CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
"Where's my supersuit?"
It was a simple question — one that Re-Destro chose to deflect.
"I heard about your deeds today. While I was the one who authorized the mission, it still pains me dearly to hear such news," Re-Destro said, clutching his chest as a tear rolled down his cheek.
Needless theatrics. This man had a heart as cold as the underworld.
Rio just raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Look, old man, if you can't get the whole thing ready, at least show me there's been some progress."
It had been over a year since he'd accumulated enough merit to warrant a reward of such caliber, yet it seemed he had overestimated the scientists at Detnerat.
"You need to give it some time. The only organization in the world with the capability to handle a material as powerful as Condenium is I-Island — maybe U.A., and that's only because I wouldn't put it past that damn mouse to have figured something out."
"If it was so beyond your abilities, you could've indicated that from the start!"
Clearly, neither of them would back down. It was a promise Re-Destro had made of his own volition; refusing now would be unreasonable.
"All I'm saying is that you'll have to wait if you want a satisfactory result. To speed things up would cost us more resources for the same outcome."
"But we haven't just been twiddling our thumbs over the past year. Here — take this."
Re-Destro tossed a small carton box at Rio, who deftly caught it. Opening it, he was met with a pair of bright yellow combat boots.
"Why are they so ugly?"
"Huh!" Re-Destro stood up in indignation. "This is the crystallization of the company's efforts for over a year — a Condenium-mesh composite. Near-indestructible durability, allowing for movement at supersonic speeds without sacrificing comfort. Adaptive temperature regulation, kinetic dampening, gyro stabilizers — you might as well have asked us to make them weightless too!"
Rio scratched his head sheepishly. He might have gone a little overboard with his requests, but he didn't force Re-Destro to agree to them in the first place.
Re-Destro massaged his forehead. He had so much to attend to, so many affairs to juggle, he couldn't afford to waste time on trivialities.
Speaking of trivialities...
"Rio, I can sense your impatience, so I'm offering you an opportunity. If you perform well here, I'll see to it that your suit is ready in a month."
Rio could tell that Re-Destro was pained by the situation, but his face had settled into a hard line of determination — like he'd just decided on something of the utmost importance.
"It's a mission that only you, with your unique quirk, can handle. You'll gather information in hostile enemy territory and relay it to me personally before returning — with none the wiser. I need you to head to Italy."
"I refuse!"
That was completely out of the question. He had school, and his family was here in Japan. There were too many responsibilities to abandon. There was no way he'd run off to Europe.
"Don't be so quick to shoot me down, Rio. There's something of utmost importance to you there as well."
Re-Destro reached into his desk and pulled out a photograph. Staring at the image solemnly, he handed it to Rio.
"We sighted your brother in Europe. He seemed to have some dealings with the Golloni crime family."
Rio stood shell-shocked as he stared at the figure in the frame.
Taller now, his face more rugged — but Rio would recognize that face anywhere.
It was his older brother, Takeru.
"How long have you known?"
Rio was seething. He grabbed Re-Destro's collar in his rage, pulling the man face-to-face.
He had already given up hope of ever finding his brother, praying only that — wherever he was — he was safe. Yet Re-Destro had known. He knew all this while and said nothing.
Re-Destro looked at the hand on his collar with eerie calm.
"Unhand me."
Rio still held firm in defiance — until he met Re-Destro's cold stare. One that promised violence.
"Now."
Rio slowly let go and stepped away.
"Honestly… I truly didn't know where he was. It wasn't until I started an investigation into the crime families of Italy that I captured this image," Re-Destro said innocently, face full of sincerity.
But Rio didn't believe it. He could smell the dirty lies of a seasoned politician.
He stormed off, cursing Re-Destro as he exited the office.
"Get your affairs in order before the week runs out. Gather at the top of the tower by Saturday."
Rio didn't like his tone — that wasn't a request.
He hated even more that he would acquiesce.
Rio said nothing as he turned on his heels and walked away, the box still tucked underneath his arm.
He offered no parting words. There were no words of gratitude for the contents of the box, and Rio didn't deign to give a parting glance.
Still, Re-Destro watched him go.
He sighed, visibly upset by Rio's reaction, but when his figure passed through the doorway—practically buzzing with contained energy—Re-Destro couldn't stop the small smile that involuntarily rose from him.
"Damn brat… You and I are really similar."
Outside the headquarters, Dekai City roared quietly in the distance, its endless skyline blurring into the smog-tinted sky.
Rio took a breath—the kind you took when things were just barely making sense again.
His phone buzzed.
Momo Yaoyorozu's name flashed across the screen, followed by an enthusiastic message:
"CALL ME NOW!! ☀️🚨✨"
He raised a brow and then called. "Momo?"
"Rio!" she chirped, practically bouncing through the speaker. "You need to come over… NOW. I've got something incredible to show you!"
He blinked in confusion but nodded nevertheless. "Okay?"
"Fantastic then. Get here quickly."
It must be something extraordinary, since always-composed Momo was so excited—like a kid just before Christmas morning.
