Chapitre 6: Chapter 6 - Welcome to New York
As the plane touched down on the New York tarmac, Hero felt the subtle vibration through his seat. Before he even had a chance to unbuckle, his phone buzzed violently in his pocket.
BZZZZ!
Then again.
BZZZZ!
Then again.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
It started with just a few notifications, but within moments, the chime had escalated into a full storm of alerts.
DINGDINGDINGDINGDING!
His phone was practically dancing in his hand.
"What the hell…" Hero muttered.
He glanced at the screen, eyes widening at the barrage of messages and social media tags flooding his feed. Every notification seemed louder than the last, a relentless bombardment.
He groaned, pulling it out to see a flood of notifications. Messages, emails, alerts from every app under the sun.
The screen was an absolute mess, dozens of app icons stacked with red dots. Friends asking about his flight, news alerts, even an email about a sale at a ramen shop back in Japan.
"Yo, check your phone. Looks like the world's going nuts about that turbulence!" Ryuji's text read.
And on top of it all, someone from Sojiro's café sent him a meme.
Hero stared at the screen, blinking. 'Well, that's one way to get welcomed to New York.'
All the chaos from the flight was apparently being covered by every major outlet.
One headline caught his eye: "Mysterious Passenger Saves Doomed Flight!"
Another read: "The Hero Who Saved Us All—Real or Myth?"
Exaggerated, of course.
Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Ding! Ding!
"Welcome to New York." Morgana muttered, side-eyeing the screen. "Looks like the whole world's trying to get in touch with you."
Hero sighed, sliding his phone back into his jacket pocket.
"I'll deal with it later." He muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Morgana perched on the seat next to him with an amused smirk. "I thought you said you were trying to stay low-key." He continued. "You're about to break the internet."
Hero sighed, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "Yeah, well… I wasn't expecting this much attention."
He leaned back in his seat, mentally preparing for the process of customs and getting out of the airport.
He had more pressing matters—like figuring out how he was going to handle the landing without getting mobbed. The adrenaline from earlier was still coursing through his veins, and all he wanted was to slip away unnoticed, but fate had other plans.
"Uh, maybe you should deal with it now." Morgana chimed in, nudging Hero with his paw. "Check out the view outside."
Hero glanced out the window, expecting to see the typical scene: airport staff, maybe some baggage handlers… but instead, he was met with a sight that made his heart drop.
The tarmac was packed, absolutely packed. It was swarming with people. Reporters, cameras, microphones—all pointed directly at the plane. It wasn't just a few. It was an army.
Cameramen scrambled to find the best shot, reporters were elbowing each other out of the way, and bright flashes popped from every direction. They swarmed the terminal, microphones in hand, all eagerly waiting for… someone.
Hero groaned as realization sank in. "Oh, come on…"
It was an absolute circus.
It didn't take long for him to figure out they weren't there for some random celebrity.
They were there for him.
His little stunt on the plane hadn't gone unnoticed, and now the media was ready to make a story out of the guy with near-supernatural abilities who just landed in America.
Morgana leapt up onto the armrest, shaking his head. "You really can't go anywhere without making a scene, can you? What a showoff."
He snickered, tail flicking with amusement. "Classic Phantom Thief—show up, save the day, and leave everyone in a frenzy. You wouldn't be our leader if you didn't know how to get people talking."
Hero sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, real subtle."
He was supposed to be laying low. The last thing he needed was this much attention, especially after his most recent heist back in Japan.
Sure, no one knew he was the leader of the Phantom Thieves, but it was only a matter of time before people started connecting the dots.
A guy with near-supernatural strength showing up in America just weeks before another Phantom Thief heist? Not a coincidence he wanted to be involved in.
And now, this? A full-on hero's welcome?
Hero groaned, regretting everything that led up to this moment. 'Lay low, I said. Keep a low profile, I said.'
