Location: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo – Shield Hero Agency
"Shall we get started?" Kaito asked.
"HAHAHA!"
Crust threw his head back and laughed loudly. His voice rattled the glass windows of the boardroom.
THUD.
He slammed his hand down on the table, shaking the coffee mugs.
"You really made me wait for this!" Crust wiped a tear from his eye. "You contracted Endeavor. You got Best Jeanist. You fixed Edgeshot. You pulled All Might into the new era!"
Crust crossed his arms and leaned forward.
"You got the entire previous Top 10," Crust grinned widely. "Me and old man Yoroi Musha were the absolute last ones left in the dust. I thought you forgot me.."
Kaito smiled. He tapped his pen on the table.
"I saved the hardest agency for last," Kaito joked back.
The room relaxed instantly. Phalanx, Ricochet, and the other staff members settled into their chairs.
Aoto, the gray-haired logistics head, sat at the far end of the table holding a clipboard.
Kaito stood up and walked over to the digital whiteboard.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
He tapped the screen. A detailed map of the Chiyoda Ward appeared.
"We are changing how this agency operates," Kaito told them. "First, we are tearing down the old patrol routes. We are moving to what I call Shield-Wall Response Grid."
Kaito drew several red circles across the city map.
"We divide the city into geographic sectors," Kaito pointed at the circles. "Small sidekick teams will manage them. I call them First Response Pods. Phalanx, Ricochet, you are taking lead on these."
Phalanx frowned and raised his hand.
"Mr. Arisaka," Phalanx spoke up. "My hard-light shields drain my stamina very fast. A small pod cannot secure a disaster zone against strong villains without the boss."
"You will hold the line," Kaito explained calmly. "Crust will scale up his shields, detach them, and drop them at key intersections. He creates instant barricades for your pods. Your job is to set up a perimeter, hide behind those barricades, and lock the sector down until he arrives."
Phalanx nodded slowly, visualizing the strategy.
Kaito swiped the screen. A new slide showed blueprints of a collapsing highway overpass and a commercial bank building.
"Next is Structural Bracing," Kaito said, looking directly at Crust. "You will stop punching villains when the battlefield falls apart. You will shift your focus. Apply your shields directly to failing building foundations and crumbling bridges. You become the ultimate structural support beam. You lock the buildings in place."
Aoto flipped a page on his clipboard.
"How do the sidekicks know when to evacuate the civilians or fight?" Aoto asked from the back of the table. "The radio chatter gets very confusing during those building collapses."
Kaito walked back to the table. He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a thick blue binder.
THUD.
He dropped it right in front of Aoto.
"Incident Command Systems," Kaito told the older man. "ICS protocols. We will train every sidekick to use strict radio codes and establish a clear chain of command on site. Everyone gets a specific, non-combat role. Crowd evacuation, triage, media control. We eliminate the uncoordinated rushing."
"And that leads to Heroic Insurance," Kaito brought up the next slide. "Asset Isolation. Crust will use precise shield shapes to completely encase partner banks or server farms. We guarantee zero collateral damage to paying corporate partners. The retainer fees will fund this entire agency."
Crust's smile dropped. He leaned back in his chair and frowned.
"Are we prioritizing corporate property over human lives?" Crust asked. His voice turned very serious. "I want to save people, Kaito. I don't care about saving bank vaults."
Kaito shook his head.
"The corporate money pays for the civilians," Kaito explained, tapping the next slide.
It showed an opaque dome. "Next for you is to hire licensed mental health professionals and embed them directly into your rescue squads or even specifically look for sidekicks that were good at this. You will expand a massive, opaque shield dome over the rescued civilians and the medical staff."
Ricochet's eyes lit up immediately.
"The dome blocks out the sight of the villain fight," Ricochet realized out loud. "And it blocks the noise."
"That's right," Kaito said. "The therapists treat traumatized civilians in total peace right in the middle of a warzone. Immediate emotional stabilization. The corporate retainers pay their salaries."
Crust's serious expression vanished. A huge grin returned to his face. He nodded in complete agreement.
"Because of this, you need to add sidekicks that aren't all combat based," Kaito continued. "Train them for the field, Crust will build moving shield mazes and dynamic obstacles during drills. The team trains against the exact shapes they will see in a real disaster."
