Chapter 3: C3
Daily chapter guys
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Kai spent the rest of the day in the alley, testing the limits of his Stockpile quirk. By sunset, he'd learned a few critical things: he could absorb energy in small increments over time, different types of energy felt distinct as they settled into his body, and if he released too much at once, his muscles cramped painfully.
"Note to self," Kai muttered, leaning against the wall to catch his breath, "overcharging your arm equals instant regret. Got it."
He looked up at the darkening sky, a faint sense of unease creeping in. His rich-kid memories resurfaced, reminding him that his parents were probably losing their minds. A private tutor, a small army of security staff, and a mansion to search—someone was bound to find him soon.
As if on cue, a familiar voice shouted from the end of the alley. "Young master Kai!"
Kai groaned. His family's head butler, a sharp-eyed man named Sugihara, jogged toward him with surprising speed for someone nearing seventy. Sugihara's pristine black suit and stern expression made it clear: the fun was over.
"You've had us worried sick!" Sugihara scolded, grabbing Kai's arm. "Sneaking out like this—do you realize the trouble you've caused?"
Kai sighed but didn't resist. "Sorry, Sugihara. Just... needed some air."
The butler's eyes narrowed. "And the smell of sweat and... burnt concrete? What have you been doing?"
"Uh... street performance?" Kai offered, grinning weakly.
Sugihara frowned but didn't press further. "Your parents will want a word with you. Come."
As they reached the family car, Kai stared out the window during the drive back to the estate, his mind racing.
The mansion loomed ahead, an extravagant fusion of traditional Japanese architecture and modern luxury. Inside, his parents waited in the grand sitting room, their faces a mix of relief and frustration. His mother, a poised woman with sharp features softened by worry, pulled him into a hug.
"You scared us, Kai," she murmured.
"Sorry, Mom," Kai replied genuinely. "I just needed a break."
His father, a tall man with an air of authority, crossed his arms. "Running off is unacceptable. We've invested too much in your education for you to treat it lightly."
Kai bit back a retort. He'd just gained a new lease on life, and he wasn't about to waste it arguing over tutoring. "I'll do better," he said earnestly.
His father raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical, but said nothing more. Kai was ushered back to his room, where he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
The next morning, Kai was up early. His new life wasn't going to start itself. First, he needed to understand the hero system in this world. He scoured the internet for information, reading about U.A. High School, Pro Heroes, and notable events.
"Okay," he said to himself, scrolling through a video of All Might's battles. "U.A. is the place to be. Step one: get strong enough to pass the entrance exam. Step two: survive school without embarrassing myself."
He grinned, excitement bubbling in his chest. Stockpile gave him the potential to be a powerhouse if he used it wisely. He just needed a training plan.
Sneaking out again wasn't an option—Sugihara would be on high alert—but the mansion grounds were vast. He spent the next few days quietly experimenting in the secluded areas of the estate, absorbing energy from things like running water in fountains or sunlight on the patio.
By the end of the week, Kai discovered a crucial detail: the more energy he absorbed, the heavier his body felt, like it was adjusting to carry a growing weight. Releasing the energy lightened him, but if he stored too much without using it, his limbs grew sluggish.
"So... no hoarding energy like a dragon sitting on treasure," he mused, stretching his arms. "Good to know."
One evening, while practicing his quirk near the garden, Kai heard a faint crackling sound. He turned to see an ashy spark flicker through the air. His heart raced as he followed the sound to a young boy standing near the fence, staring at his hands.
The kid looked familiar: spiky blond hair, a cocky smirk—Katsuki Bakugo.
Kai froze. This was Bakugo, destined to become one of the strongest heroes in the world. The idea of introducing himself was both thrilling and terrifying.
"Hey, kid," Kai said cautiously, walking closer. "What are you doing out here?"
Bakugo's eyes narrowed. "Who're you,"
Kai chuckled, shrugging. "Just a guy messing around with quirks. Looks like you've got some cool stuff going on yourself."
Bakugo smirked, holding up his hand as a tiny explosion popped from his palm. "I'm gonna be the strongest hero ever. Better remember my name, loser."
Kai couldn't help but grin. "Oh, I'll remember. But don't be surprised when I catch up to you."
The challenge in his tone made Bakugo's smirk widen. "You wish. Later."
As Bakugo sauntered off, Kai's grin faded into a thoughtful expression. Meeting Bakugo was a reminder: this world was real, and the people in it were destined for greatness. If he wanted to stand alongside them, he had work to do.
"Time to step it up," Kai murmured. "No excuses."
Kai stood in the middle of the expansive garden, the moonlight casting long shadows across the manicured lawn. He clenched his fists, feeling the faint hum of energy stockpiled in his core. His brief encounter with Bakugo had lit a fire under him, pushing him to test his limits even further. But he needed to think carefully about how to proceed. Rushing headlong into things wasn't going to help.
"Okay," he muttered to himself, pacing. "Let's not go crazy. First, figure out what this quirk can't do."
He crouched by the small koi pond and dipped his hand into the cool water. Closing his eyes, he focused on absorbing the thermal energy, but nothing happened. The water's temperature remained unchanged, and no warmth pooled inside him.
"Alright, so it's not that kind of energy," Kai said, wiping his hand on his pants. "Maybe I can only absorb energy from movement, heat sources, or direct impact. Makes sense—no pulling fire out of water anytime soon."
He stood up and stretched, rolling his shoulders. His earlier experiments had left his arms feeling heavy and sluggish, a reminder of the stockpile's limits. Too much energy stored at once, and he started to feel bogged down, like carrying a backpack full of bricks.
"Guess I need to figure out how to manage that better," he mused, walking toward the low stone wall that bordered the garden. He pressed his palms flat against it, experimenting with releasing small bursts of energy. The vibrations traveled through the stone, faint but controlled. It wasn't flashy, but it proved he could channel stored energy into something precise.
