“My Hero Academia: Temporal Gamer”

Cassidy continued typing, her fingers flying across the keyboard with a practiced precision. She was meticulous.

As Cassidy continued typing, she stole a quick glance at Calvas. "You're also going to attend school as a foreign exchange student," she said, matter-of-factly. "Plus, it gives you a legitimate reason to be in Japan. We'll register you at a school, and your records will be integrated into the system by tomorrow."

Calvas blinked, frowning. "Wait… I'm attending school?" Like, actually attend classes?"

Osamu turned to Calvas. "Yes, it's necessary. School records are part of your cover. Without them, it'll look suspicious. You don't want anyone asking why a 15-year-old doesn't attend school. School gives you a place to fit in, and it makes your story more believable. Plus, foreign students aren't unusual. It's common enough, no one will question it."

Cassidy nodded, not looking up from the monitor.

Calvas slumped a bit at that. 'School… again? Seriously?' He couldn't help the groan that escaped him. 'I barely survived school the first time around, and now I have to do it all over again? In this world?' The thought of going through classes, dealing with teachers, and—worst of all—hormonal teenagers with quirks. 'This sucks.'

Cassidy stretched her fingers, cracking her knuckles.

She placed her hand on the hard drive connected to the computer, and in an instant, faint lines of light began to glow from her fingertips. The lines spread across the surface of the hard drive like digital vines, twisting and branching out in intricate, web-like patterns that resembled circuits. The soft glow pulsed through the drive.

Calvas watched in awe, his mouth slightly agape.

Cassidy glanced up, catching his expression, and smirked. "Try not to drool over my setup," she teased, not missing a beat as her fingers flew over the keyboard again.

Calvas blinked, snapping his mouth shut.

 "This is my quirk—Data Tap," she said casually. "I can connect with and manipulate any electronic system I touch. Right now, I'm embedding all the data into the official system. You'll exist for real once I'm done with this."

Calvas watched in awe as the light faded. 'That's… kinda cool.' Seeing quirks up close was still new to him, and the way Cassidy's worked was impressive. 

She glanced at Osamu. "I'll need to finalize all the documents tonight. Osamu will bring you the ID and the visa paperwork tomorrow. Embedding the data into the system requires some time, but once the process is complete, you will be officially registered."

Calvas nodded, 'So this is how it works…'

Osamu patted his shoulder. "Relax. Cassidy's the best at this. You'll be fully legit by tomorrow."

Cassidy flashed him a brief but genuine smile before turning back to her monitors, her fingers already flying across the keyboard. "Don't worry about it," she said over her shoulder. "Welcome to the team, by the way."

As she focused on the screens in front of her, Cassidy grabbed a smartphone from a nearby table without even looking at Calvas. The phone was sleek, matte black. She didn't stop typing as she handed it over to him, her hand briefly glowing with circuit-like patterns that spread across the surface of the phone. The lights flickered for a second before fading.

"Here," she said, still not taking her eyes off the monitors. "It's a phone. Specially modified. Basic stuff like maps, contacts for the team, and even a language-learning program I added—just for you."

Calvas took the phone, turning it over in his hands. The device was slightly heavier than it looked. He raised an eyebrow, glancing at Osamu, who was already signaling toward the exit.

Osamu gestured for Calvas to follow. "That phone'll help you get around," he explained, his tone casual but firm. "Don't lose it. Cassidy's loaded it with everything you'll need—maps, contacts, the works."

As they moved toward the door, Osamu added, "It's also got a feature for emergencies. Sends a beacon, a distress signal, to the rest of the team. They'll get your exact coordinates, so we can find you. Just don't go hitting it unless you really need to."

Calvas pocketed the phone, feeling slightly more grounded. 'A modded phone with everything I need… that's one way to make sure I don't get lost.' As they reached the doorway, he looked up at Osamu, a question forming in his mind.

"How many others are in this group?" he asked, his tone a bit more curious than before.

Osamu didn't break stride as he pushed open the door to the street. He glanced back at Calvas, his expression unreadable. "You'll meet them soon enough."

****

As they exited the izakaya, the cool night air hit Calvas, a stark contrast to the warmth inside. He glanced at Osamu, who seemed to move with an easy confidence, leading him around to the side of the building.

'So… where are we heading now?' Calvas wondered, glancing around the empty streets.

Osamu turned the corner and gestured to a sleek, black car parked close by. Calvas blinked in surprise, raising his eyebrows.

"This is your car?" he asked, the surprise clear in his voice. He hadn't really imagined Osamu owning a car. The whole underground, covert team made him picture them always on the run, without the luxuries of regular transport.

Osamu smirked, opening the driver's side door. "Can't walk to everything, kid."

Calvas chuckled, sliding into the passenger seat. As Osamu started the car, a quiet hum filled the space, and the city outside became a blur of lights as they drove off.

A few moments of silence passed before Calvas spoke up again. "So… where are we going now?"

Osamu glanced at him from the corner of his eye, keeping his tone casual. "I'm taking you to an apartment complex. One of the team members is staying there, and you'll be sharing the place with him for now." He paused for a beat. "He's our youngest member, actually."

Calvas frowned slightly at the news. "Right," he said, shifting to practical matters. "And what about… you know, the money situation? Am I getting paid? Do I need to get a job or something?"

Osamu chuckled at the question. "Cassidy handles all that," he explained. "But yeah, we've got resources. You won't be rolling in cash, but you'll have enough for food, clothes, and the basics. We've got connections, people who help fund what we do. Some are sponsors, some are benefactors. It's complicated, but it works."

Calvas nodded slowly. 'So they're not just some ragtag group scraping by.'

Osamu continued, his tone more serious now. "We take jobs from people who can't go to heroes. Sometimes it's guarding someone, sometimes it's tracking down criminals. The money comes from those jobs, or favors we do for certain contacts. Cassidy's got a whole network set up."

Calvas leaned back in his seat, processing. "So… you guys are like mercenaries?"

Osamu let out a short laugh. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that. But we don't take anything that goes against what we stand for. Sometimes, sure, we need the money, but it doesn't hurt to do some good while we're at it."

Calvas raised an eyebrow. "I thought heroes got paid well. Isn't that enough?"'

Osamu's expression changed, his eyes narrowing slightly as he focused on the road. 

"Most heroes, especially the big-name ones, sure—they've got sponsorships, government backing, all that. But the real issue, competition. It's fierce. You've got heroes with flashy, powerful quirks, ones that grab headlines, or those with charisma who can work the crowd. "Hell, even the ones with a certain… appeal," he added, with a slight smirk. "Those are the ones who make it big. The rest? They might have their license, but they're just another name on a long list."

Calvas nodded thoughtfully. "So the others just… struggle to keep up?"

"There's a base salary," Osamu began, "How good it is? That depends on the agency you're with. Big agencies can offer something decent, but the real money? That's in the extras. Saving lives, stopping villains, taking down major threats—those are what bring in the bonuses. But getting those chances? That's the hard part, and those opportunities might not even come your way."

He glanced briefly at Calvas before continuing. "Villains don't exactly send invitations, and high-profile cases? They're a whole different game. You need to be in the right place at the right time, have the right connections, or just plain luck out. And if you're working for a smaller agency or don't have a flashy quirk? Good luck. Those chances go to the heroes who stand out, the ones people notice."

Osamu smirked faintly, his eyes flicking back to the road. "It's not just about skill. If you're not in people's faces, if your quirk doesn't grab attention or scream 'hero,' you'll be overlooked. Even the most capable heroes end up fighting for scraps while the big names with the spotlight rake it in. That's how the system works—it's all about who gets the attention."

He let out a short chuckle, his tone dipping into something almost resigned. "In the end, it's not that heroes don't get paid. It's just that if you're not one of the lucky few with the right quirk or the right image, you're always going to be playing catch-up. And that? It's a damn hard game to win."

Calvas leaned back in his seat, "Did you ever have that problem? I mean, you're a hero, right? Did you have to deal with all that competition?"

Osamu glanced at him, his smirk returning, "I've got my license, yeah. I'm a hero. But I didn't care about climbing the ranks or grabbing the spotlight. That's not my style." He paused for a moment. "See, I use the title when I need to, but I'm not out there trying to make a name for myself. It's a good cover, though—being licensed gets you places when you need to."

Calvas raised an eyebrow. 'That's smart.'

Osamu's eyes flicked back to the road. "I could have pushed for more, sure, but this?" He gestured vaguely around them, as if indicating the larger world they operated in. "This is where the real work happens. Being in the spotlight? It makes you a target. I'm good with staying in the shadows, getting the job done without all the noise."

Osamu shot him a quick glance, a knowing look in his eyes. "People tend to underestimate those who don't chase fame. And that's exactly where I like to be."