Aoto looked completely stressed. He rubbed his temples and stared at the thick ICS manual resting in front of him.
"Mr. Arisaka," Aoto said. "My team is going to collapse from exhaustion. We have too many new protocols to memorize."
"That's what you should be doing. In order to adapt with the new standard in heroism in Japan."
KNOCK. KNOCK.
The boardroom doors opened.
Two delivery workers wearing blue uniforms wheeled a hand truck into the room.
A large, shining commercial espresso machine sat on the cart.
"Where do you want this?" one of the workers asked.
Kaito looked at Aoto and smiled.
"Put it down in the dispatch center," Kaito instructed the workers. He turned back to the table. "Drink up, eveyone. That is your meeting gift. We have a lot of work to do."
BAM.
Crust slammed his hands on the table and stood up.
"You heard the Manager!" Crust yelled, completely fired up. "Read those manuals! We are changing everything!"
...
Location: Yaoyorozu Estate
Time: Evening
CLINK.
A butler in a crisp black suit quietly collected the empty dinner plates from the long wooden table.
Mr. Yaoyorozu sat at the head of the table. He swiped his finger across a digital tablet.
The blue light reflected off his glasses. He kept scrolling, reading line after line.
Momo sat near the middle of the table. She picked at her remaining grilled salmon.
She tried to eat slowly, but her eyes kept darting toward her father's tablet.
"This is completely insane," Mr. Yaoyorozu muttered, shaking his head.
"Is something wrong with the plan, dear?" Mrs. Yaoyorozu asked, setting her teacup down on its saucer.
"Wrong?" Mr. Yaoyorozu laughed and looked up at his wife. "It is perfect. We paid Arisaka Consulting millions of yen, and he delivered something priceless. The Golden Manager provided far more than a simple workout routine. He mapped out Momo's entire cellular structure."
He handed the tablet to the butler standing nearby.
"Tanaka," Mr. Yaoyorozu said. "Set up two conference calls for me tomorrow morning. First, I need to speak with the manufacturing heads at Detnerat. We need them to produce these specific high-density caloric combat gels."
"Right away, sir," the butler bowed.
"Second, call David Shield Company," Mr. Yaoyorozu added. "They need to custom-weave micro-mesh patches for Momo's future hero costume. The blueprints are in that file."
Momo gripped her chopsticks tightly. She couldn't wait any longer.
"Father," Momo asked, keeping her voice steady. "May I read the file now?"
Mr. Yaoyorozu smiled warmly at her.
"Of course," he said, pulling out his smartphone. "I just authorized the decryption key for your personal laptop network. Take your time and study it well, Momo. This is the foundation of your entire career."
Momo bowed her head deeply. "Thank you so much. Excuse me."
SLID.
She stood up from her chair and walked quickly down the carpeted hallway. She tried her best not to run.
CREAK.
She pushed her bedroom door open and hurried over to her large oak desk. She popped her laptop open.
The Arisaka Consulting folder sat right on the center of her desktop.
She typed in the long decryption password her father just sent.
The document opened immediately.
Momo scrolled quickly past the dietary logistics. Her father was already handling that part.
She stopped scrolling when she reached the Theoretical Curriculum section.
Her eyes went completely wide.
Kaito mandated intensive study in Advanced Atomic Topology and Sub-Atomic Material Phase Transitions.
He included detailed chapters on Thermodynamics and Energy Conservation.
Momo leaned closer to the screen. She spent weeks searching the internet and the public libraries for these exact physics theories.
She tried to find anything applied directly to quirk mechanics, but there was absolutely nothing out there.
Now, she stared at a full, university-level quantum physics curriculum tailored exactly to her body and her creation quirk.
"This is amazing," Momo whispered. She grabbed a notebook and a pen, ready to take notes.
She scrolled down to the practical training regimen. The Caloric-Sustained Hyper-Metabolism Drills. The Blind-Draw Spatial Muscle Memory. She read through every single drill.
Then, she reached the final section of the document.
A bright red warning label flashed across the screen.
[WARNING: DO NOT DIVULGE THE FOLLOWING CHEMICAL FORMULAS. RESTRICTED CLEARANCE ONLY.]
