. He placed his tablet into his bag.

"Good," Kaito said. "The delivery trucks will arrive here at two o'clock this afternoon. Clear the garage. We can start the physical conditioning today."

"Yes sir.." The rest of sidekicks are excited to start their transformation.

...

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...

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