The flashes of cameras blinded the afternoon sun, giggles and cheers overwhelming the heavy traffic.
In front of a café, a large crowd of journalists and young girls had gathered, surrounding the foreign Pro Hero who had taken over the Japanese news channels by storm years ago.
Christopher Skyline — Captain Celebrity!
A few black-suited agents from the Hero Public Safety Commission stood on either side of him, keeping the crowd away.
It had already become public knowledge that Captain Celebrity had come from the USA to deliver Hero Killer: Stain. Also, as per the MoU signed between the USA and Japan, he would remain in the country for a while, helping the investigators put the rest of the LA Detention Center incident's perpetrators to justice.
That meant he was here for Shigaraki and Dr. Blessed.
He was after the fastest growing Villain organization in Japan — The Claws of Conformity!
Surprisingly, there was no mention of him going after Dr. Blessed specifically and the organization behind him — the Apostles of Mr. Fool!
None knew from where the word Apostle had sprung up.
Many videos circulating online did show Dr. Blessed openly committing crimes in the name of some Mr. Fool.
Of course, sensing some oddity in Captain Celebrity's goals in the country, the journalists kept prodding for more information regarding the two criminal organizations.
"Haha!" Christopher laughed boisterously, giving the agents a sign. "See ya later, my admirers! I will make sure to get my hands on these Villains as soon as I can!!"
With that, Christopher slipped into the café, the agents dispersing the crowd outside.
"Phew!" The Pro Hero sprawled on a long sofa as a waitress came running and served him an iced coffee, blushing. "This is the drawback of being so handsome… People just can't get enough of me…"
"Cough! Cough!" the waitress suddenly coughed. "Umm… Sir. You cannot smoke in the café…"
Alexander Becking looked at the little thing through the curls of smoke and smiled, the blush on the waitress' face intensifying.
He killed the cigar in his hand and flicked the butt toward Christopher.
Before the cigar butt could hit the Pro's head, though, Koichi, seated on the third side of the table, pushed the air, making it fall into a dustbin on the other side.
"Seriously, you should have joined me for the press, Koichi," Christopher continued, oblivious to his surroundings. "They would have loved to get your interview. Like what you think of me… how good you feel while working with me…"
Alex's white beard twitched, Koichi smiling wryly next to him.
"Your lead is late," the huge man said, looking at Skycrawler.
"Why are you even here?!" Christopher asked, suddenly sitting up. "I thought you had some better things to do… like going back to the US. Why such a sudden interest in my friends?"
My friends?! Koichi's mouth twitched.
Not only Alex, but the same was true for Captain Celebrity as well.
Both had just tagged with him, instead of letting him catch up with his friends first. But, yeah, Koichi realized. They were indeed late…
Suddenly, he spied someone on the other side of the café.
Pink hair. An eyepatch on her left eye. Beautiful.
Koichi was so mesmerized that he didn't even notice Iwao's bulky, stumbling figure behind her.
"Well, who do we have here?" Kazuho smiled, seeing Koichi as she approached the table. "Aren't you America's top hero… Mr. Nice Guy?!"
Koichi stood up, blushing. "Hey, Kazuho…" he stuttered. "Long time no see, huh?"
For a moment, both seemed to forget that there were three hulking men on the scene as well, measuring each other.
Koichi and Kazuho had remained in contact with each other after the former had gone to the USA.
However, with time, the daily talks had died, work and broken memories replacing the insecurities they carried within. The same insecurities that had connected them during their Naruhata Vigilantes days.
Koichi had successfully left those insecurities behind, becoming a well-known Hero in the USA.
Kazuho… had almost succumbed to them, though.
If it weren't for Dr. Blessed, she didn't know where she would be right now. Certainly, not here, staring at the boy who didn't seem to have changed, yet changed a lot at the same time.
"Well," Alex said, staring at Iwao, "you two can arrange a date later…"
Koichi and Kazuho blushed. Christopher levitated and, begrudgingly, sat next to Alex, letting the girl sit next to Skycrawler. The huge man she had arrived with sat opposite the two men, putting away his cane.
Alex reached over the table with his hand. "You might not know me," he said, his blue eyes planted firmly on Iwao's broken leg. "Name's Alexander Becking. You can call me Alex. I am not with these two. Just an interested party…"
"Why don't you go and party somewhere else, then?" Christopher took a jibe before beaming at Iwao. "Old Knuckleduster! How have you been, man?!"
Iwao humbly shook Alex's hand. "Knuckleduster… Haha! That jogged an embarrassing memory," he said, smiling. "Just a white-collar man these days."
"How's Tamao, Mentor…" Koichi paused, blushing heavily. "I mean, Mr. Iwao."
Iwao's expression softened as he looked at Koichi. "She's good," the Swindler said, misdirecting their thoughts. "Looking for a man for him… A single father has nothing better to do anyway…"
Kazuho rammed her elbow into Iwao's side.
Alex, who had been chewing on the feeling that he had seen Iwao before somewhere, suddenly sighed, letting go of that feeling.
"… I am sorry to barge into this meeting, Mr. Iwao and Ms. Kazuho," he said, the tone of his voice instantly making all smiles vanish. "I hope you know why we are here. Skycrawler told us that you would have some information for us…"
"… Anything will be fine," Koichi nodded. "We got some details from the Commission but…"
Iwao nodded in understanding. "I don't know how much I will be of help," he admitted. "As I said, I am not active anymore. Still, when Koichi called me, I gathered some information through my old contacts. Nothing new that the Commission doesn't have, but… with my personal touch."
Iwao took out some documents and passed them to Alex and Christopher.
"This is all we have on Stain and…" he said, "… Dr. Blessed. If you have any questions, you are free to ask them."
As the meeting truly began, a raven eyed the group from outside the window, tapping its claws on the glass rhythmically.
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