Kai leaned against the wall and gazed at the distant city lights, his thoughts drifting. He thought about his parents, who probably wouldn't understand his newfound determination, and the world of heroes waiting for him beyond the gates of his sheltered life.
What would it take to get to U.A.? The entrance exam wasn't just a test of quirks—it was about creativity, quick thinking, and strategy. The kind of stuff that required more than brute force.
The next morning, Kai put his plan into action. After breakfast, he convinced Sugihara to let him use the family's private gym under the guise of "staying active." The butler raised an eyebrow but allowed it, keeping a watchful eye from a distance.
The gym was state-of-the-art, complete with treadmills, weights, and even a climbing wall. Kai started small, running laps around the room to test how much kinetic energy he could stockpile over time. With every step, he felt the hum grow stronger, his body tingling with potential. After ten minutes, he stopped and focused on releasing it. A quick burst to his legs launched him a solid ten feet forward, and he landed in a roll.
Sugihara, who had been reading a book nearby, looked up sharply. "Young master Kai, what are you doing?"
"Uh... plyometrics?" Kai said, grinning sheepishly.
The butler frowned. "Be careful. Your parents wouldn't want you injuring yourself."
"Don't worry, I've got this," Kai said, waving him off. He wasn't about to explain that he was testing a quirk instead of practicing jumps for fun.
Over the next hour, Kai experimented cautiously. He learned that releasing energy in controlled bursts was far less taxing than dumping it all at once. Channeling it into specific limbs—like his legs for jumps or his arms for punches—gave him better control. He also realized that absorbing impact from objects, like catching a medicine ball Sugihara tossed his way, filled his stockpile faster than running or climbing.
But the most exciting discovery came when he tried something new. He stood at the edge of the gym and slammed his foot into the ground, releasing a small burst downward. The resulting force pushed him back a few feet, sliding on the smooth floor.
"Alright!" Kai said, grinning. "Directional bursts—totally a thing. Hello, mobility!"
He spent another fifteen minutes practicing, experimenting with different combinations of stockpiling and releasing. By the end of it, his body was sore, and his energy reserves felt nearly empty, but his grin never faded.
Back in his room that evening, Kai lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His muscles ached from the workout, but it was the good kind of ache—the kind that came with progress.
"Step one, learn the basics. Check," he said softly. "Next up, figure out how to apply this to real-life situations."
His mind wandered to the kids he'd seen in the U.A. highlights. They were destined for greatness, but he wasn't planning on staying in the background. He had a second chance at life, and he wasn't going to waste it.
Kai closed his eyes, his determination growing. Tomorrow, he'd push himself even further. The path to being a hero wasn't going to be easy, but for the first time, that didn't scare him. It excited him.
Kai wandered back out to the garden as the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky painted in hues of orange and purple. He stretched his arms above his head, rolling his shoulders and feeling the faint buzz of leftover energy in his body. Stockpiling was definitely a versatile quirk, but the possibilities were still swimming in his head.
"Alright," he said, pacing along the stone path. "Let's brainstorm here. What's the coolest way to use this quirk?"
He scratched his chin, adopting a mock-serious tone. "Option one: become the human bouncy ball. Absorb every impact, then unleash it all to jump across Musutafu. Downside? Someone might mistake me for an actual ball and try to throw me into a hoop."
He paused, tapping a finger to his temple. "Option two: energy sniper. Store kinetic force from running, release it in tiny bursts to launch pebbles like bullets. Downside? Pebble fights sound way less heroic than punching villains in the face."
Kai chuckled, imagining a future interview with a reporter. "Tell us, Dynamite Kai, how did you defeat the villain?" He'd smirk and say, "Oh, just pelted him with a well-aimed gravel shower."
"Yeah, maybe not that one."
The sun finally disappeared, leaving the garden bathed in moonlight. Just as he was about to test another burst jump, a voice called from the mansion.
"Kai!" It was his mother, her tone sharp but caring. "It's getting late—time to come in."
Kai sighed, waving toward the mansion. "Be right there!"
Inside, his mom fussed over him like he was still five years old. She checked his hands for cuts, reminded him to brush his teeth, and narrowed her eyes suspiciously when he said he'd already eaten plenty for dinner.
"Go on, young man. Bedtime," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Kai groaned but complied. His bedtime routine was weirdly nostalgic now—brushing his teeth, washing his face, and tugging on pajamas that were, admittedly, way comfier than anything he'd owned in his old life.
As he climbed into bed, he stared at the ceiling, his mind drifting back to his old life. The memories weren't as sharp anymore, but they lingered like old photographs. He thought about the monotony of working at McDonald's—the endless cycle of cleaning grease traps and dodging ketchup packets flung by kids.
He snickered to himself. "Honestly, this is already a huge step up. I'd rather fight a villain with laser eyes than deal with Karen #45 yelling about soggy fries."
Still, he missed his family from back then. His sister's constant teasing, his dad's corny jokes, his mom's warm smile. He sighed, gripping the blanket tighter. They'd never know he was living a second life, and that thought stung more than he wanted to admit.
Kai's thoughts shifted to the main cast of this world. He pictured Bakugo, Midoriya, and Todoroki in their flashy hero costumes. He imagined himself standing alongside them, matching their feats of strength with his own quirks. Could he really reach their level?
"Man, I hope they're as cool in person as they are in the show," he muttered. Then he chuckled, a sudden thought striking him. "Though, knowing my luck, Bakugo will just call me a rich idiot and blow me up for fun."
He yawned, his eyelids growing heavy. His last thought before sleep claimed him was simple but clear: I'm going to make it to U.A. I'm going to stand with the best.
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