Rio was about to take off but stopped as he remembered he had yet to try out his new contraption.
He took off his sneakers and put on the yellow boots—ugly as sin and heavy to boot, but it was a manageable weight.
Rio made a sprinter's pose, and at the sound of an imaginary gunshot, he sprung into motion.
The Speed Force quirk responded to his call like a beast unchained.
Rio surged forward as his figure parted the winds, the very laws of physics bending around him to enable such feats of speed without affecting the external environment.
Buildings surged past like a blur. Their figures would be difficult for any to make out, but for Rio the world couldn't possibly have been clearer.
Mach 12
That was what he determined. It could be higher, or perhaps a bit lower than that—any precise estimates would need the help of tools to measure with any accuracy.
That was not his limit.
Far from it. He knew he could push even further, but that was no longer the point and would serve no use.
Any faster now and I'll burn through these clothes before I even get there.
He didn't want to show up at Momo's house naked… again.
In less than five minutes, the rolling gates of the Yaoyorozu estate came into view, and the security systems—already keyed into his bio-signals—allowed him through without delay.
The garden was as pristine as ever, perfectly trimmed hedges and softly bubbling fountains guiding him toward the grand structure ahead.
He entered without knocking.
Down the main hallway, past the study, down the spiral staircase—and then finally, he found her.
"Rio!" came her voice as Momo crashed into him for a hug, arms wrapping tightly around his waist, her ponytail bouncing against his shoulder.
"You made it."
"Duh." He hugged her back, letting the warmth settle in before pulling back. "What's got you all worked up today?"
Momo took a step forward and stilled. Her breathing slowed. Eyes focused. She raised her right hand and began to concentrate—deeply.
Then it began.
A faint pink glow flickered to life around her palm, swirling softly like a wisp of smoke. It danced and shifted, almost scanning her hand, as if calculating every ridge of her skin, every joint, every tendon.
Slowly, it took shape.
The glow hardened, dimmed—and in its place sat a gleaming red gauntlet. It looked heavy, solid, and beautifully engineered.
Rio raised an eyebrow. "Why red?"
Momo blinked. "The prototype they showed me was red, so I guess I subconsciously stuck with it. Don't mind that little detail," she added with a huff. "Focus on what it can do instead."
She inhaled sharply, bracing herself, then turned toward the far wall. With a single motion, she pulled her fist back—and punched.
A boom echoed through the chamber.
The concrete cratered instantly. Chunks of stone blasted outward, and beneath the rubble, a thick metal reinforcement layer groaned from the impact. Dead center, a fist-shaped dent sat embedded deep within the steel.
Rio blinked. "Damn."
She flexed her fingers. "My dad commissioned a group of scientists to develop a mini exoskeleton system—something that would let me hit like a quirk-enhanced brawler."
Rio stepped closer to the wall, running his fingers along the dent. It was deep—at least five inches in. And that was only because the room was reinforced; in any other space, she would have caused an untold amount of structural damage.
"That's five tonnes of force. Maybe more. With strikes like that, you could take down entire buildings."
He turned back to her, eyes gleaming with genuine awe.
"What powers it?"
Momo held up her arm, revealing a small port on the underside of the gauntlet. "It uses a rare compound that generates electricity. The thing is, it's unstable. Short half-life, volatile… it's effectively useless anywhere else because it can't be stored properly. But since I can create it on the go, its effectiveness is maximized considerably."
She smiled.
"I feed the gauntlet with micrograms of it after every action. It's a constant feedback loop—one punch, one dose. A few grams can power a hit like that."
Rio nodded slowly. "So it's not just a gadget—it's a combat system tailor-made for you. No one else could use it effectively. It'd be too costly to mass-produce, and the energy source needs to be replenished constantly."
"Exactly," she said, satisfied. "Only someone with my quirk could make this viable in real combat."
She raised her left hand, a glint in her eyes. "But that's not all."
Another pink glow sparked to life—this time on the opposite hand. It formed quickly, shaping itself into a sleek blue gauntlet.
The air hummed.
A soft vibration followed, and then—WHOOSH—a concentrated shot of compressed sonic waves launched from her palm and slammed into the already damaged wall, shaking the entire chamber.
Rio laughed. "You really like destroying stuff, huh—?"
He stopped.
Momo swayed slightly, her chest rising and falling faster than before. Her skin had gone pale, her breathing shallow.
He was beside her in an instant, catching her arm before she fell.
"Momo—hey. You okay?"
"I'm fine," she whispered. "Just gassed. It's a lot more complex than what I'm used to. I burned too much fat too quickly."
Holding her close, Rio could feel it—the faint tremor in her limbs, the sharpness of her collarbone pressing through her shirt, the lightness of her frame.
She'd lost weight. A lot of it.
He frowned. "Maybe you should get really fat. Like… six hundred kilos. You'd never run out of fuel."
Momo let out a weak chuckle, then raised her left palm. A tiny pulse of blue light zapped his chest with a playful sting.
"Die."
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