[Native's Hero Agency]
Inside a modest office building, sitting behind a desk, was the man himself.
Native looked exactly like his profile in the wiki. His hero costume—a brown tunic with tribal patterns stitched along the hem, an "N" symbol on the front, and a simple feathered headband on his forehead.
"You're the UA kid," Native stood up, offering a hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Native"
Haruto took the hand, giving it a firm shake while his eyes darted around the room.
"Haruto Akagi. And I have to say, Native-san, I like the vibe. It's very minimalist-heroism"
Native let out an easygoing chuckle, leaning back against his desk and crossing his arms.
"Glad you like it, because what you see is what you get," Native said with a smile.
"I'll be honest with you, Akagi, I normally don't take interns. It's a lot of extra paperwork"
He gestured vaguely toward a stack of documents on the corner of his desk.
"But this was a direct request from the Hero Public Safety Commission. They were pretty insistent that you'd benefit from seeing how an independent agency operates in the field. I don't know who you impressed over there to get them to pull strings, but hey, I could use an extra pair of eyes."
"The Commission, huh?" Haruto let out a snort. "Man, they really are like a caring grandma, aren't they? It's like they're worried I'm not eating enough real-world experience"
He mimicked a shaky voice, wagging a finger in the air.
"Now Haruto, dear, don't just stay in the big flashy schools. You need to go visit nice Mr. Native and learn some practical life skills!"
Native stared at him for a moment, his expression unreadable.
"Pfft—"
A suppressed wheeze escaped his nose before a loud laugh broke the quiet of the office.
"A caring grandma!" Native repeated, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.
"I've been doing this for a long time, kid, and that's a first. Most people talk about the Commission like a bunch of scary suits. Hearing them described as an old lady? That's going to stick with me."
He shook his head, still chuckling as he grabbed a utility belt from a hook.
"I like the attitude. But 'Grandma' wants me to watch over you, so go get changed."
Native tossed a handheld radio toward him, which Haruto caught.
"Meet me back here in ten minutes," Native said with a wink. "We've got a lot of ground to cover, and Hosu isn't getting any smaller."
***
Ten minutes later, the office door swung open.
Haruto emerged wearing his signature crimson hoodie, a black face mask that covered his nose and mouth, paired with tactical goggles, a utility belt around his waist, and two swords strapped on his back.
Native looked him up and down, whistling through his teeth.
"Minimalist and practical. I like it."
"Actually," Haruto said, pulling down his mask.
"It's a direct homage to Spider-Man's first suit. It's a classic. The 'everyman' low-budget aesthetic."
Native blinked, genuinely confused as he adjusted his feathered headband.
"Spider-who?"
"Native-san, please. You're hurting me. You're physically wounding my soul," Haruto said, looking disappointed.
"Spider-Man! The wall-crawler? The web-shooter? The guy whose uncle died just so the plot could advance?"
"Never heard of him," Native shrugged, stepping out of the office. "Sounds like he'd have a specialized quirk. Mutation-type?"
"Honestly," Haruto muttered, falling into step behind him.
"The cultural literacy of this universe is a zero out of ten. I bet you think a 'Bat-Man' is just some guy with a sonar quirk who works at a local radar station."
"I mean, there is a guy in the next district, named Wing-Ding who looks like a bat." Native offered helpfully.
"Wing-Ding?! If the guy is named Wing-Ding, then what is his nemesis named? Mr. Jingles? Does he tell terrible jokes while committing tax fraud." Haruto said, nearly tripping over his own feet as he followed Native out the door.
Native let out a dry snort.
"I think you're overthinking it, Akagi. He is just a nice person with a good sense of humor."
"I refuse to believe this society survived the Dawn of Quirks just to produce a man named Wing-Ding," Haruto muttered, adjusting his goggles.
"The Commission needs to know about this immediately," Haruto muttered.
"If we allow Wing-Ding to exist, we are effectively inviting the 'Batman Who Laughs' to drop by for a visit. Do you want a dark multiverse incursion? Because that's how you get a dark multiverse incursion."
Native just kept walking, a smirk playing on his lips.
Little does he know, the patrol through Hosu will be a true test to his sanity.
***
[11:45 AM]
They were walking past a quiet park when Haruto suddenly froze.
He crouched low, his eyes narrowing as he stared at an elderly woman sitting on a bench, throwing breadcrumbs at a flock of pigeons.
"Target identified," Haruto whispered into his radio, despite being two feet away from Native.
"Native-san, she's weaponizing the avian population. She's the Pigeon Queen. We need to move before she commands the swarm."
Native blinked, looking at the old lady who was currently struggling to open a thermos.
"Akagi... that's Mrs. Tanaka. She's been feeding those birds since I was in high school."