Momo stopped writing. She hesitated for a second, then clicked past the red warning block.
The header on the next page read: The Quirk Factor Molecular Lock.
Momo read the introductory paragraph.
[Every quirk relies on a Quirk Factor, a specific cluster of genes and proteins inside the body. The formulas below detail a temporary Quirk Receptor Inhibitor.]
[It is a chemical compound that binds directly to the cellular receptors. It blocks the brain's instructions from ever reaching the quirk.]
"...."
Momo stopped breathing.
She scrolled down the page. The technical blueprints were incredibly precise. They were full of complex molecular equations.
The Aero-Inhibitor gas.
An instant RNA interference agent that temporarily pauses protein synthesis when inhaled.
The Nanotech Vascular-Clamp ammunition.
Programmable medical nanobots designed to paralyze the nerve endings of the Quirk organ inside the bloodstream.
The Neuro-Conductive Capture Tape.
An electromagnetic pulse tailored to flood the human nervous system with a cease-fire signal.
"He... he... Oh my God!" Momo covered her mouth with both hands.
CLICK.
Her hands shook. She dropped her pen onto the desk.
She stared at the glowing equations. She realized exactly what she was looking at.
The Golden Manager bypassed teaching her how to make simple shields or basic weapons.
He handed her the exact biological blueprints to temporarily erase a villain's superpower using pure chemistry. He weaponized science to turn off human biology. Temporarily or permanently.
CLICK.
Momo slowly closed her laptop. The screen went dark.
She sat alone in the quiet room. She looked down at her trembling hands, fully understanding the terrifying intellect of the Golden Manager and the massive responsibility she now carried.
...
Time: Next Day
BZZT.
[Pod Alpha to Base. We have a mutant-type suspect breaking into the electronics store on 4th Street.]
Phalanx's voice sounded tight over the radio static.
[My instinct is to engage. Requesting protocol confirmation.]
Aoto wiped sweat from his forehead. He stared at the new dispatch software on his terminal.
Kaito stood right next to him. He held a paper cup of black coffee.
"Keep the comms clinical," Kaito instructed quietly. "Tell him to execute the pod protocol."
Aoto pressed the talk button on his desk.
"Base to Pod Alpha," Aoto said, keeping his voice steady. "Hold your position. Deploy hard-light barricades and secure the perimeter. Do not engage."
[Understood,] Phalanx replied quickly. [Locking the sector down now. I have to admit, standing behind a wall and just watching a villain feels completely unnatural.]
"It takes time to overwrite muscle memory," Kaito said, watching the live body-cam feed on the monitor.
Phalanx threw up a blue light-shield across the street, keeping the civilians back while the police moved in. "He is doing good."
...
Time: 3 Days Later
Location: Agency Breakroom
THUD.
Crust set a large metal coffee thermos on the center of the breakroom table.
The room was quiet. Phalanx, Ricochet, and three other sidekicks sat around the table. They rubbed their tired eyes.
Open ICS manuals and tactical city maps covered the tabletop.
"That deployment was messy," Phalanx sighed, looking down at his hands. "I used the wrong radio code. I stepped right over your transmission, Ricochet."
"I missed the cue for the evacuation line," Ricochet rubbed the back of her neck. "We delayed the civilian exit by two minutes."
They were completely frustrated with themselves.
Crust pulled out a chair and sat down with his team.
"Pour some coffee," Crust told them, unscrewing the thermos lid. "Don't beat yourselves up. You are learning an entirely new language while getting shot at."
Phalanx grabbed a mug. "It just feels like we are moving backward, Boss."
"We aren't," Crust shook his head. "My brain hurts. I have read more logistics paperwork in the last three days than I have in ten years. The Manager's system is exactly what we need to survive the new standard. It is mentally exhausting right now. We just keep pushing until these codes become our new muscle memory."
The sidekicks nodded slowly, grabbing their mugs and pulling the manuals back open.
...
Time: 5 Days Later
Location: Highway Intersection
RUMBLE.
The asphalt tore open.
A villain with an concussive type quirk slammed his fists directly into the street.
Deep cracks shot across the pavement, running straight toward the base of a concrete highway overpass.
"The pillars are failing!" a police officer yelled.
Cars stopped on the bridge above.