Morgana snickered, hopping onto his lap. "What did you expect, huh? You literally caught a flying suitcase with your bare hands! That's not exactly blending in, you know."
He shot a look at Morgana, who was far too amused for his liking. "It's not my fault everything just… escalated."
Morgana flicked his tail. "Showoff. But hey, that's why I admire you. You're always good at putting on a spectacle, stylish as always. Besides, if anyone can sneak their way out of a media frenzy, it's you."
Hero groaned, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "I wasn't trying to be a showoff. I just didn't want anyone to get hurt."
"Yeah, yeah, sure." Morgana said, clearly entertained. "You might not have a Phantom Thief mask on, but it's still the same. These people are hungry for a hero."
Still, Hero couldn't afford to be swarmed by reporters, especially not now.
Hero sighed. "I've gotta avoid them, Morgana. If the media gets wind of me…"
Morgana nodded. "I know. We've got to make a move. Stealth mode?"
Hero smirked. "Stealth mode."
Hero's mind raced. He needed a way out—fast. As the plane taxied to the gate, Hero's eyes darted around, mapping out possible escape routes. The moment the door opened, it was going to be chaos. There was no doubt about it.
"Show them how a real Phantom Thief does it, Joker." Morgana replied, leaping onto Hero's shoulder, ready for action.
"It's Showtime!" With a grin, Hero stood up, already shifting into his more covert mindset.
Without wasting a second, Hero slipped out of his seat. His body moved like water, slipping into narrow spaces between seats, using every available shadow to obscure his presence.
Time seemed to slow down as Hero entered a familiar rhythm—the thrill of sneaking past unnoticed was just as satisfying as it always had been. The passengers were busy preparing to disembark, their attention elsewhere, and Hero expertly wove through the aisle without so much as a whisper.
"You make this look easy." Morgana whispered as they crept toward the back of the plane.
"It is easy." Hero replied, ducking under an open luggage compartment before vaulting over a row of seats with effortless grace.
Whoosh!
When they reached the service door at the rear of the plane, Hero peeked outside.
He could see the media throng just past the gates, camera flashes already lighting up the scene. More people were gathering by the second, their excitement building as they anticipated the chance to capture his arrival.
"This is gonna be tight." Morgana murmured, sensing the intensity of the situation.
The lights flickered slightly as the cabin door opened, and Hero took his chance, slipped into the shadow beneath the plane. The cold air bit at his skin, but the adrenaline rushing through him kept him sharp.
He pressed himself against the landing gear, scanning the tarmac for a route that would allow him to bypass the crowd unnoticed.
With a silent nod to Morgana, Hero darted forward, slipping through the gaps between vehicles and avoiding the bright floodlights that illuminated the runway.
"Focus." Hero whispered, his senses on high alert. He activated his Third Eye, allowing him to see the movement patterns of the guards, the reporters, and even the bystanders who had gathered. Time slowed just enough for him to calculate the perfect moment to move.
He could feel the excitement in the air, reporters craning their necks and chattering in anticipation, but they had no idea he was already slipping past them.
He dashed forward, silent as a ghost, his feet barely making a sound as he maneuvered through the obstacles in his path. His mind raced with possibilities, alternate routes flashing before him as he dodged workers and equipment with ease.
The world around him became a blur of shadows and light, his focus entirely on the goal—reaching the far side of the tarmac without being detected.
Creak!
A baggage handler turned toward him, but Hero had already vanished behind a stack of suitcases. His heart pounded in his chest, but he remained calm. Years of sneaking through dangerous palaces, unseen by enemies, had sharpened his instincts.
"Just like old times." He whispered to himself, slipping past a group of security guards, their attention elsewhere.
Swoosh~
He slid between the walls of the terminal, silent and invisible. Cameras whirred and shutters clicked, but no one noticed him slipping through the cracks.
The crowd outside grew louder as the media clamored for a sight of the mysterious man who had helped the plane stabilize.
"Where is he?"
"Has anyone seen him yet?"