"A classic cover story!" Haruto hissed. "Look at the pigeons, Native-san! They're organized!"
"They're forming a circle because that's where the bread is," Native countered, gently grabbing Haruto by the back of his hoodie.
"Unless she starts throwing explosives, we're moving on."
"Your choice, Native-san" Haruto muttered, walking backward for a few steps to keep his eyes on the "Queen" until they turned the corner.
"But if I get pecked to death, I'm putting it in my internship review."
***
[12:20 PM]
They stopped in front of a row of vending machines. Native reached into his pocket for some change, but Haruto was already standing in front of a machine that sold canned coffee.
"Native-san," Haruto said.
He pointed at the blinking 'Sold Out' light on the Black Coffee selection. "Do you see it?"
Native paused, he was about to insert a coin.
"See what? It's empty, Akagi. It happens. I'll just get the green tea."
"No, that's exactly what it wants you to do," Haruto countered, leaning in so close to the glass.
"This isn't a supply issue, Native-san. Look at the angles? The hidden hinges?"
Native blinked, looking between the machine and Haruto.
"It's a box that holds drinks, kid."
"That's what Sam Witwicky thought!" Haruto hissed, leaning in.
"This thing is clearly a Decepticon scout. It's gatekeeping the caffeine to weaken the local hero population before it transforms into a ten-foot-tall robot with a grudge."
Native sighed, dropping his coin. "It's not a robot in disguise, Akagi. It's just a vending machine."
"That's exactly what Megatron would want you to think," Haruto muttered, reluctantly pressing the button for an orange soda.
"Just pick a juice and let's keep moving." Native sighed.
"Fine," Haruto muttered, reluctantly pressing the button for an orange soda.
"But don't say the guy in the red hoodie didn't warn you. This is how it begins, Native-san. First, they withhold the caffeine, and before you know it, we're all bowing down to our new overlord"
***
[13:00 PM]
As they turned into a narrow residential street, a man was hunched over the engine bay of a parked car, He was sweating, glancing nervously at the surrounding.
Native's hand twitched toward his belt, his posture sharpening. "A car theft. Akagi st—"
"Native-san, please," Haruto interrupted. "That's clearly just a forgetful owner. He obviously dropped his keys down a drain and is now forced to hot-wire his own car. Very relatable, honestly."
Haruto then stopped dead in his tracks, pointing a finger at a small cat sitting on a garden wall. The cat was licking its paw.
"But that... look at that." Haruto whispered.
"That's a cat, Akagi," Native deadpanned, his eyes still tracked on the car thief.
"Tsk, tsk. Native-san, your lack of situational awareness is terrifying," Haruto said, shaking his head with disappointment.
"Look at that tongue movement, that feline is doing recon. It's transmitting our coordinates back to a secret feline syndicate. We need to jam the signal before they storm in."
Native groaned, finally deciding to prioritize the literal felony in progress "Just... stay behind me and try not to interrogate the cat!"
"No promises!" Haruto called out, following Native. "I'm telling you, Native-san, that cat is a professional! Look at that tail twitch"
***
[14:00 PM]
Native stopped at a busy intersection, his eyes scanning the crowd for anything truly out of place.
He spotted a group of three men in heavy trench coats standing near a parked black sedan, their eyes darting toward the local bank's side entrance.
"Akagi, look." Native whispered, his body tensing for a sprint.
"Those guys are checking the security cameras. The one on the left has a concealed weapon under that coat, I'd bet my license on it."
Haruto didn't even glance at them. Instead, his gaze was locked onto a four-year-old girl standing by a fountain, happily blowing bubbles from a plastic wand.
"Native-san, focus. We have a Level 7 Bio-Hazard event in progress," Haruto said.
"The kid with the bubbles?" Native asked, deadpan. "You're doing the bit again. Akagi, those guys are literally pulling out masks."
"Masks? Please Native-san, they are probably late for a cosplay party"
Haruto pointed a finger at a particularly large, bubble floating toward a businessman's briefcase.
"But look at that Native-san. That's not soap. That's a concentrated neurotoxin. That child is a rogue chemical engineer from a rival dimension testing the 'Bubble-pocalypse' on our unsuspecting populace."
"She has a unicorn backpack, Akagi."
"A genius camouflage choice!" Haruto stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Think about it. One pop? And you are bubble-zombie. We need to secure the wand before she launches her attack!"
"THEY ARE LITERALLY KICKING THE DOOR IN, KID!" Native yelled, finally losing it.
"They're probably just worried the bank is closing early and want to check their savings accounts." Haruto countered, though he finally turned his head just enough them barging into the bank.
He let out a long sigh of disappointment.
"Fine, fine. We'll handle the cosplayers. But if we all turn into mindless soap-zombies, I'm totally saying: 'I told you so'."
[15:45 PM]
Native pushed open the door of a small food shop.
"Two large Chicken Katsudon sets," He called out to the chef, sliding onto a wooden stool.
Haruto didn't sit. He remained standing, staring at the chef's rapid knife-work.
He leaned toward Native, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Native-san, abort. We need to evacuate the premises immediately."
Native didn't even look up. "If you say the chef is an Assassin, I'm sending you back to UA on a bus, Akagi."
"Worse," Haruto hissed. "This level of precision… it's a Shokugeki waiting to happen. Native-san, look at the steam! If we take one bite of that, there is a ninety-eight percent chance our clothes will spontaneously disintegrate"
"What?" Native said, confused.
"It's a 'Foodgasm' trap!" Haruto gestured wildly at the kitchen.
"I've seen it a hundred times! First, you taste the food, then there's a dramatic gust of wind inside your mind, and suddenly we're standing in a field of sunflowers in our birthday suits while a giant version of the chef judges our souls. Do you really want to explain that to the Hero Public Safety Commission? Sorry, Grandma, the chicken was so tender it rendered my clothes obsolete."
Native stared at him. The silence was heavy, until the chef set two steaming bowls in front of them, the eggs perfectly marbled over the golden chicken.
"Enjoy" the chef grunted.
Haruto stared at the bowl as if it were a live grenade.
"I'm going to taste it first," Haruto muttered, his hand trembling.
"If I start glowing or if my hoodie starts tearing, grab my swords and run. Don't look back, Native-san. Save yourself from public indecency!"
Native let out a long groan and shoveled a heap of rice and chicken into his mouth.
"It's just food, kid. Eat so we can finish the patrol."
"That's what they all think until the flavor-spirit of a thousand chickens tears through their stitching!" Haruto insisted.
"I've seen the documentaries! Once the 'Food-Porn' logic kicks in, gravity and fabric mean nothing!"
Native just rubbed his temples, staring into his noodles. "I'm calling the Commission."
****
[Somewhere else in Hosu]
"Relax Tenya, if you're too stiff, the people will feel like they're being guarded by a statue. A hero needs to be approachable."
They turned a corner, passing a quiet park. Tensei slowed to a halt, leaning against a railing and looking out over the city.
"Tenya," Tensei's voice dropped, the casual tone replaced by a somber one.
"You've been doing great at UA. But seeing you here, in the suit... it reminds me how fast the world is changing. And how dangerous it's becoming."
"I am aware of the risks, Brother," Tenya replied firmly. "The USJ incident proved that villains are becoming more organized."
"Yeah, there are people out there who don't just want to steal or cause chaos. They want to tear down this era of peace."
He turned to look Tenya directly in the eyes.
"Listen Tenya, I never told you, but I... I ran into the Hero Killer"
Tenya stiffened.
"The Hero Killer? Was it during the Sports Festival? You said it was a routine skirmish."
"I lied," Tensei said bluntly. "I didn't want you to worry. But the truth is... he had me. I got paralyzed by his Quirk. I was looking up at his blade, and for the first time in my life, I truly thought: this is the end."
Tenya felt a cold shiver run down his spine. The thought of his brother being seconds away from death weighted on his chest.
"But I was saved," Tensei continued, his gaze drifting back to the horizon.
"By two of the strangest individuals I've ever seen. One was a man in a weir d costume, he grabbed me and started running. He kept arguing with himself, shouting about random stuff"
"And with him, was a girl, blonde hair and messy buns. Probably the same age as you. She was standing her ground against the Hero Killer, holding a handgun, providing time for us to get away"
"A girl my age? Were they pro Heroes!" Tenya gasped.
"No. To be honest, I have no idea who they were. But the girl said something about having a 'Boss', so they are probably some group of vigilantes"
He tightened his grip on Tenya's shoulder.
"The reason I'm telling you this now is because Stain still out there. He doesn't go after civilians, but if you run into him don't get any stupid ideas, just run away and call a Hero agency."
"Understood." Tenya said.
The words Haruto had spoken then—words Tenya had dismissed as the ramblings of a class clown—now rang in his ears.
Hypothetical. Your brother. Tensei. Great guy. Loves justice. One day, a villain hurts him bad. The system moves like a grandma in the left lane. What do you do, Iida? Trust in the process? Or go full John Wick?
'Is it a coincidence?' Tenya thought.
"Tenya? You're lagging behind!" Tensei called out, glancing back with a grin. "Don't tell me your engines are overheating already!"
"Coming, Brother!" Tenya shouted back, pushing his engines to catch up.