SWOOSH.
Crust landed in the center of the intersection.
"Old guy, you shouldn't be here.." The villain pulled his fist back and grinned, ready to fight a top hero.
Crust completely ignored him.
SWIISH.
He sprinted past the villain and ran straight to the cracking concrete pillars.
Crust activated his quirk.
Massive hexagonal shields shot out from his forearms. He drove the thick armor directly into the failing foundation.
CLANG.
The shields locked into the concrete.
Crust acted as a physical brace. The bridge stopped shaking instantly.
BZZT.
[Pod Alpha on site. ICS protocol active. Perimeter secure,] Phalanx called in over the radio. His voice was calm and precise.
Phalanx threw a row of hard-light tiles across the street, creating a thick wall between the villain and the trapped cars.
SWOOOSH.
Ricochet vaulted over the light wall. Falling concrete chunks dropped from the bridge above.
BOING. BOING.
She slapped the debris in mid-air, turning the heavy rocks into bouncing rubber.
The rubber pieces hit the cars and bounced off harmlessly.
Inside the dispatch center, Aoto watched the camera feeds.
"Dispatch to local police," Aoto spoke smoothly into his microphone. "Crust Agency has the structure secured. Suspect is isolated. Move in and arrest."
"Keep up the good work!" Kaito stood behind Aoto and gave a firm nod.
The team operated like a perfectly synchronized team.
...
Time: 3 Days Later
Location: Commercial District
BAM.
BAM.
Three violent mutant villains swung iron pipes against police riot shields.
They tore through a narrow alleyway right next to a local diner and a partner corporate bank.
Twenty civilians huddled inside the diner. Children cried. People covered their ears to block out the terrifying noise.
THUD.
Crust landed on the street.
SWISH-SWOOSH.
He moved his hands quickly. He threw a tight, precise layer of flat shields directly over the corporate bank's glass storefront. He secured the building completely.
Then, he turned to the diner. He raised his arms and pushed his quirk outward.
A massive, opaque dome of thick shield energy expanded in a wide circle.
CRACK. CRUMBLE.
The dome crashed down, covering the entire diner and locking the civilians inside.
Aegis Sanctuary plan.
Inside the dome, the chaos vanished. It went dead silent.
The thick walls blocked out the sight of the villains and the loud sounds of the iron pipes.
The civilians looked around, realizing the immediate danger was gone.
Two agency medics walked through the crowd.
"Everyone take a deep breath," a medic said calmly. She handed a water bottle to a shaking mother. "You are safe in here. We will lower the dome when the police finish the arrests."
"Thank God!"
"Mommy! Are we saved?"
"Yes dear. Just wait for the pro heroes.."
"Wait dude, lemme do a live broadcast right now."
Panic subsided instantly.
The medics provided immediate emotional stabilization without the stress of the battle happening outside.
Outside the dome, Phalanx and Ricochet moved in tight formation.
They wrapped the isolated villains in capture tape while Crust held the sanctuary wall steady.
...
Time: Next Day
Location: Shield Agency Briefing Room
TAP.
Kaito pressed the button on his remote.
He stood at the head of the briefing room table.
Crust and every sidekick sat in their chairs, looking up at the digital whiteboard.
Green graphs filled the screen.
"Response times dropped by seven minutes," Kaito read the data. "Pod Alpha secures the sectors before Crust leaves the building."
Kaito clicked the remote again.
"Property damage is zero," Kaito said. "Three major tech corporations signed premium retainer contracts this morning after seeing the bridge rescue on the news."
Kaito set the remote down on the table.
"The agency is not perfect yet," Kaito told them straight up. "We are still understaffed. We need to hire more dispatchers over the next two months to ease Aoto's workload. The work isn't done."
SIGH.
Crust stared at the data on the screen. He let out a long breath.
A massive, satisfied grin spread across his face.
The grueling two weeks of mental retraining actually worked.
The plan was stable. The agency was making money and saving lives cleanly.
CRACK.
Crust cracked his thick knuckles. He looked across the table at Kaito.
"Now that we have managed to do this for two weeks, Manager," Crust rumbled. "Can we finally train on our quirks now?"
"Sure, we can proceed to make all of your quirks stronger.." Kaito smiled.
...
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