The questions echoed as Hero moved with precision, narrowly avoiding every lens pointed his way.
Thwip!
A reporter turned at just the right moment, Hero ducking out of sight with lightning reflexes, crouching beneath a baggage cart.
"He's got to be around here somewhere!" One of them shouted, eyes scanning the area.
Hero smirked to himself. 'Not a chance.'
"Wow." Morgana whispered, eyes wide with admiration. "You've gotten even faster. They didn't even blink when you vanished."
"Years of practice." Hero replied with a grin, peeking around the corner. But the media circus outside was relentless, cameras still flashing, reporters practically salivating for the first glimpse of him.
He darted from cover to cover, shoop shoop, his feet barely making a sound as he slipped behind luggage carts and service trucks. Each close encounter felt like an eternity as he narrowly avoided the reporters' gaze, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
Fwoosh!
A door swung open nearby, and Hero ducked just in time, pressing himself into a shadow as a group of airport staff walked by, completely oblivious to his presence. He was so close to freedom, but the wall of cameras near the exit was thicker than he'd anticipated.
Morgana crouched beside him, whispering, "This is getting dicey. We need to find a way out before they spot us."
Hero nodded, eyes scanning the perimeter for an opening.
Clack. Clack.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind him, but Hero was faster. He darted into a narrow corridor, evading a team of journalists just in time, pressing himself against the cool wall as they passed.
For a brief moment, he thought he was in the clear. 'Almost there...'
But then, whirrrrr—the unmistakable sound of a camera turning his way.
The media had caught on.
"Not good!" Morgana yelped.
Clack clack clack clack!
A stampede of reporters suddenly surged toward them, microphones and cameras held high as they zeroed in on Hero's last position.
The chase was on.
Thud, thud, thud—their footsteps hammering against the floor as they rushed after him. The airport erupted into chaos as more people joined the stampede.
Hero didn't waste time. He took off, weaving through the mass of passengers, his breath quick but controlled.
His speed had increased exponentially since receiving the gift from Igor, and now, in this moment of adrenaline, he could feel it.
He was faster, sharper—his legs moved like lightning as he dodged luggage, leaped over barriers, and ducked under security tapes.
"Go, go, go!" Morgana hissed, and Hero bolted, sprinting toward the nearest exit. The crowd was closing in fast, shouts and flashes bombarding him as he zigzagged through the terminal.
His heart pounded in his chest as he made a break for it, but the crowd behind him was relentless. He couldn't afford to slow down—not now.
Thud!
Just when it seemed like they were about to catch him, a familiar voice cut through the chaos.
"Hey, over here!" Maya, the flight attendant from earlier, waved wildly from behind a baggage cart.
With a quick flick of her wrist, she knocked over a stack of luggage, diverting the stampeding reporters just long enough for Hero to slip past them.
"Now we're even." She whispered, a mischievous grin on her face.
Hero smirked, pausing for just a second to give her a wink before ducking into the nearest stairwell. "Appreciate it."
She waved him off, flashing a quick thumbs-up before turning to deal with the chaos she had just created.
Morgana, perched on his shoulder, snickered. "Talk about a save."
Hero and Morgana continued their dash, adrenaline still coursing through their veins. They skidded to a stop in a quiet service hallway, finally catching their breath.
Hero leaned back against the wall, heart pounding in his chest. "That… was too close."
Morgana wiped imaginary sweat off his brow. "No kidding. But hey, you pulled it off. You always do."
Hero chuckled, the adrenaline still buzzing through his system. "Yeah, but are we really in the clear?"
They both fell silent, listening intently to the sounds around them.
Deep breath.
Are they?
=====
Welcome to New York, it's been waitin' for you!
Welcome to New York, welcome to New York!
Welcome to New York, it's been waitin' for you!
Welcome to New York, welcome to New York!
It's a new soundtrack, I could dance to this beat, beat forevermore–
The lights are so bright, but they never blind me, me.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone